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School of Medicine

Dr Sue Greenwood Bsc PhD

Research Fellow

Maternal and Fetal Health Research Group
The University of Manchester
5th Floor Research
St Mary's Hospital
Manchester
M13 9WL

 

Role

University Research Fellow in Child Health

 

Memberships of Committees and Professional Bodies

Member of the Physiological Society

Member of IFPA (International Federation of Placenta Associations)

Research

My research interests centre on human placental development and function in relation to fetal growth in health and disease. I have focused on fetal growth restriction (FGR), a common and serious complication of pregnancy in which the fetal fails to achieve its growth potential leading to death in utero or premature birth and increased risk of disease in later life. The aetiology of FGR is complex, involving altered placental development, reduced placental blood flow and inadequate placental nutrient transfer. A major interest of mine, funded by Tommy’s the baby charity, is the origin of the reduced fetoplacental blood flow that is evident in FGR. I also investigate placental trophoblast development and nutrient transporter activity in FGR, studying (a) the role of ion channels in regulating placental trophoblast cell turnover (b) the function and regulation of the system A amino acid transporter in human and mouse placenta.

 

Methodological Knowledge

Micropuncture
Microelectrode impalements
Patch clamp
Primary cell culture
Membrane transport physiology

 

Teaching

Undergraduate teaching

I regularly supervise undergraduate student laboratory projects.

Postgraduate teaching

I have formally supervised 7 PhD students and I currently supervise the following students for PhD:

  • Joanna Williams (potassium channels and placental cell turnover)
  • Christina Hayward (placental development and function in teenagers)
 

Biography

Sue obtained a BSc in Physiology (1997) and a PhD in Renal Physiology (1980) from Manchester University. She then undertook postdoctoral research in renal physiology, in the University Departments of Physiology and Urology at Manchester, applying micropuncture techniques to study water and electrolyte reabsorption from the proximal renal tubule. In 1989, Sue joined the Placental Research Group in the Academic Unit of Child Health, St Mary’s Hospital, in Manchester. As Experimental /Senior Experimental Officer (1993-8), she established electrophysiology laboratories for microelectrode impalement and patch clamp studies of the human placenta in vitro and designed methods to measure placental amino acid transporter activity. Since her appointment to University Research Fellow in Child Health (1998), Sue has conducted research into the development and function of the human placenta in health and disease.

 

Qualifications

BSc; PhD

 

Collaborators and affiliated staff

Prof Gloria Riquelme, University of Santiago, Chile

 

Publications

2012

  • Hayward CE, Greenwood SL, Sibley CP, Baker PN, Challis JR, Jones RL. (2012). Effect of maternal age and growth on placental nutrient transport: potential mechanisms for teenagers' predisposition to small-for-gestational-age birth? Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, 302, E233-E242. eScholarID:147131 | DOI:10.1152/ajpendo.00192.2011

2011

  • Dilworth MR, Kusinski LC, Baker BC, Renshall LJ, Greenwood SL, Sibley CP, Wareing M. (2011). Defining fetal growth restriction in mice: A standardized and clinically relevant approach. Placenta, 32(11), 914-916. eScholarID:147134 | DOI:10.1016/j.placenta.2011.08.007
  • Giovannelli A, Greenwood SL, Desforges M, Sibley CP, Petraglia F. (2011). Corticotrophin-releasing factor and urocortin inhibit system A activity in term human placental villous explants. Placenta, 32(1), 99-101. eScholarID:147135 | DOI:10.1016/j.placenta.2010.10.015
  • Hayward CE, Greenwood SL, Sibley CP, Baker PN, Jones RL. (2011). Effect of young maternal age and skeletal growth on placental growth and development. Placenta, 32(12), 990-998. eScholarID:147133 | DOI:10.1016/j.placenta.2011.09.016
  • Higgins L, Greenwood SL, Wareing M, Sibley CP, Mills TA. (2011). Obesity and the placenta: A consideration of nutrient exchange mechanisms in relation to aberrant fetal growth. Placenta, 32(1), 1-7. eScholarID:147141 | DOI:10.1016/j.placenta.2010.09.019
  • Wareing M, Greenwood SL. (2011). Potassium channels in the human fetoplacental vasculature. Placenta, 32(Suppl 2), S203-S306. eScholarID:147140

2009

  • Desforges M, Mynett KJ, Jones RL, Greenwood SL, Westwood M, Sibley CP, Glazier JD. (2009). The SNAT4 isoform of the system A amino acid transporter is functional in human placental microvillous plasma membrane. J Physiol, 587(Pt1), 61-72. eScholarID:1d19595 | DOI:10.1113/jphysiol.2008.161331
  • Mills TA, Wareing M, Shennan A, Poston L, Baker PN, Greenwood SL. (2009). Acute and chronic modulation of placental chorionic plate artery reactivity by reactive oxygen species. Free Radic Biol Med, 47( 2), eScholarID:1d20125 | DOI:10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2009.04.019

2007

  • Lewis R, Glazier JD, Greenwood SL, Bennett E, Godfrey K, Jackson A, Sibley CP, Cameron I, Hanson M. (2007). L-serine uptake by human placental microvillous membrane vesicles. Placenta, 28( 5-6), 445-52. eScholarID:1d20264 | DOI:10.1016/j.placenta.2006.06.014
  • Mills TA, Taggart MJ, Greenwood SL, Baker PN, Wareing MM. (2007). Histamine-induced contraction and relaxation of placental chorionic plate arteries. Placenta, 28( 11-12), eScholarID:1d20128 | DOI:10.1016/j.placenta.2007.05.008

2006

  • Cooper E.J, Wareing MM, Greenwood SL, Baker PN. (2006). Oxygen tension and normalisation pressure modulate nifedipine-sensitive relaxation of human placental chorionic plate arteries. Placenta, 27, 402-410. eScholarID:1d13041
  • Desforges M, Lacey HA, Glazier JD, Greenwood SL, Mynett KJ, Speake PF, Sibley CP. (2006). The SNAT4 isoform of the system A amino acid transporter is expressed in human placenta. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol, 290(1), C305-C313. eScholarID:1d11275 | DOI:10.1152/ajpcell.00258.2005
  • Greenwood SL, Sibley CP. (2006). In vitro methods for studying human placental amino acid transport: placental villous fragments. Methods Mol.Med, 122, 253-264. eScholarID:1d15150
  • Roberts VH, Greenwood SL, A.C.Elliott, Sibley CP, L.H.Waters. (2006). Purinergic receptors in human placenta: evidence for functionally active P2X4, P2X7, P2Y2 and P2Y6. American Journal of Physiology, 290, R1374-R1386. eScholarID:1d33085
  • Sweeney MA, Jones CJP, Greenwood SL, Baker PN, Taggart MJ. (2006). Ultrastructural features of smooth muscle and endothelial cells of isolated isobaric human placental and maternal arteries. Placenta, 27, 635-647. eScholarID:1d11539
  • Turner MMA, Roulstone CJ, Desforges M, Cretney MA, Champion EE, Lacey HA, Greenwood SL. (2006). The extent and variability of effects of culture conditions on the secretion of human chorionic gonadotrophin and interleukin-6 by human, term placental explants in culture. Placenta, 27, 98-102. eScholarID:1d15173
  • Wareing M, Bai X, Seghier F, Turner CM, Greenwood SL, Baker PN, Taggart MJ, Fyfe GK. (2006). Expression and function of potassium channels in the human placental vasculature. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol, 291(2), R437-R446. eScholarID:1d13043
  • Wareing M, Greenwood SL, Baker PN. (2006). Reactivity of human placental chorionic plate vessels is modified by level of oxygenation: differences between arteries and veins. Placenta, 27(1), 42-48. eScholarID:1d12570
  • Wareing M, Greenwood SL, Fyfe GK, Baker PN, Taggart MJ. (2006). Glibenclamide Inhibits Agonist-induced Vasoconstriction of Placental Chorionic Plate Arteries. Placenta, 27(6-7), 660-668. eScholarID:1d26644
  • Wareing M, Greenwood SL, Fyfe GK, Baker PN. (2006). Reactivity of human placental chorionic plate vessels from pregnancies complicated by intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Biology of Reproduction, 75, 518-523. eScholarID:1d15149

2005

  • Champion E, Mann S, Glazier JD, Jones C, Rawlings J, Sibley CP, Greenwood SL. (2005). Characterisation of long term cat placental explant cultures: uptake of taurine by system beta. Placenta, 26( 8-9), 608-16. eScholarID:1d20272 | DOI:10.1016/j.placenta.2004.07.010
  • Cooper E, Wareing MM, Greenwood SL, Baker PN. (2005). Effects of oxygen tension and normalization pressure on endothelin-induced constriction of human placental chorionic plate arteries. J Soc Gynecol Investig, 7, 488-494. eScholarID:1d15099
  • Lacey HA, Nolan TT, Greenwood SL, Glazier JD, Sibley CP. (2005). Gestational profile of Na+/H+ exchanger and Cl-/HCO3- anion exchanger mRNA expression in placenta using real-time QPCR. Placenta, 26( 1), 93-8. eScholarID:1d20278 | DOI:10.1016/j.placenta.2004.05.005
  • Mills TA, Wareing MM, Bugg G, Greenwood SL, Baker PN. (2005). Chorionic plate artery function and Doppler indices in normal pregnancy and intrauterine growth restriction. Eur J Clin Invest, 12, 758-64. eScholarID:1d15096
  • Sibley, CP, Turner, M, Cetin, I, Ayuk, P, Boyd, C, D'Souza, SW, Glazier, JD, Greenwood, SL., Jansson, T, Powell, T. (2005). Placental phenotypes of intrauterine growth. Pediatr Res, 58( 5), 827-32. eScholarID:1d20271 | DOI:10.1203/01.PDR.0000181381.82856.23
  • Speake P, Mynett KJ, Glazier JD, Greenwood SL, Sibley CP. (2005). Activity and expression of Na+/H+ exchanger isoforms in the syncytiotrophoblast of the human placenta. Pflugers Arch, 450( 2), 123-30. eScholarID:1d20275 | DOI:10.1007/s00424-005-1382-x
  • Wareing M, Akef H, Greenwood SL, Bugg G, Baker PN. (2005). Umbilical artery Doppler waveform indices from normal pregnant women are related to vasodilatation of placental chorionic plate small arteries. J.Obstet. Gynecol, 25(3), 248-252. eScholarID:1d15151

2004

  • Champion EE, Mann S, Glazier JD, Jones CJP, Rawlings J, Sibley CP, Greenwood SL. (2004). System ß and system A amino acid transporters in the feline endotheliochorial placenta. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol, 287(6), R1369-R1379. eScholarID:1d10780
  • Turner MMA, Vause S, Greenwood SL. (2004). The regulation of interleukin-6 secretion by prostanoids and members of the tumor necrosis factor superfamily in fresh villous fragments of term human placenta. J Soc Gynecol Investig, 11( 3), 141-8. eScholarID:1d10754

2003

  • Atkinson, DE, Greenwood, SL., Greenwood, SL., Sibley, CP, Sibley, CP, Glazier, JD, Glazier, JD, Fairbairn, L, Fairbairn, L. (2003). Role of MDR1 and MRP1 in trophoblast cells; elucidated using retroviral gene transfer. American Journal of Physiology - Cell Physiology, 285(3):, eScholarID:1d25358
  • Champion E, Glazier JD, Greenwood SL, Mann S, Rawlings J, Sibley CP, Jones CJP. (2003). Localization of alkaline phosphatase and Ca2+-ATPase in the cat placenta. Placenta, 24( 5), 453-61. eScholarID:1d20280
  • Jansson N, Greenwood SL, Johansson BR, Powell TL, Jansson T. (2003). Leptin stimulates the activity of the system A amino acid transporter in human placental villous fragments. J.Clin.End.Metab, 88, 1205-1211. eScholarID:1d7502
  • Wareing M, Greenwood SL, Taggart MJ, Baker PN. (2003). Vasoactive responses of veins isolated from the human placental chorionic plate. Placenta, 24.(7), 790-796. eScholarID:1d6550

2002

  • Clarson LH, Roberts VH, Greenwood SL, Elliott AC. (2002). ATP-stimulated Ca(2+)-activated K(+) efflux pathway and differentiation of human placental cytotrophoblast cells. American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 282(4), R1077-R1085. eScholarID:1d3825
  • Sibley, CP, Sibley, CP, Glazier, JD, Glazier, JD, Greenwood, SL., Greenwood, SL., Lacey, HA, Lacey, H, Mynett, KJ, Mynett, KJ, Speake, PF, Speake, PF, Jansson, T, Jansson, T, Johansson, M, Johansson, M, Powell, T, Powell, TL. (2002). Regulation of placental transfer: the NA+/H+ exchanger – a review. Placenta, 23 (supplement A), S39-S46. eScholarID:1d3904

2001

  • Siman CM, Sibley CP, Jones CJP, Turner MMA, Greenwood SL. (2001). The functional regeneration of syncytiotrophoblast in cultured explants of term placenta. American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 280(4), R1116- R1122. eScholarID:1d3820

1999

  • Birdsey T, Boyd RDH, Sibley CP, Greenwood SL. (1999). Effect of hyposmotic challenge on microvillous membrane potential in isolated human placental villi. American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 276, R1479 - R1488. eScholarID:1d3818
  • Turner MMA, Sides MK, Sibley CP, Greenwood SL. (1999). Anion efflux from cytotrophoblast cells derived from normal term human placenta is stimulated by hyposomatic challenge and extracellular A23187 but not by membrane soluble cAMP. Exp Physiol, 84(1), 27-40. eScholarID:1d3949

1998

  • Sibley, CP, Birdsey, T, Brownbill, P, Clarson, L, Doughty, IM, Glazier, JD, Greenwood, SL., Hughes, J, Jansson, T, Mylona, P, Nelson, D, Powell, T. (1998). Mechanisms of maternofetal exchange across the human placenta. Biochem Soc Trans, 26( 2), 86-91. eScholarID:1d16832

1996

  • Clarson L, Glazier JD, Greenwood SL, Jones CJP, Sides M, Sibley CP. (1996). Activity and expression of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase in human placental cytotrophoblast cells in culture. J Physiol, 497 ( Pt 3), 735-43. eScholarID:1d20296
  • Doughty IM, Glazier JD, Greenwood SL, Boyd RDH, Sibley CP. (1996). Mechanisms of maternofetal chloride transfer across the human placenta perfused in vitro. Am J Physiol, 271( 6 Pt 2), R1701-6. eScholarID:1d20297
  • Mylona P, Glazier JD, Greenwood SL, Sides M, Sibley CP. (1996). Expression of the cystic fibrosis (CF) and multidrug resistance (MDR1) genes during development and differentiation in the human placenta. Mol Hum Reprod, 2( 9), 693-8. eScholarID:1d20298

1993

  • Byrne S, Glazier JD, Greenwood SL, Mahendran D, Sibley CP. (1993). Chloride transport by human placental microvillous membrane vesicles. Biochim Biophys Acta, 1153( 1), 122-6. eScholarID:1d20307

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