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Professor Sadani Cooray

Sadani

Professor in Pharmacology Education

Centre: Biochemical Pharmacology

Email: s.n.cooray@qmul.ac.uk
Twitter: @CooraySN

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Professor Sadani Cooray graduated from University College London and the School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine with an MSc in General and Medical Microbiology in 1998 her, followed by an MSc by Research in Genetics/Neuroscience from the University of Oxford (Wolfson College) in 2001. She subsequently worked at the Medical Research Council, Harwell, and at Public Health England, Colindale, before joining the William Harvey Research Institute (WHRI) in 2003. Under the supervision of Professor Adrian Clark, she was awarded a PhD in Endocrine Pharmacology from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) in 2006. During her doctoral research, she played a key role in elucidating the function of the MRAP (Melanocortin Receptor Accessory) protein, encoded by a novel gene mutated in patients with Familial Glucocorticoid Deficiency type 2.

In recognition of her early contributions, Professor Cooray received the WHRI Outstanding Young Investigator award and the Wellcome Trust VIP award in 2006. She began an MRC-funded postdoctoral fellowship with Professor Clark in 2007 to further explore the ACTH receptor and MRAP. That same year, she was awarded the Outstanding Young Investigator award at the European Congress for Endocrinology (sponsored by Novartis) in Budapest, and again at ENDO in San Diego in 2010. In 2011, she joined the Centre for Biochemical Pharmacology as a Wellcome Trust-funded Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow, investigating the anti- and pro-inflammatory properties of Formyl Peptide Receptors.

Professor Cooray was appointed Lecturer in Pharmacology in 2013 and became Programme Director for the new BSc in Pharmacology & Innovative Therapeutics at WHRI, which she successfully implemented in 2015 after designing the entire pharmacology curriculum. In 2016, she joined the British Pharmacological Society (BPS) Expert Panel on pharmacology curriculum development and served as an elected committee member of both the BPS UK Educators Network and the BPS Education and Training Networks.

She was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2016, Reader in 2021, and Professor in 2025. Professor Cooray is and elected Fellow of the British Pharmacological Society and is also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Her excellence in teaching innovation has been widely recognised. She was a QMUL nominee for the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme Award in 2017 and received the WHRI Excellence in Education Prize in 2016. More recently, her awards include:

  • 2020 Rang Prize, British Pharmacological Society (BPS)
  • 2020 Teaching Innovation Award, Learn Sci
  • Principal and President’s Prize for Excellence in Education, 2020
  • Digital Champion, Learn Sci, 2021
  • WHRI Excellence in Education Prize, 2024

Other

Research

Group members

Pharmacology and Innovative Therapeutics module organisers

  • Dr Tom Nightingale
  • Dr Neil Dufton
  • Dr Egle Solito
  • Dr Dianne Cooper
  • Dr Aisah Aubdool
  • Dr Maria Fragiadaki
  • Dr Ezra Aksoy
  • Professor Christoph Thiemermann
  • Dr Trinidad Montero Melendez
  • Dr Stavroula Kanoni
  • Professor Patricia McGettigan
  • Dr Francesca Pugliese

Summary 

Professor Cooray’s Research interests lie in the area of Molecular Pharmacology and in particular G protein coupled receptors in the context of endocrine function and Inflammation.

Publications

    View Profile Publication Page

    Sponsors

    Collaborators

    Teaching

    • Deputy Dean for Education, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry (FMD)
    • Director of Education (Undergraduate), William Harvey Research Institute (WHRI)
    • Programme Director, BSc Pharmacology & Innovative Therapeutics
    • Programme Director, Intercalated BSc Pharmacology & Innovative Therapeutics
    • Chair, Examination Board – Intercalated and BSc Global Health programmes
    • Chair, Examination Board – PGT and MRes programmes, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine
    • Deputy Chair, Examination Board – MBBS Year 2 and Senior Tutor, MBBS programme
    • FMD Advisory Board Member, Centre for Academic Inclusion, Science and Engineering (CAISE)
    • Education Lead, Centre for Biochemical Pharmacology, WHRI, FMD
    • Teaching contributions to GEP and MBBS medical degree programmes
    • Module lead and Academic Advisor, Pharmacology and Innovative Therapeutics

     

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