Dr Laura Cole BSc, PhD, FHEA

I was appointed to a lecturing post at Sheffield Hallam University having completed a BSc Biomedical Science and a PhD in cancer research at the University. I am Course Leader of the BSc Biomedical Science Course and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. My research interests include Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry Imaging to investigate tumour progression and treatment resistance mechanisms.

I teach a range of subjects in the Department of Biosciences and Chemistry including Bioanalytical Science, Biomedical Investigative Techniques and Professional and Scientific Practice.

My research has focused on the study of sinusoidal and leaky tumour vasculature, its relationship with an active tumour milieu, stress response mechanisms, vascular endothelial isoforms and the molecular switch back to viable tissue. More specifically, observing protein and lipid induction as a result of anticancer treatments, and studying the multicellular, stem cell like populations within the tumour microenvironment, possibly responsible for drug treatment resistance. I have been able to map specific changes in the molecular pathology of tumour tissue showing inverse correlations between heat shock proteins and structural proteins and those species implicated in tumour progression and metastasis.

These research directions have enabled me to be involved in the validation of anti-cancer drug Fosbretabulin (phase II/III clinical trials) and study the proteomics and lipidomics of a range of diseased clinical tissue. As a member of the Centre for Mass Spectrometry Imaging at Sheffield Hallam University, I have disseminated my research at conferences throughout Europe, America and Canada.

My research-informed teaching encompasses multidisciplinary techniques along with a bioanalytical theme.

Journal articles

Little, L.D., Carolan, V.A., Allen, K.E., Cole, L.M., & Haywood-Small, S.L. (2020). Headspace analysis of mesothelioma cell lines differentiates biphasic and epithelioid sub-types. Journal of Breath Research, 14 (4), 046011. http://doi.org/10.1088/1752-7163/abaaff

Pousinis, P., Ramos, I.R., Woodroofe, M.N., & Cole, L.M. (2020). Lipidomic UPLC-MS/MS Profiles of Normal-Appearing White Matter Differentiate Primary and Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. Metabolites, 10 (9), e366. http://doi.org/10.3390/metabo10090366

Heaton, C., Bury, C., Patel, E., Bradshaw, R., Wulfert, F., Heeren, R., ... Francese, S. (2020). Investigating sex determination through MALDI MS analysis of peptides and proteins in natural fingermarks through comprehensive statistical modelling. Forensic Chemistry, 20 (100271), 1-12. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.forc.2020.100271

Voloaca, O.M., Greenhalgh, C.J., Cole, L., Clench, M.R., Managh, A.J., & Haywood-Small, S. (2020). Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry as a novel clinical imaging tool to detect asbestos fibres in malignant mesothelioma. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 34 (21), e8906. http://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.8906

Palubeckaitė, I., Crooks, L., Smith, D., Cole, L., Bram, H., Le Maitre, C., ... Cross, N.A. (2019). Mass spectrometry imaging of endogenous metabolites in response to doxorubicin in a novel 3D osteosarcoma cell culture model. Journal of Mass Spectrometry. http://doi.org/10.1002/jms.4461

Cole, L., Clench, M., & Francese, S. (2019). Sample treatment for tissue proteomics in cancer, toxicology, and forensics. Adv Exp Med Biol, 1073 (1073), 77-123. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-12298-0_4

Wojakowska, A., Cole, L., Chekan, M., Bednarczyk, K., Maksymiak, M., Oczko-Wojciechowska, M., ... Widlak, P. (2018). Discrimination of papillary thyroid cancer from non-cancerous thyroid tissue based on lipid profiling by mass spectrometry imaging. Endokrynologia Polska, 69 (1), 2-8. http://doi.org/10.5603/EP.a2018.0003

Selvan, A., Cole, L., Spackman, L., & Wright, C. (2017). Hierarchical Cluster Analysis to Aid Diagnostic Image DataVisualization of MS and Other Medical Imaging Modalities. .

Selvan, A., Cole, L., Spackman, L., & Wright, C. (2017). Hierarchical Cluster Analysis to Aid Diagnostic Image DataVisualization of MS and Other Medical Imaging Modalities. .

Harvey, A., Day, R., Cole, L.M., Bartlett, M., Warwick, J., Bojar, R., ... Clench, M.R. (2016). MALDI-MSI for the analysis of a 3D tissue-engineered psoriatic skin model. Proteomics, 16 (11-12), 1718-1725. http://doi.org/10.1002/pmic.201600036

Cole, L.M., Selvan, A.N., Partridge, R., Reed, H., Wright, C., & Clench, M.R. (2015). Communication of medical images to diverse audiences using multimodal imaging. Advanced Structural and Chemical Imaging, 1 (1). http://doi.org/10.1186/s40679-015-0012-8

Cole, L., & Clench, M. (2015). Mass spectrometry imaging for the proteomic study of clinical tissue. PROTEOMICS - Clinical Applications, 9 (3-4), 335-341. http://doi.org/10.1002/prca.201400103

Cole, L., Bluff, J.E., Carolan, V., Paley, M.N., Tozer, G.M., & Clench, M. (2014). MALDI-MSI and label-free LC-ESI-MS/MS shotgun proteomics to investigate protein induction in a murine fibrosarcoma model following treatment with a vascular disrupting agent. Proteomics, 14 (7-8), 890-903. http://doi.org/10.1002/pmic.201300429

Cole, L.M., Mahmoud, K., Haywood-Small, S., Tozer, G.M., Smith, D.P., & Clench, M.R. (2013). Recombinant "IMS TAG" proteins - A new method for validating bottom-up matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation ion mobility separation mass spectrometry imaging. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 27 (21), 2355-2362. http://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.6693

Mahmoud, K., Cole, L., Newton, J., Mohamed, S., Al-Enazi, M., Qirke, P., & Clench, M. (2013). Detection of the epidermal growth factor receptor, amphiregulin and epiregulin in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded human placenta tissue by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging. European Journal of Mass Spectrometry, 19 (1), 17-28. http://doi.org/10.1255/ejms.1212

Cole, L., Djidja, M.-.C., Bluff, J., Claude, E., Carolan, V., Paley, M., ... Clench, M. (2011). Investigation of protein induction in tumour vascular targeted strategies by MALDI MSI. Methods, 54 (4), 442-453. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymeth.2011.03.007

Conference papers

Cole, L., Selvan, A., Wright, C., Reed, H., & Clench, M. (2014). Communication of medical images to diverse audiences using multiple imaging modalities'. In BMSS Annual Meeting 2014, Alderley Park Conference Centre, Macclesfield, Cheshire, 1 April 2014 - 2 April 2014.

Posters

Wright, C., Reed, H., Partridge, R., Cole, L., Selvan, A., & Clench, M. (2014). Communication of multi-modal imaging:MRI, MSI, and histology. Presented at: BCISMRM, Edinburgh, 2014