Dr Lorna Smith

Lorna Smith is a Research Associate in the Department of Diabetes in the School of Life Course Sciences. She has a first class BSc in Bioveterinary Science from the Royal Veterinary College and a PhD on the regulation of ACTH-mediated Star transcription in the adrenal from the University of Bristol. She was also enrolled in the Graduate Partnership Program during her PhD at the Program of Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics department within the NICHD, NIH, USA.

Her main research focus is on the factors involved in mediating islet adaptations during pregnancy, including placental signalling by kisspeptin, as well as autocrine beta-cell activity throughout gestation. She also examines the impact of these factors on long-term maternal and foetal health. Techniques undertaken include beta-cell-targeted gene deletion in vivo, intra-peritoneal glucose and insulin tolerance tests, behavioural testing, dose infusion by osmotic minipump, isolation of islets from experimental animals, detection of islet cell proliferation by BrdU incorporation into DNA, isolation and analysis of RNA by quantitative RT-PCR, measurement of hormone and cyclic nucleotide levels by immunoassay, immunohistochemistry.