Susan Wray
{{short description|Cellular and molecular physiologist}}
{{Infobox scientist
|name = Sue Wray
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|FMedSci|FRCOG|MAE|size=100%}}
| birth_name = Susan C. Wray
|image = Sue Wray.jpg
|image_size =
| awards = Joan Mott Prize Lecture (2006)
| education = Chadderton Grammar School for Girls
|workplaces = University College London
University of Liverpool
|alma_mater = University College London (BSc, PhD)
| fields = Smooth muscle physiology
Reproduction
Cell signalling
| thesis_url = https://copac.jisc.ac.uk/id/12996362?style=html
|thesis_title = Factors controlling involution of connective tissue in the uterus
|thesis_year = 1980
| website = {{URL|https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/translational-medicine/staff/susan-wray/}}
| doctoral_advisor = Robert Harkness{{citation needed|date=June 2019}}
}}Susan C. Wray {{post-nominals|country=GBR|FMedSci|FRCOG|MAE}} is professor of cellular and molecular physiology at the University of Liverpool.{{EuropePMC|ORCID=0000-0002-0086-1359}}{{Google scholar id}} She also serves as the President of the International Union of Physiological Sciences (IUPS){{Cite web |title=Executive Committee |url=https://www.iups.org/iups/organisation/executive-committee/ |access-date=2022-06-08 |website=International Union of Physiological Sciences |language=en-US}} and is president of the Federation of European Physiological Societies (FEPS).{{cite web|url=http://www.feps.org/executive-committee|title=Executive Committee FEPS|website=feps.org}} She was the founding editor-in-chief of Physiological Reports.{{cite web|title=Prof Susan Wray BSc, PhD, FRCOG, FMedSci|url=http://www.liv.ac.uk/translational-medicine/staff/susan-wray/|publisher=University of Liverpool|website=liv.ac.uk}}{{cite journal |year=2012 |title=Editor-in-Chief and Deputy appointed for Physiological Reports |url=http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/launch.aspx?eid=5639062c-973c-4d23-bf9c-13bade6d8ed0&pnum=8 |journal=Physiology News |issue=89 |pages=8}} and is the first editor-in-chief of Current Research in Physiology.{{Cite web|url=https://www.journals.elsevier.com/current-research-in-physiology/editorial-board|title=Current Research in Physiology Editorial Board}} She serves as director of the centre of better births in Liverpool Women's Hospital which was opened in 2013 with funding of £2.5 million with the objective of basic scientists working together with clinicians on problems during pregnancy.{{cite web|title=New £2.5m research centre in Liverpool launched to save babies and improve births|url=http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/new-25m-research-centre-liverpool-3571889|date=2013-04-26|website=liverpoolecho.co.uk}} Along with {{interlanguage link|Zarko Alfirevic|qid=Q28037040}}, she leads the Harris wellbeing preterm birth centre.{{cite web |title=Harris Programme Grant |url=http://www.wellbeingofwomen.org.uk/research/harris-programme-grant/ |date=2015-02-16}} Wray is the director of the University of Liverpool Athena SWAN and team leader for the institute of translational medicine.{{cite web |title=Athena SWAN |url=http://www.liv.ac.uk/translational-medicine/athena-swan// |date=2015-01-18}} Her primary research interests are in smooth muscle physiology, reproductive medicine and cell signalling.{{cite journal|last1=Delpy|first1=D T|last2=Cope|first2=M|last3=Zee|first3=P van der|last4=Arridge|first4=S|last5=Wray|first5=S|last6=Wyatt|first6=J|title=Estimation of optical pathlength through tissue from direct time of flight measurement|journal=Physics in Medicine and Biology|volume=33|issue=12|year=1988|pages=1433–1442|issn=0031-9155|doi=10.1088/0031-9155/33/12/008|pmid=3237772|bibcode=1988PMB....33.1433D|s2cid=250734796 }}
Education
After attending the local authority-run Chadderton Grammar School for Girls, Wray received her Bachelor of Science degree in physiology and, in 1979, her PhD from University College London for research investigating gestational changes in the connective tissue of the uterus.{{cite thesis|degree=PhD|first=Susan C.|last=Wray|title=Factors controlling involution of connective tissue in the uterus|id={{copac|12996362}}|year=1980|url=https://catalogue.libraries.london.ac.uk/record=b3010917|website=london.ac.uk}}
Career and research
After postdoctoral research at UCL she moved to the University of Liverpool in 1990 where she was promoted to professor in 1996 and served as head of the department of physiology from 2004 to 2008. Wray's early research focused on changes of connective tissue in the uterus during and after pregnancy.{{Cite journal|title = The role of mechanical and hormonal stimuli on uterine involution in the rat|journal = The Journal of Physiology|date = 1982|issn = 0022-3751|pmc = 1225643|pmid = 7131308|pages = 1–9|volume = 328|first = Susan|last = Wray|doi=10.1113/jphysiol.1982.sp014249}} She then helped develop spectroscopic methods to characterize metabolism in human neonates.{{Cite journal|title = Characterization of the near infrared absorption spectra of cytochrome aa3 and haemoglobin for the non-invasive monitoring of cerebral oxygenation|date = 1988|issn = 0006-3002|pmid = 2831976|pages = 184–192|volume = 933|issue = 1|first1 = S.|last1 = Wray|first2 = M.|last2 = Cope|first3 = D. T.|last3 = Delpy|first4 = J. S.|last4 = Wyatt|first5 = E. O.|last5 = Reynolds|journal = Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Bioenergetics|doi=10.1016/0005-2728(88)90069-2}} Since moving to Liverpool, she has focused on the relationship between metabolism and function in smooth muscle. In particular, she has elucidated the effects of pH on contractility. In order to elucidate the underlying mechanisms, she performed some of the first measurements of intracellular calcium in smooth muscle. Subsequent work into the relationship between calcium and excitability led to new understanding of the origin of the refractory period in the ureter.{{Cite journal|title = Action potential refractory period in ureter smooth muscle is set by Ca sparks and BK channels|journal = Nature|date = 2005|issn = 1476-4687|pmid = 16049489|pages = 559–562|volume = 436|issue = 7050|doi = 10.1038/nature03834|first1 = T.|last1 = Burdyga|first2 = Susan|last2 = Wray|bibcode = 2005Natur.436..559B|s2cid = 4306942}} Her translational work has led to measurements of lactate to predict labour outcome{{Cite journal|title = Level of lactate in amniotic fluid and its relation to the use of oxytocin and adverse neonatal outcome|journal = Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica|date = 2014|issn = 1600-0412|pmid = 24102442|pages = 80–85|volume = 93|issue = 1|doi = 10.1111/aogs.12261|first1 = Eva|last1 = Wiberg-Itzel|first2 = Andrea B.|last2 = Pembe|first3 = Susan|last3 = Wray|first4 = Anna-Carin|last4 = Wihlbäck|first5 = Elisabeth|last5 = Darj|first6 = Irene|last6 = Hoesli|first7 = Helena|last7 = Åkerud|s2cid = 20153031|doi-access = free}} and to the use of bicarbonate to increase the pH of the mother and thereby increase the strength of uterine contractions, reducing the requirement for caesarean sections.{{Cite journal|last1=Wiberg-Itzel|first1=Eva|last2=Wray|first2=Susan|last3=Åkerud|first3=Helena|date=2017|title=A randomized controlled trial of a new treatment for labor dystocia|journal=The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine|volume=31|issue=17|pages=2237–2244|doi=10.1080/14767058.2017.1339268|issn=1476-4954|pmid=28587493|s2cid=205832304}} She has also shown that problems of labour experienced by obese mothers can be explained by impaired smooth muscle contractility.{{Cite journal|title = Poor uterine contractility in obese women|journal = BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology|date = 2007|issn = 1470-0328|pmid = 17261121|pages = 343–348|volume = 114|issue = 3|doi = 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2006.01233.x|first1 = J.|last1 = Zhang|first2 = L.|last2 = Bricker|first3 = S.|last3 = Wray|first4 = S.|last4 = Quenby|doi-access = }} In 2015, she demonstrated a novel mechanism whereby repetitive, transient episodes of hypoxia increase uterine contractions during labour.{{Cite journal|title = Hypoxia-induced force increase (HIFI) is a novel mechanism underlying the strengthening of labor contractions, produced by hypoxic stresses|journal = Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America|date = 2015|issn = 1091-6490|pmc = 4534208|pmid = 26195731|pages = 9763–9768|volume = 112|issue = 31|doi = 10.1073/pnas.1503497112|first1 = Mohammed|last1 = Alotaibi|first2 = Sarah|last2 = Arrowsmith|first3 = Susan|last3 = Wray|bibcode = 2015PNAS..112.9763A|doi-access = free}} Her work has also investigated the use of plant-derived cyclotides as well as modifications to the natural hormone oxytocin{{Cite journal|last1=Muttenthaler|first1=Markus|last2=Andersson|first2=Åsa|last3=Vetter|first3=Irina|last4=Menon|first4=Rohit|last5=Busnelli|first5=Marta|last6=Ragnarsson|first6=Lotten|last7=Bergmayr|first7=Christian|last8=Arrowsmith|first8=Sarah|last9=Deuis|first9=Jennifer R.|date=2017|title=Subtle modifications to oxytocin produce ligands that retain potency and improved selectivity across species|journal=Science Signaling|volume=10|issue=508|pages=eaan3398|doi=10.1126/scisignal.aan3398|issn=1937-9145|pmid=29208680|pmc=5892705}} to serve as templates for novel compounds to accelerate labor.{{Cite journal|last1=Koehbach|first1=Johannes|last2=O'Brien|first2=Margaret|last3=Muttenthaler|first3=Markus|last4=Miazzo|first4=Marion|last5=Akcan|first5=Muharrem|last6=Elliott|first6=Alysha G.|last7=Daly|first7=Norelle L.|last8=Harvey|first8=Peta J.|last9=Arrowsmith|first9=Sarah|date=2013|title=Oxytocic plant cyclotides as templates for peptide G protein-coupled receptor ligand design|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America|volume=110|issue=52|pages=21183–21188|doi=10.1073/pnas.1311183110|issn=1091-6490|pmc=3876230|pmid=24248349|bibcode=2013PNAS..11021183K|doi-access=free}} Some of her research can be seen in a video of one of her lectures.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t_LW4EtNlM|title=Keynote lecture: Susan Wray|last=The Physiological Society|date=26 August 2016|via=YouTube}}
= Women in Science =
Wray has been engaged with gender equality and mentoring throughout her career. She is an academic champion for the Higher Education Foundation AURORA Women in Leadership Scheme.{{Cite web|title = Leadership Foundation: Aurora|url = http://www.lfhe.ac.uk/en/programmes-events/you/aurora/|website = lfhe.ac.uk|access-date = 2015-11-03}} She gave the inaugural [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhSI5Kw4tIM Athena Swan Lecture] at Edge Hill University in 2016.{{Cite web|url=https://www.edgehill.ac.uk/events/2016/04/11/guest-lecture-professor-susan-wray/|title=Guest Lecture - Professor Susan Wray, University of Liverpool - Events|website=edgehill.ac.uk|language=en-US|access-date=2016-06-18}} She also worked on the SUSTAIN{{Cite web|title = SUSTAIN |publisher=Academy of Medical Sciences|url = http://www.acmedsci.ac.uk/careers/mentoring-and-careers/sustain/|website = acmedsci.ac.uk|access-date = 2015-11-03}} initiative for women in science. With Tilli Tansey she co-edited the book Women physiologists: centenary celebrations and beyond for The Physiological Society which includes forewords by Julia Higgins and Susan Greenfield.{{Cite book|publisher=The Physiological Society|year=2015|title=Women phsysiologists : centenary celebrations and beyond|isbn=9780993341007|oclc=922032986|editor1-first=Susan|editor1-last=Wray|editor2-first=Elizabeth|editor2-last=Tansey|location=London|url=https://static.physoc.org/app/uploads/2019/06/19095724/Women_physiologists_PRINT_FINAL.pdf}}{{cite web|url=https://www.physoc.org/explore-physiology/history/historicalhighlights/women-in-physiology/|title=Women in physiology}} This book has been used as a source to encourage the writing of more Wikipedia articles about women physiologists. Wikipedia:Meetup/UK/University of Manchester Women in Physiology, October 2019
= Awards and honours =
Wray was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci) in 2002,{{cite web|url=https://acmedsci.ac.uk/fellows/fellows-directory/ordinary-fellows/professor-susan-wray|title=Ordinary Fellows: Professor Susan Wray|publisher=The Academy of Medical Sciences|website=acmedsci.ac.uk}}{{cite web|url=https://acmedsci.ac.uk/more/news/demystifying-the-uterus-for-better-births|title=Demystifying the uterus for better births - The Academy of Medical Sciences|website=acmedsci.ac.uk}} an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (FRCOG) in 2006{{Cite web|url=https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/about-us/membership/membership-categories/fellows-ad-eundem/|title=Fellows ad eundem|website=Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-31}} and a member of the Academia Europaea (MAE) in 2008.{{cite web|url=https://www.ae-info.org/ae/Member/Wray_Susan|title=Academy of Europe: Wray Susan|website=www.ae-info.org}} She was awarded the Joan Mott Prize Lecture by The Physiological Society in 2006 and elected as an honorary member of the Physiological Society in 2015.{{Cite web|url=https://www.physoc.org/explore-physiology/history/honorary-members/honorary-members-s-z/|title=Honorary Members S-Z|website=The Physiological Society|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-06-25}} In 2012 she was nominated a knowledge hero by the Liverpool Echo'.{{Cite web|title = Who is the Liverpool ECHO's Knowledge Hero? Professor Sue Wray from the University of Liverpool|url = http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/who-liverpool-echos-knowledge-hero-3333523|website = liverpoolecho.co.uk|date = 29 October 2012|access-date = 2015-11-03}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wray, Susan}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:British women academics
Category:Academics of the University of Liverpool