Biography
Sue's love of ion channels and their modulation started during her degree in Pharmacology at King's College London and continued during her PhD in the lab of Professor David Brown at University College London, where she identified G proteins involved in the modulation of M-type K+ currents. She moved from voltage gated ion channels to ligand gated ion channels during her postdoctoral work, first with Dr Jerry Yakel at NIEHS, where she studied nicotinic AChRs and 5HT3Rs, and then with Dr Julie Kauer at Duke University, where she studied modulation and plasticity at excitatory synapses. After moving to Cambridge in 2001 she focused on the properties and modulation of glutamate receptors, particularly the NMDA receptor, in midbrain dopamine neurons. She currently studies neuronal plasticity involving both ligand-gated and voltage-gated ion channels occurring in brain regions concerned with puberty and sexual activity (in collaboration with Professor Bill Colledge) and substance abuse disorder (with Professor David Belin).
Sue has a small lab to ensure she can personally train and supervise lab members wishing to learn electrophysiology. The lab currently includes two co-supervised PhD students and undergraduate students. She has weekly informal lab meetings to encourage open discussions about progress, challenges and potential problems and she chats informally with lab members most days to check on their wellbeing. She promotes a healthy work-life balance and encourages participation in extracurricular professional development, such as teaching experience or courses, as well as time away from the lab.
Sue has been pro-active in establishing a positive research culture in her Department, Chairing the PDN Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Taskforce in 2021-2022 to set up a dedicated ED&I website for PDN (https://www.pdn.cam.ac.uk/intranet/equality-diversity-and-inclusion) and working with Trish Murray to establish a sign-posting web tool to ensure positive values are promoted and communicated to all members of PDN (https://www.pdn.cam.ac.uk/intranet/life-pdn). For Sue, within her lab, equality means that anyone with enthusiasm and motivation can start or continue their journey in neuroscience; equity means that we all have different strengths and therefore need to be supported in different ways to reach our individual goals; inclusivity means that every member of the lab feels welcome and valued and able to access necessary training and support; diversity means that we strive for a lab group consisting of different backgrounds and philosophies because this makes us better and stronger.
Research
Currently Sue's lab focuses on different forms of neuronal plasticity during life changing events. With Professor Bill Colledge, we study kisspeptin neurons in the hypothalamus and amygdala that are critical for puberty, fertility and sexual behaviour. With Professor David Belin, we study neuronal plasticity in amygdala and nucleus accumbens neurons in the context of substance abuse disorder. The main approach used in Sue's lab is patch clamp electrophysiology in brain slices.
Previous work in Sue's lab focused on NMDA receptors and synaptic control of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Substantia nigra dopamine neurons form part of the basal ganglia circuit, which is needed for motivated voluntary movement control. Degeneration of dopamine neurons is a characteristic feature of Parkinson’s disease. Former members of Sue's lab studied glutamatergic synapses onto dopamine neurons, with a particular interest in NMDA glutamate receptors: how they are regulated, and the balance between physiological and pathological NMDA receptor activity. This work has been funded by the BBSRC, Parkinson’s UK, the Wellcome Trust and the Isaac Newton Trust. Key publications can be found above. Sue maintains an interest in dopamine neurons through her collaboration with Dr Elisa Galliano.
Publications
Y. Zhang, L.M. Pakulat, E. Galliano, W.H. Colledge, S. Jones. Neuronal plasticity at puberty in hypothalamic neurons controlling fertility in female mice. BioRxiv, doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.10.06.616855
C.S. Chernoff, A. Belin-Rauscent, M. Puaud, S.A. Torrisi, M. Fouyssac, B. Németh, C. Yu, A. Higuera-Matas, S. Jones, D. Belin. Noradrenergic and Pavlovian underpinnings of compulsive versus adaptive coping strategies. BioRxiv, doi: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.10.08.617254v1
M.Y.H. Lau, S. Gadiwalla, S. Jones, E. Galliano (2024). Characterization of Identified Dopaminergic Neurons in the Mouse Olfactory Bulb and Midbrain. European Journal of Neuroscience Special Issue: DOPAMINE: From Release and Modulation to Brain Diseases. European Journal of Neuroscience 59:1480-1499.
E.J. Mort, S. Heritage, S. Jones, A.L. Fowden, E.J. Camm (2023). Sex-Specific Effects of a Maternal Obesogenic Diet High in Fat and Sugar on Offspring Adiposity, Growth, and Behavior. Nutrients 15(21), 4594.
SLC Brothwell, JL Barber, DT Monaghan, DE Jane, AJ Gibb & S Jones (2008). NR2B- and NR2D-containing synaptic NMDA receptors in developing rat substantia nigra pars compacta dopaminergic neurones. Journal of Physiology 586, 739-750.
E.J. Mort, S. Fordington, S. Heritage, A.L. Fowden, S. Jones, E.J. Camm (2023). Age and an obesogenic diet affect mouse behaviour in a sex-dependent manner. European Journal of Neuroscience 58: 2451-2468.
S. Jones (2021). De-mobilisation of NMDA receptors in midbrain dopamine neurons: a quantum of reward? J. Physiol. 599:2777-2778.
S. Jones (2020). A new villain in neuronal death. Science 370(6513):168-169
S.H. Yeo, V. Kyle, C. Blouet, S. Jones, W.H. Colledge (2019). Mapping neuronal inputs to Kiss1 neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the mouse. PLoS One 14(3): e0213927
P.G. Morris, M. Mishina, S. Jones (2018). Altered synaptic and extrasynaptic NMDA receptor properties in substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons from mice lacking the GluN2D subunit. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience 12: Article 354.
J. Zhao, M. Baudry, S. Jones (2018). Calpain inhibition reduces NMDA receptor rundown in rat substantia nigra dopamine neurons, Neuropharmacology, 137:221-229.
A.R. Wild, M. Bollands, P.G. Morris and S. Jones (2015). Mechanisms regulating spill-over of synaptic glutamate to extrasynaptic NMDA receptors in substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons. European Journal of Neuroscience 42:2633-2643.
A.R. Wild, S. Jones, A.J. Gibb (2014). Activity dependent regulation of NMDA receptors in substantia nigra dopaminergic neurones. J Physiology 592:653-668.
A.R. Wild, E. Akyol, S.L.C. Brothwell, P. Kimkool, J.N. Skepper, A.J. Gibb, S. Jones (2013). Memantine block depends on agonist presentation at the NMDA receptor in substantia nigra pars compacta dopamine neurones. Neuropharmacology 73:138-146.
W. Xu, S. Jones, S. A. Edgley (2013). Event time representation in cerebellar mossy fibres arising from the lateral reticular nucleus. J Physiol 591:1045-62.
F. Suárez, Q. Zhao, D.T. Monaghan, D.E. Jane, S. Jones, A.J. Gibb (2010). Functional heterogeneity of NMDA receptors in rat substantia nigra pars compacta and reticulata neurones. European Journal of Neuroscience 32,359-367. (Co-Senior author)
D. Glynn, H.E. Gibson, M.K. Harte, K. Reim, S. Jones, G.P. Reynolds and A.J. Morton (2010). Clorgyline-mediated reversal of neurological deficits in a Complexin 2 knockout mouse. Hum Mol Genet. 19, 3402-3412.
OV Poisik, J Shen, S Jones and JL Yakel (2008). Functional a7-containing Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Localize to Cell Bodies and Proximal Dendrites in the Rat Substantia Nigra pars Reticulata. Journal of Physiology 586, 1365-1378.
SLC Brothwell, JL Barber, DT Monaghan, DE Jane, AJ Gibb & S Jones (2008). NR2B- and NR2D-containing synaptic NMDA receptors in developing rat substantia nigra pars compacta dopaminergic neurones. Journal of Physiology 586, 739-750.
VWS Kung, R Hassam, AJ Morton and S Jones (2007). Dopamine-dependent long term potentiation in the dorsal striatum is reduced in the R6/2 mouse model of Huntington's disease. Neuroscience 146, 1571-1580.
S Jones and AJ Gibb (2005). Functional NR2B- and NR2D-containing NMDA receptor channels in rat substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons. Journal of Physiology 569, 209-221.
HE Gibson, K Reim, N Brose, AJ Morton and S Jones (2005). A similar impairment in CA3 mossy fibre LTP in the R6/2 mouse model of Huntington’s disease and in the complexin II knockout mouse. European Journal of Neuroscience 22, 1701-1712.
S Jones and A Bonci (2005). Synaptic plasticity and drug addiction. Curr. Opinion Pharmacol. 5, 20-25.
L Faleiro, S Jones and JA Kauer (2004). Rapid synaptic plasticity of glutamatergic synapses on dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area in response to acute amphetamine injection. Neuropsychopharmacology 29, 2115-2125.
S Jones and JL Yakel (2003). Casein kinase II (protein kinase CK2) regulates serotonin 5-HT3 receptor channel function in NG108-15 cells. Neuroscience 119, 629-634.
S Jones and JL Gutlerner (2002). Addictive drugs modify excitatory synaptic control of midbrain dopamine cells. Neuroreport, 13, A29-A33.
S Jones, JL Kornblum and JA Kauer (2000). Amphetamine blocks long term synaptic depression in the ventral tegmental area. Journal of Neuroscience 20, 5575-5580.
S Jones and JL Yakel (2000). Inhibitory interneurons: sites for regulation of information flow in the hippocampus by neurotransmitters. Cell Biochem. Biophys. 31 (2), 207-218.
S Jones and JA Kauer (1999). Amphetamine depresses excitatory synaptic transmission via serotonin receptors in the ventral tegmental area. Journal of Neuroscience 19, 9780-9787.
S Jones, S. Sudweeks and JL Yakel (1999). Nicotinic receptors in the brain: correlating physiology with function. Trends in Neurosciences 22, 555-561.
S Jones and JL Yakel (1998). Ca2+ influx through voltage-gated Ca2+ channels regulates 5-HT3 receptor channel desensitization in rat glioma x mouse neuroblastoma hybrid NG108-15 cells. Journal of Physiology 510, 361-370.
S Jones and JL Yakel (1997). Functional nicotinic ACh receptors on interneurones in the rat hippocampus. Journal of Physiology 504, 603-610.
S Jones, DA Brown, G Milligan, E Willer, NJ Buckley and MP Caulfield (1995). Bradykinin excites rat sympathetic neurons by inhibition of M current through a mechanism involving B2 receptors and Gq/11. Neuron 14, 399-405.
MP Caulfield, S Jones, Y Vallis, NJ Buckley, GD Kim, G Milligan and DA Brown (1994). Muscarinic M-current inhibition via Gaq/11 and a-adrenoceptor inhibition of Ca2+ current via Gao in rat sympathetic neurones. Journal of Physiology 477, 415-422.
R Cloues, S Jones and DA Brown (1992). Zn2+ potentiates ATP-activated currents in rat sympathetic neurons. Pfluegers Arch. 424, 152-158.
S Joness J Robbins and DA Brown (1992). Neurotransmitter modulation of calcium channels is dependent on the charge carrier used in the recording of currents. Neurosci. Letts. 145, 153-156
Teaching and Supervisions
Part II Module N9
Part IB NST Neurobiology
Part IB MST Neuroanatomy
Part IA MVST Homeostasis
University of Cambridge Online, Functional Neuroanatomy
10/2024-present: Chloe Chernoff (PhD co-supervisor, with prof David Belin)
10/2022-present: Leonie Pakulet (PhD co-supervisor, with Prof Bill Colledge)
10/2023-10/2024: Yilang Zhang (MPhil co-supervisor, with Prof Bill Colledge)
10/2020-10/2024: Yuanxin Zhang (PhD co-supervisor, with Prof Bill Colledge)
10/2020-present :Sonja Stiebahl (PhD co-supervisor, with Prof David Belin)
10/2021-09/2022: James Wilson (MPhil, co-supervised, with Prof Bill Colledge)
2018-2020: Dr Emily Mort (PhD, co-supervised, with Prof Abby Fowden and Dr Emily Camm)
10/2018-08/2019: Maggy Lau (MPhil, co-supervised, with Dr Elisa Galliano)
10/2016-08/ 2017:Jerry Zhao (MPhil)
06/2014-09/2017: Dr Paul Morris (PhD)
10/2009-12/2012 Dr Angela Wild (PhD, co-supervised, with Prof Alasdair Gibb, UCL)
10/2008-09/2012 Dr James Hallet (PhD)
10/2004-06/2008 Dr Shona Brothwell (PhD)
10/2002-12/2005 Dr Helen Gibson (PhD, co-supervised, with Prof Jenny Morton)
Other Professional Activities
2023-present: Clinical School ED&I Staff Development Group
2022-present: University of Cambridge Online Education Committee
2020-present: University of Cambridge Library Syndicate
2018- present: PDN Teaching Strategy Committee
2019- present: PDN Adrian Seminars Organising Committee
2020-2022: Chair, PDN Equality, Diversity & Inclusivity Taskforce
2018-2022: Chair, PDN Communications Committee
2020-2022: Chair, PDN Library committee
2018-2022: PDN Management Committee
2008-2012: UK Physiological Society, Trustee and member of Council
2002-2014: Christ’s College Fellow/ Bye-Fellow
2001-2004: Plymouth MBA Cell Physiology, Instructor
Reviewed manuscripts for British Journal Pharmacology, eLife, European Journal Neuroscience, Journal Neuroscience, Journal Physiology, Neuropharmacology, Science
Reviewed grant applications for BBSRC, MRC, Wellcome Trust, Parkinson’s UK, Alzheimer’s Society.
