Professor Sue Vaughan

Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology

School of Biological and Medical Sciences

Sue Vaughan

Role

Sue Vaughan is the Director of Oxford Brookes Centre for Bioimaging 

Teaching and supervision

Courses

Modules taught

Sue is module leader for Haematology & Immunology and also gives parasitology lectures in Infection & Immunity and Microbiology modules.

Research

Research in the Vaughan Lab focuses on the cell biology of Trypanosomes with a focus on the flagellum, which is an important organelle for the pathogenicity in this parasite. This includes motility, immune evasion through motility and attachment to surfaces. Cilia and flagella are found in a wide variety of eukaryotic cells and defective function of these organelles are linked to a number of Human genetic diseases collectively called ciliopathies. 

We use a variety of cutting edge 3D microscopy techniques including serial block face scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM), array tomography, cellular electron tomography, confocal airyscan and are involved in applications development. Sue is also Director of Oxford Brookes Centre for Bioimaging and collaborates with a wide variety of parasitolgists. 

Research grants and awards

  • Academy of Medical Sciences networking grant (2019-2020). TsetseNET: Developing scientific capacity through an interdisciplinary international network for tsetse fly research (~£25K).
  • The Wellcome Trust Collaborative Grant (2016-2021): TrypTag – a genome-wide localisation study (University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes, University of Cambridge, University of Liverpool) (~750K).
  • MRC Research Grant (2015-2019) Structure/Function relationships in protozoan parasites utilising high resolution 3D bioimaging ~£320K (MR/N017323/1).
  • BBSRC responsive mode grant award (2014-2019). Using SBEM and cellular electron tomography to study the basal body/pro-basal body linker ~£600K. (BB/M000532/1).
  • BBSRC Alert 13 grant award (2013). The Oxford consortium for three dimensional electron microscopy ~£698K. (BB/L014122/1).
  • BBSRC New Investigator award (2011-14). Three dimensional cellular electron microscopy of eukaryotic basal bodies ~£450K (BB/I000402/1).

Centres and institutes

Projects as Principal Investigator, or Lead Academic if project is led by another Institution

  • Divide and Thrive: Unravelling the unconventional dynamics and regulation of rapidcell division during Plasmodium male gamete formation (led by the University of Nottingham) (01/10/2024 - 31/03/2025), funded by: University of Nottingham

Projects as Co-investigator

  • Effect of recombinant protein expression on baculovirus budded virus structure and infectivity(01/04/2023 - 31/03/2024), funded by: Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), funding amount received by Brookes: £9,326, funded by: Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)

Publications

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