Professor Sussan Nourshargh

Profile

ORCID iD: 0000-0001-5677-1806

Sussan Nourshargh is a pharmacologist who studied at University College London (BSc) and King’s College London (PhD) and became Professor of Immunopharmacology at Imperial College London in 2006. In 2007 she joined Queen Mary University of London where she established the Centre for Microvascular Research within the William Harvey Research Institute. 

Awards

• The Gabor Kaley Prize in Microcirculation Research from the American Societies of Physiology and Microcirculation (2016)
• The Astra Zeneca Prize for Women in Pharmacology from the British Pharmacology Society (2014)
• Quintiles Prize for outstanding contribution to Immunopharmacology from the British Pharmacology Society (2001)

Fellowships

• Wellcome Trust Investigator Award (2020)
• Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator Award (2012)
• Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (2012)
• Fellow of the Society of Biology (2010)
• Fellow of the British Pharmacological Society (2005)
• Wellcome Trust University Award (1996)
• Wellcome Trust Career Development Fellowship (1990) 

Memberships

• International Scientific Advisory Board of the Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University of Birmingham (2023 to date).
• International Scientific Advisory Board of the DFG-funded Neutrophil Consortium, University of Munster, Germany (2022 to date).
• British Heart Foundation Board of Trustees and Advisory Council (2015 - 2021)
• Wellcome Trust’s Biomedical Resources & Multi-User Equipment Committee (2015-2018)
• Academy of Medical Sciences Springboard Panel (2015-2017)
• Chair and Member of the Academy of Medical Sciences Committee (SC3) for selection of new Fellows (2012-2017)
• Royal Society’s Newton Advanced Fellowship Panel (2014-2016)
• British Heart Foundation Fellowship Committee (2011-2014)
• Wellcome Trust’s Peer Review College (2012-2016)
• Treasurer of the UK Adhesion Society (2007-2016)
• Editor, European Journal of Immunology (2013-2020)
• Editor, British Journal of Pharmacology (2010-2013) 
  
  

Research

Group members

Summary 

Key Publications

Full list of publications 

• Rolas, L., Stein, M., Barkaway, A., Reglero-Real, N., Sciacca, E, Yaseen, M., Wang, H., Vazquez-Martinez, L., Golding, M., Blacksell, IA., Giblin, MJ., Jaworska, E., Bishop CL., Voisin, MB., Gaston-Massuet, C., Fossati-Jimack, L., Pitzalis, C., Cooper, D., Nightingale, TD., Lopez-Otin, C., Lewis, MJ., and Nourshargh, S. (2024). "Senescent endothelial cells promote pathogenic neutrophil trafficking in inflamed tissues". Embo Rep, 10.1038/s44319-024-00182-x.
• Joulia R., Guerrero-Fonseca I. M., Girbl T., Coates J. A., Stein M., Vazquez-Martinez L., Lynam E., Whiteford J., Schnoor M., Voehringer D., Roers A., Nourshargh S.# & Voisin M. B.# (# joint last authors). (2022). “Neutrophil breaching of the blood vessel pericyte layer during diapedesis requires mast cell-derived IL-17”. Nat. Communication, 13: 7029.
• Reglero-Real N., Pérez-Gutiérrez L & Nourshargh S. (2021). “Endothelial cell autophagy keeps neutrophil trafficking under control”. Autophagy, 17: 4509-4511.
• Sánchez-López A., Espinós-Estévez C., González-Gómez C., Gonzalo P., Andrés-Manzano M. J., Fanjul V., Riquelme-Borja R., Hamczyk M. R., Macías A., del Campo L., Camafeita E., Vázquez J., Barkaway A., Rolas L., Nourshargh S., Dorado B., Benedicto I. & Andrés V. (2021). “Cardiovascular progerin suppression and lamin A restoration rescue Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome”. Circulation, 144: 1777-1794.  
• Reglero-Real N, Pérez-Gutiérrez L, Yoshimura A, Rolas L, Garrido-Mesa J, Barkaway A, Pickworth C, Saleeb RS et al. (2021). Autophagy modulates endothelial junctions to restrain neutrophil diapedesis during inflammation. Immunity, 54: 1989-2004.
• Barkaway A, Rolas L, Joulia R, Bodkin J, Lenn T, Owen-Woods C, Reglero-Real N, Stein M et al. (2021). Age-related changes in the local milieu of inflamed tissues cause aberrant neutrophil trafficking and subsequent remote organ damage. Immunity, 54: 1494 - 1510.
• Owen-Woods, C., Joulia, R., Barkaway, A., Rolas, L., Ma, B., Nottebaum, A. F., Arkill, K. P., Stein, M., Girbl, T., Golding, M., Bates, D. O., Vestweber, D., Voisin, M. B., Nourshargh, S. "Local microvascular leakage promotes trafficking of activated neutrophils to remote organs." J Clin Invest., (2020)., 130(5):2301-2318.
• Arokiasamy, S., King, R., Boulaghrasse, H., Poston, R. N., Nourshargh, S., Wang, W., Voisin, M. B. "Heparanase-Dependent Remodeling of Initial Lymphatic Glycocalyx Regulates Tissue-Fluid Drainage During Acute Inflammation in vivo". Front Immunol., (2019) 10, 2316.
• R- Real N., Rolas L. & Nourshargh S. “Leukocyte trafficking: Time to take time seriously”. Immunity, 50 (2019): 273-275.
• Voisin M-B., Leoni G., Woodfin A., Loumagne L., Patel N. S. A., Cuzzocrea S., Thiemermann C., Perretti M., & Nourshargh S. “Neutrophil elastase plays a non-redundant role in remodelling the venular basement membrane and neutrophil diapedesis post ischemia-reperfusion injury”. J Pathol., (2019), 248: 88-102.
• Santiago-Fernández O., Osorio F. G., Quesada V., Rodríguez F., Basso S., Maeso D., Rolas L., Barkaway A., Nourshargh S., Folgueras A. R., Freije J. M. P., & López-Otín C. “Development of a CRISPR/Cas9-based therapy for Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome”. Nat. Med., (2019), 25:423-426.
• Voisin M. B. & Nourshargh S. Neutrophil trafficking to lymphoid tissues: physiological and pathological implications. J Pathol., 247: 662-671 (2019).
• Girbl, T., Lenn T., Perez L., Rolas L., Barkaway A., Thiriot A., Del Fresno C., Lynam E., Hub E., Thelen M., Graham G., Alon R., Sancho D., von Andrian U. H., Voisin M. B., Rot A. & Nourshargh S. ”Distinct compartmentalization of the chemokines CXCL1 and CXCL2 and the atypical receptor ACKR1 determine discrete stages of neutrophil diapedesis”. Immunity, 49 (2018): 1062-1076.
• Schulz-Fincke A-C., Tikhomirov A.S., Braune A., Girbl T., Gilberg E., Bajorath J., Blaut M., Nourshargh S. & Gütschow M. “Design of an activity-based probe for human neutrophil elastase: Implementation of the lossen rearrangement to induce Förster resonance energy transfers”. Biochemistry, 57 (2018): 742-752.
• Arokiasamy S., Zakian C., Dilliway J., Wang W., Nourshargh S.& Voisin M. B. “Endogenous TNFα orchestrates the trafficking of neutrophils into and within lymphatic vessels during acute inflammation”. Scientific Reports, 7 (2017): 44189.
• Gittens B. R., Bodkin J. V., Nourshargh S. Perretti M. & Cooper D. “Galectin-3: A positive regulator of leukocyte recruitment in the inflamed microcirculation.” J. Immunol. 198 (2017): 4458-4469.
• Cabrera C. P., Manson J., Shepherd J. M., Torrance H. D., Watson D., Longhi M. P., Hoti M., Patel M., O’Dwyer M., Nourshargh S., Pennington D. J., Barnes M. R. & Brohi K. “Signatures of inflammation and impending multiple organ dysfunction in the hyperacute phase of trauma – A multimodal prospective cohort study”. PLOS Medicine14 (7) (2017):  e1002352.
• Barzilai S., Yadav S. K., Morrell S., Roncato F., Klein E., Stoler-Barak L., Golani O., Feigelson S. W., Zemel A., Nourshargh S. & Alon R. “Leukocytes breach endothelial barriers by insertion of nuclear lobes and disassembly of endothelial actin filaments”. Cell Reports, 18: 685-699 (2017).
• Reglero-Real N, Colom B, Bodkin JV, Nourshargh S. “Endothelial Cell Junctional Adhesion Molecules: Role and Regulation of Expression in Inflammation”. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol., 36: 2048-2057 (2016). 
• Nourshargh S, Renshaw SA, Imhof BA. “Reverse Migration of Neutrophils: Where, When, How, and Why?” Trends in Immunol., 37: 273-286 (2016).
• Woodfin A, Beyrau M, Voisin MB, Ma B, Whiteford JR, Hordijk PL, Hogg N, Nourshargh S. “ICAM-1-expressing neutrophils exhibit enhanced effector functions in murine models of endotoxemia”. Blood, 127: 898-907 (2016)
• Colom B., Bodkin J., Beyrau M., Woodfin A., Voisin M-B., Brohi K., Chavakis T., Imhof B. A., and  Nourshargh S. “Leukotriene B4-neutrophil elastase axis drives neutrophil reverse transendothelial cell migration in vivo”. Immunity, 42: 1075-1086 (2015).
• Nourshargh S and Alon R. “Leukocyte migration into inflamed tissues: cross-talks between effector leukocytes and venular walls”. Immunity, 41: 694-707 (2014). 
• Finsterbusch M., Voisin M-B., Beyrau M., Williams T. J. and Nourshargh S. “Neutrophils recruited by chemoattractants in vivo induce microvascular plasma protein leakage through secretion of TNF”. J Exp Med., 21:1307-1314 (2014).
• Leinster D.A., Colom B., Whiteford J. R., Ennis D. P., Lockley M., McNeish I. A., Aurrand-Lions M., Chavakis T., Imhof B. A., Balkwill F. R. and Nourshargh S. “Endothelial cell junctional adhesion molecule-C plays a key role in the development of tumours in a murine model of ovarian cancer”. FASEB J., 27: 4244-4253 (2013).
• Proebstl, D., M.B. Voisin, A. Woodfin, J. Whiteford, F. D'Acquisto, G.E. Jones, D. Rowe and S. Nourshargh. “Pericytes support neutrophil subendothelial cell crawling and breaching of venular walls in vivo”. J Exp Med., 209:1219-34 (2012).
• Colom, B., Y. Poitelon, W. Huang, A. Woodfin, S. Averill, U. Del Carro, D. Zambroni, S.D. Brain, M. Perretti, A. Ahluwalia, J.V. Priestley, T. Chavakis, B.A. Imhof, M.L. Feltri and S. Nourshargh. “Schwann cell-specific JAM-C-deficient mice reveal novel expression and functions for JAM-C in peripheral nerves”. FASEB J., 26:1064-76 (2012).
• Woodfin, A., M.B. Voisin, M. Beyrau, B. Colom, D. Caille, F.M. Diapouli, G.B. Nash, T. Chavakis, S.M. Albelda, G.E. Rainger, P. Meda, B.A. Imhof and S. Nourshargh. “The junctional adhesion molecule JAM-C regulates polarized transendothelial migration of neutrophils in vivo”. Nat Immunol., 12:761-9 (2011).
• Nourshargh, S., P.L. Hordijk and M. Sixt. “Breaching multiple barriers: leukocyte motility through venular walls and the interstitium”. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol., 11:366-78 (2010) 
• Voisin, M.B., D. Probstl and S. Nourshargh. “Venular basement membranes ubiquitously express matrix protein low-expression regions: characterization in multiple tissues and remodeling during inflammation”. Am J Pathol., 176:482-95 (2010).
• Scheiermann, C., B. Colom, P. Meda, N.S. Patel, M.B. Voisin, A. Marrelli, A. Woodfin, C. Pitzalis, C. Thiemermann, M. Aurrand-Lions, B.A. Imhof and S. Nourshargh. “Junctional adhesion molecule-C mediates leukocyte infiltration in response to ischemia reperfusion injury”. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol., 29:1509-15 (2009). 
• Voisin, M.B., A. Woodfin and S. Nourshargh. “Monocytes and neutrophils exhibit both distinct and common mechanisms in penetrating the vascular basement membrane in vivo”. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol., 29:1193-9 (2009).
• Woodfin, A., M.B. Voisin, B.A. Imhof, E. Dejana, B. Engelhardt and S. Nourshargh. “Endothelial cell activation leads to neutrophil transmigration as supported by the sequential roles of ICAM-2, JAM-A, and PECAM-1”. Blood, 113:6246-57 (2009).
• Scheiermann, C., P. Meda, M. Aurrand-Lions, R. Madani, Y. Yiangou, P. Coffey, T.E. Salt, D. Ducrest-Gay, D. Caille, O. Howell, R. Reynolds, A. Lobrinus, R.H. Adams, A.S. Yu, P. Anand, B.A. Imhof and S. Nourshargh. "Expression and function of junctional adhesion molecule-C in myelinated peripheral nerves". Science, 318:1472-5 (2007). 
• Ley, K., C. Laudanna, M.I. Cybulsky and S. Nourshargh. “Getting to the site of inflammation: the leukocyte adhesion cascade updated”. Nat Rev Immunol., 7:678-89 (2007).
• Woodfin, A., C.A. Reichel, A. Khandoga, M. Corada, M.B. Voisin, C. Scheiermann, D.O. Haskard, E. Dejana, F. Krombach and S. Nourshargh. “JAM-A mediates neutrophil transmigration in a stimulus-specific manner in vivo: evidence for sequential roles for JAM-A and PECAM-1 in neutrophil transmigration”. Blood, 110: 1848-56 (2007).
• Wang, S., M.B. Voisin, K.Y. Larbi, J. Dangerfield, C. Scheiermann, M. Tran, P.H. Maxwell, L. Sorokin and S. Nourshargh. “Venular basement membranes contain specific matrix protein low expression regions that act as exit points for emigrating neutrophils”. J Exp Med., 203:1519-32 (2006).
• Huang, M.T., K.Y. Larbi, C. Scheiermann, A. Woodfin, N. Gerwin, D.O. Haskard and S. Nourshargh. “ICAM-2 mediates neutrophil transmigration in vivo: evidence for stimulus specificity and a role in PECAM-1-independent transmigration”. Blood, 107:4721-7 (2006).

Collaborators

• Professor Myles Lewis, Centre for Translational Bioinformatics, WHRI, QMUL  
• Dr Tim Lammermann, Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology & Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany 
• Dr Lucy Collinson, Crick Institute, London
• Professor Dietmar Vestweber, Max Planck Institute, Munster, Germany.
• Professor Uli von Andrian, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
• Professor Antal Rot, Centre for Microvascular Research, WHRI, QMUL
• Professor Carlos Lopez Otin, University of Oviedo, Spain

News

• 2022: Dr Loic Rolas receives a prestigious BHF Intermediate Basic Science Research Fellowship (5 years).
• The team published two papers in Immunity in 2021; Reglero-Real N, Pérez-Gutiérrez L, et al., (2021). Autophagy modulates endothelial junctions to restrain neutrophil diapedesis during inflammation. Immunity, 54: 1989-2004, and, Barkaway A, Rolas L, et al., (2021). Age-related changes in the local milieu of inflamed tissues cause aberrant neutrophil trafficking and subsequent remote organ damage. Immunity, 54: 1494 - 1510.
• Awarded a Wellcome Trust Investigator Award (2020).
• Awarded an MRC Programme Grant in collaboration with Prof Paul Martin and Dr Helen Weaver from University of Bristol (2020).