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Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences

Dr Rachel Cowen BSc, MSc, PhD

Photograph of Rachel Cowen

Research Staff Trainer (MHS) and Honorary Research Fellow (Pharmacy)

 

Role

Research Staff Trainer

I am the Research Staff Trainer for the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences situated within the Faculty Research Training Team. My role is to develop the research and generic skills of all Research staff in the Faculty and to support them in their careers and to promote their continued professional development.

  • I have developed and deliver a comprehensive training programme for Research Staff covering key skills areas including essential communication skills, building research skills and career planning. The workshops are tailored to the specific research areas of each of the Schools in the Faculty and aim to enhance performance and satisfaction.
  • For researchers aspiring to an independent research career I have developed and deliver a leadership and management programme covering all aspects of research team leadership (in collaboration with STDU). 
  • I provide networking opportunities to researchers through the Research Staff ‘Away Day’ and promote scientific collaboration and showcasing of research by supporting mini-scientific symposia within the Schools.
  • I am involved in developing and delivering the New Academics Programme within the Faculty
  • Within the Faculty we have an active School Research Fora Network providing researcher’s with an enhanced sense of community and opportunity to share ideas, concerns and propose actions. I chair the Research Staff representatives committee for the Fora keeping the interests of research staff at the forefront of the Faculty research agenda.
  • I also have a pastoral role providing face to face advice and guidance to Research Staff.

The training team engage with researchers through the training website www.mhs.manchester.ac.uk/trainingteam

Honorary Research Fellow

I lead a small research team funded by Breast Cancer Campaign to investigate the potential use of a novel protein (opticin) for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer.

 

Memberships of Committees and Professional Bodies

  • The British Society of Gene Therapy
  • Vitae National Training Programme
  • Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

Biography

I gained my undergraduate Honours degree in Biochemistry in 1992 from the University of Leeds followed by a Masters degree in Information Technolgy in 1993 from the University of Nottingham. I then embarked on a research career in the field of oncology beginning as a Research Assistant for CRUK, Christie Hospital, Manchester and then in private R&D at Pfizer Central Research, UK (1993-1997). I decided to further my academic qualifications and embark on a BBSRC/AstraZeneca sponsored PhD studentship in 1997 and was awarded my doctorate in Cancer Gene Therapy in 2000 from the University of Manchester. I amassed 7 years postdoctoral experience as a Research Fellow in the School of Pharmacy, University of Manchester where I retain a small research team holding an honoray Research Fellow position. I secured my current position as Faculty Research Staff Trainer in June 2007.

 

Qualifications

  • 2009 - Certificate in Training Practice, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
  • 2000 - Ph.D in Medicine, University of Manchester.
  • 1993 - M.Sc in Information Technology, Nottingham University, Nottingham UK
  • 1992 - B.Sc Hons in Biochemistry, Leeds University, UK
 

Publications

2010

  • Burrows, N., Resch, J., Cowen, R., von Wasielewski, R., Hoang-Vu, C., West, C., Williams, K. & Brabant, G (2010). Expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha in thyroid carcinomas. Endocr Relat Cancer, 17(1), 61-72. eScholarID:91943 | PMID:19808899 | DOI:10.1677/ERC-08-0251
  • Sommer, P., Cowen, R., Berry, A., Cookson, A., Telfer, B., Williams, K., Stratford, I., Kay, P., White, A. & Ray, D (2010). Glucocorticoid receptor over-expression promotes human small cell lung cancer apoptosis in vivo and thereby slows tumor growth. Endocr Relat Cancer, 17(1), 203-13. eScholarID:91942 | PMID:20015838 | DOI:10.1677/ERC-09-0241

2009

  • Mehibel M , Singh S , Chinje EC, Cowen RL, Stratford IJ. (2009). Effects of cytokine-induced macrophages on the response of tumor cells to banoxantrone (AQ4N). Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, 8(5), 1261-1269. eScholarID:65259 | DOI:10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-08-0927
  • Mehibel, M., Singh, S., Chinje, E., Cowen, R. & Stratford, I (2009). Effects of cytokine-induced macrophages on the response of tumor cells to banoxantrone (AQ4N). Mol Cancer Ther, eScholarID:91947 | PMID:19435866 | DOI:10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-08-0927
  • Roberts, D., Williams, K., Cowen, R., Barathova, M., Eustace, A., Brittain-Dissont, S., Tilby, M., Pearson, D., Ottley, C., Stratford, I. & Dive, C (2009). Contribution of HIF-1 and drug penetrance to oxaliplatin resistance in hypoxic colorectal cancer cells. Br J Cancer, 101(8), 1290-7. eScholarID:91945 | PMID:19755992 | DOI:10.1038/sj.bjc.6605311
  • Singh, S., Cowen, R., Chinje, E. & Stratford, I (2009). The impact of intracellular generation of nitric oxide on the radiation response of human tumor cells. Radiat Res, 171(5), 572-80. eScholarID:91946 | PMID:19580492 | DOI:10.1667/RR1640.1

2008

  • Cowen RL. (2008). iNOS as a therapeutic target for treatment of human tumors. Nitric Oxide, 19(2), 217-214. eScholarID:1d17618

2007

  • McKeown S, Cowen RL, Williams KJ. (2007). Bioreductive drugs: from concept to clinic. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol), 19( 6), 427-42. eScholarID:1d15971
  • T. Matzow, Cowen RL, Williams KJ, Telfer BA, PJ Flint, TG Southgate, MP Saunders. (2007). Hypoxia targeted over-expression of carboxylesterase as a means of increasing tumour sensitivity to irinotecan (CTP-11). J.Gene Med, 9, 244-252. eScholarID:1d15907

2006

  • Brown L M, Cowen RL, Debray C, Eustace A, Erler J T, Sheppard FC.D, Parker C A, Stratford IJ, Williams KJ. (2006). Reversing hypoxic cell chemoresistance in vitro using genetic and small molecule approaches targeting hypoxia inducible factor-1. Mol.Pharmacol, 69, 411-418. eScholarID:1d12742

2005

  • Lindsay S, Kertesz M, Cowen RL, Rickard AH, McBain AJ, Gilbert P. (2005). The enigma of persistence in biofilm communities. Biofilm persistence and ubiquity [Eds. McBain AJ, Allison DJ, Spratt D, Pratten JE, Upton M, Verran J, Biofilm Club Press, Manchester. eScholarID:3d621
  • Chadderton N, Cowen RL, Sheppard FC.D, Robinson S, Greco O, Scott S, Stratford IJ, Patterson A, Williams KJ. (2005). Dual responsive promoters to target therapeutic gene expression to radiation-resistant hypoxic tumor cells. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys, 62( 1), eScholarID:1d32536 | DOI:10.1016/j.ijrobp.2005.01.031
  • Riddick D, Lee, C, Ramji S, Chinje, E, Cowen, RL, Williams, KJ, Stratford, IJ, Morrow CS, Townsend AJ, Jounaidi Y, Chen CS, Su T, Lu H, Swartz PS, Waxman DJ. (2005). Cancer Chemotherapy and Drug Metabolism. American Soc for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 33(8), eScholarID:1d11183
  • Welman A, Cawthorne C, Barraclough J, Smith N, Griffiths GJ, Cowen RL, Williams JC, Stratford IJ, Dive C. (2005). Construction and characterization of multiple human colon cancer cell lines for inducibly regulated gene expression. J Cell Biochem, 94, 1148-62. eScholarID:1d11515

2004

  • Cowen RL, Williams KJ, Chinje E, Jaffar M, Sheppard FC.D, Telfer BA, Wind NS, Stratford IJ. (2004). Hypoxia Targeted gene therapy to increase the efficacy of tirapazamine as an adjuvant to radiotherapy: reversing tumor radioresistance and effecting cure. Cancer Research, 64, 1396-1402. eScholarID:1d7824 | DOI:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-03-2698
  • Williams KJ, Cowen RL, Brown LM, Chinje E, Jaffar M, Stratford IJ. (2004). Hypoxia in tumours: molecular targets for anti-cancer therapeutics. Adv. Enzyme Reg, 44, 93-108. eScholarID:1d9631

2003

  • Rickard AH, Cowen RL, Gilbert P. (2003). Spatial distribution of bacteria within biofilms influences disinfection. Biofilm Communities : Order from Chaos?. eScholarID:3d143
  • Cowen RL, Williams KJ, N. Chadderton, Jaffar M, Telfer BA, Stratford IJ. (2003). Treatment resistant tumour eradication using adenovirus mediated oxygen regulated GDEPT. eScholarID:2d1293
  • LM. Brown, Williams KJ, Cowen RL, G. Melillo, E. Sausville, Stratford IJ. (2003). The potential therapeutic application of targeting HIF-1 using gene therapy or small molecule approaches. eScholarID:2d1621
  • N. Chadderton, Cowen RL, Williams KJ, Stratford IJ. (2003). Dual hypoxia and radiation responsive promoters for the delivery of TNFalpha to tumours. eScholarID:2d1617
  • R. Al-Assah, Cowen RL, Chinje E, Williams KJ, Stratford IJ. (2003). Angiogenesis Or Apoptosis: The Relationship With iNOS Levels. eScholarID:2d1297
  • R. Al-Assah, Cowen RL, Chinje E, Williams KJ, Telfer BA, Stratford IJ. (2003). Genetic regulation of iNOS expression as a potential therapy for cancer. eScholarID:2d1619
  • Stratford IJ, Cowen RL, Jaffar M, Williams KJ. (2003). Future opportunities for radiation combined with new modalities. Elsevier Science. eScholarID:2d1022
  • Castro, M-, Cowen, RL, Wilkinson, I.K., David, A, Jimenez-Dalmaroni, M.J., Yuan, X, Bigliari, A, Williams, JC, Hu, J, Lowenstein, P-. (2003). Current and future strategies for the treatment of malignant brain tumours. Pharmacol Ther, 98, 71-108. eScholarID:1d7303
  • Chinje E, Cowen RL, Feng J, Sharma SP, Wind NS, Harris AL, Stratford IJ. (2003). Non-Nuclear Localized Human NOSII Enhances the Bioactivation and Toxicity of Tirapazamine (SR4233) in vitro. Molecular Pharmacology, 63(6), 1248-1255. eScholarID:1d4904 | DOI:10.1124/mol.63.6.1248
  • Cowen RL, Patterson AV, Telfer BA, Airley R, Hobbs S, Phillips RM, Jaffar M, Stratford IJ, Williams KJ. (2003). Viral delivery of P450 reductase recapitulates the ability of constitutive overexpression of reductive enzymes to potentiate the activity of Mitomycin C in human breast cancer xenografts. Mol. Cancer Therapeutics, 2, 901-909. eScholarID:1d7439
  • Stratford IJ, Williams KJ, Cowen RL, Jaffar M. (2003). Combining bioreductive drugs and radiation for the treatment of solid tumours. Seminars in Radiation Oncology, 13 (1), 42-52. eScholarID:1d4255

2002

  • Al-Assah R, Cowen RL, Chinje E, Stratford IJ. (2002). Studying the role of iNOS in tumourigenesis utilizing the ecdysone system. eScholarID:2d1144
  • Chadderton N, Cowen RL, Williams KJ, Ratcliffe PJ, Harris AL, Stratford IJ. (2002). Novel promoter-enhancer for hypoxia-selective gene therapy. eScholarID:2d1143
  • Chinje E, Feng J, Sharma SP, Wind NS, Cowen RL. (2002). Cytosolic human NOS II activity in MDA 231 breast tumour transfected cells enhances SR4233 activation and toxicity. eScholarID:2d920
  • Chinje E, Feng J, Wind NS, Cowen RL, Stratford IJ. (2002). A role for over-expressed human cytosolic NOS-II in the bioactivation and toxicity of tirapazamine in vitro. Pergamon. eScholarID:2d1392
  • Cowen RL, Chadderton N, Williams KJ, Patterson AV, Telfer BA, Stratford IJ. (2002). Hypoxia driven gene therapy to target radiation resistant tumours. eScholarID:2d1390
  • Cowen RL, Williams J, Emery S, Blakey D, Castro MG, Logue JP. (2002). Adenoviral mediated suicide gene therapy using the bacterial enzyme Carboxypeptidase G2. eScholarID:2d440
  • Cowen RL, Williams KJ, Patterson AV, Robinson S, Sheppard FC.D, Telfer BA, Stratford IJ. (2002). Viral mediated gene delivery of hypoxia regulated reductive enzymes to activate bioreductive drugs and thus improve the therapeutic index of these anti-tumour agents. eScholarID:2d374
  • Williams KJ, Patterson AV, Telfer BA, Cowen RL, Jaffar M, Stratford IJ. (2002). Over-expression of DT-diaphoprase and cytochrome p450 reductase sensitizes human breast cancer cell lines to mitomycin treatment in both vitro and in vivo. eScholarID:2d908
  • AV Patterson, Williams, KJ, Cowen, RL, Jaffar, M, Jaffar, M, Telfer, BA, Saunders, MP, R Airley , D Honess, AJ Van der Kogel, CR Wolf, Stratford, IJ. (2002). Oxygen-sensitive enzyme-prodrug gene therapy for the eradication of radiation-resistant solid tumours. Gene Therapy, 9, 946-954. eScholarID:1d1939
  • Cowen RL, Williams JC, Emery S, Blakey D, Darling J, Lowenstein P-, Castro M-. (2002). Adenovirus vector-mediated delivery of the prodrug-converting enzyme carboxypeptidase G2 in a secreted or GPI-anchored form: High-level expression of this active conditional cytotoxic enzyme at the plasma membrane. Cancer Gene Therapy, 9, 897-907. eScholarID:1d4257
  • Cowen, R., Williams, J., Emery, S., Blakey, D., Darling, J., Lowenstein, P. & Castro, M (2002). Adenovirus vector-mediated delivery of the prodrug-converting enzyme carboxypeptidase G2 in a secreted or GPI-anchored form: High-level expression of this active conditional cytotoxic enzyme at the plasma membrane. Cancer Gene Ther, 9(11), 897-907. eScholarID:91954 | PMID:12386828 | DOI:10.1038/sj.cgt.7700514
  • McNally V, AV Patterson, Williams KJ, Cowen RL, Stratford IJ, Jaffar M. (2002). Antiangiogenic, bioreductive and gene therapy approaches to the treatment of hypoxic tumours. Curr. Pharm. Design, 8, 1319-1333. eScholarID:1d1940
  • Brown L, Williams KJ, Cowen RL, Melillo G, Sausville E, Stratford IJ. (2002). Evaluation of dominant negative and small molecular inhibitors of hypoxia mediated transcription for potential therapeutic application. BJC, 86(S1), 206. eScholarID:17d84
  • Cowen RL, Williams KJ, Jaffar M, Patterson AV, Telfer BA, Stratford IJ. (2002). Hypoxia selective gene directed enzyme prodrug therapy. BJC, 86(S1), S29. eScholarID:17d576
  • Cowen RL. (2002). School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Safety Code (Issue 10.0) September 2002. eScholarID:16d1

2001

  • David A, Stone D, Cowen RL, Castro MG, Lowenstein PR. (2001). Transient transgenesis in the endocrine system: Viral vectors for gene delivery. Transgenic Models In Endocrinology, Ed Castro MG,Kluwer Academic Press, USA. eScholarID:3d134
  • Ross J, Cowen RL, Kingston PA, Kumar S, Garland G, Xiong WD, Yuan XP, Zhan L, Lowenstein PR. (2001). The endothelium as a target for gene therapy; tumours, cardiovascular disease and neurogenerative disorders. Vascular endothelium: source and target of inflammatory medicine. PUB IOS press, Netherlands. eScholarID:3d967
  • Abordo-Adesida E, Spyrou P, Verakis T, Xiong W, Cowen RL, Zemansky A, Castro MG, Kingston PA, Lowenstein PR. (2001). IL-10 and TGF- are both needed to down-modulate inflammation induced by FasL from first generation adenovirus vectors in the brain, while either IL-10 and TGF- can inhibit FasL-dependent inflammation in muscle. eScholarID:2d331
  • Cowen RL, Williams KJ, Patterson AV, Robinson SK, Sheppard FC.D, Telfer BA, Lian L-Y, Stratford IJ. (2001). Optimisation of reductase enzymes for use in hypoxia regulated gene directed enzyme prodrug therapy. Churchill Livingstone. eScholarID:2d915
  • Robinson S, Patterson AA.V, Chadderton N, Williams KJ, Cowen RL. (2001). Integrating the transcriptional response to hypoxia and ionizing radiation applications for gene therapy. Churchill Livingstone. eScholarID:2d343
  • Stratford IJ, Williams KJ, Cowen RL, Jaffar M, Airley R, West CML. (2001). Identifying those patients most at risk from treatment failure. What can be done to help?. eScholarID:2d1313
  • Williams KJ, Cowen RL, Stratford IJ. (2001). Hypoxia and oxidative stress in breast cancer: Tumour hypoxia-therapeutic considerations. Breast Cancer Research, 3, 328-331. eScholarID:1d8318
  • Williams KJ, Cowen RL, Stratford IJ. (2001). Tumour hypoxia - therapeutic considerations. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, 3, 328-331. eScholarID:1d23184

2000

  • Williams J, Cowen RL, Emery S, Blakey D, Castro MG, Lowenstein PR. (2000). Inducible suicide gene expression from first generation adenoviral vectors expressing Carboxypeptidase G2 in a secreted and membrane bound form. eScholarID:2d332
  • Castro M-, Cowen RL, Smith-Arica J, Williams JC, Ali S, Windeatt S, Gonzlez-Nicolini V, Maleniak T, Lowenstein P-. (2000). Gene therapy strategies for intracranial tumours: glioma and pituitary adenomas. Histology and Histopathology, 15, 1233-1252. eScholarID:1d2099
  • Cowen RL, Brown O, Preston OG, Castro MG, Lowenstein PR. (2000). Subcellular post-transcriptional targeting: Delivery of an intracellular protein to the extracellular leaflet of the plasma membrane using a glycosyl-phosphatidyl inositol (GPI) membrane anchor in neurons and polarized epithelial cells. 7, 1947-1953. eScholarID:1d1074

1999

  • Lowenstein PR, Cowen RL, Thomas C, Castro MG. (1999). The basic science of brain-tumour gene therapy. Biochem. Soc. Trans, 27, 873-881. eScholarID:1d23204

1997

  • Hoban PR, Cowen RL. (1997). Physical localisation of the breakpoints of a constitutional translocation 5(5;6) (q21;q21) in a child with bilateral Wilms' tumour. Journal Of Medical Genetics, 343-345. eScholarID:1d23202

1996

  • Heighway J, Betticher DC, Hoban PR, Altermatt HJ, Cowen RL. (1996). Coamplification in tumors of KRAS2, type 2 inositol 1,4,5 triphosphate receptor gene,and a novel human gene, KRAG. Genomics, 35, 207-214. eScholarID:1d1070

  • Williams KJ, Patterson AV, Telfer BA, Cowen RL, Jaffar M, Stratford IJ. DT-diaphorase and cytochrome p450 reductase overexpression sensitise human breast cancer cell lines to mitomycin C treatment both in vitro and in vivo. eScholarID:2d905

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