Dr Laura Cole BSc, PhD, FHEA
Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Science
About
I was appointed to a lecturing post at Sheffield Hallam University having completed a BSc Biomedical Science and a PhD in cancer research at the University. I am Course Leader of the BSc Biomedical Science Course and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. My research interests include Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry Imaging to investigate tumour progression and treatment resistance mechanisms.
Teaching
I teach a range of subjects in the Department of Biosciences and Chemistry including Bioanalytical Science, Biomedical Investigative Techniques and Professional and Scientific Practice.
Research
My research has focused on the study of sinusoidal and leaky tumour vasculature, its relationship with an active tumour milieu, stress response mechanisms, vascular endothelial isoforms and the molecular switch back to viable tissue. More specifically, observing protein and lipid induction as a result of anticancer treatments, and studying the multicellular, stem cell like populations within the tumour microenvironment, possibly responsible for drug treatment resistance. I have been able to map specific changes in the molecular pathology of tumour tissue showing inverse correlations between heat shock proteins and structural proteins and those species implicated in tumour progression and metastasis.
These research directions have enabled me to be involved in the validation of anti-cancer drug Fosbretabulin (phase II/III clinical trials) and study the proteomics and lipidomics of a range of diseased clinical tissue. As a member of the Centre for Mass Spectrometry Imaging at Sheffield Hallam University, I have disseminated my research at conferences throughout Europe, America and Canada.
My research-informed teaching encompasses multidisciplinary techniques along with a bioanalytical theme.
Publications
Journal articles
De Las Heras Prieto, H., Cole, L., Forbes, S., Palmer, M., & Schwartz-Narbonne, R. (2024). Separation of mycolic acid isomers by cyclic ion mobility‐mass spectrometry. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 38 (23). http://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.9917
Little, L.D., Barnett, S.E., Issitt, T., Bonsall, S., Carolan, V., Allen, E., ... Haywood-Small, S. (2024). Volatile Organic Compound Analysis of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Chorioallantoic Membrane Xenografts. Journal of breath research, 18 (4). http://doi.org/10.1088/1752-7163/ad7166
Pearce, S., Cross, N.A., Smith, D.P., Clench, M., Flint, L.E., Hamm, G., ... Cole, L. (2024). Multimodal Mass Spectrometry Imaging of an Osteosarcoma Multicellular Tumour Spheroid Model to Investigate Drug-Induced Response. Metabolites, 14 (6). http://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14060315
Guarnerio, S., Tempest, R., Maani, R., Hunt, S., Cole, L.M., Le Maitre, C.L., ... Peake, N. (2023). Cellular Responses to Extracellular Vesicles as Potential Markers of Colorectal Cancer Progression. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24 (23). http://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242316755
Millar, J., Campbell, S., Duckett, C., Doyle, S., & Cole, L. (2023). MALDI and Trace Metal Analysis in Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.), 2688 (2688), 1-13. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-3319-9_1
Millar, J., Campbell, S., Duckett, C., Doyle, S., & Cole, L. (2023). MALDI and Trace Metal Analysis in Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.), 2688 (2688), 1-13. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-3319-9_1
Millar, J., Gibbons, L., Costa, C., Schneider, E., von Gerichten, J., Bailey, M.J., ... Cole, L. (2023). Multimodal imaging of metals in a retinal degeneration model to inform on ocular disease. Analytica, 4 (3), 264-279. http://doi.org/10.3390/analytica4030021
Russo, C., Wyld, L., Da Costa Aubreu, M., Bury, C.S., Heaton, C., Cole, L.M., & Francese, S. (2023). Non-invasive screening of breast cancer from fingertip smears—a proof of concept study. Scientific Reports, 13 (1). http://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-29036-7
Clench, M.R., & Cole, L.M. (2023). Perspective: Mass Spectrometry Imaging - The Next 5 Years. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.), 2688, 203-210. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-3319-9_17
Cole, L.M. (2023). Preface. Methods in Molecular Biology, 2688, v.
Millar, J., Ozaki, E., Campbell, S., Duckett, C., Doyle, S., & Cole, L. (2022). Multiomic Mass Spectrometry Imaging to Advance Future Pathological Understanding of Ocular Disease. Metabolites, 12 (12). http://doi.org/10.3390/metabo12121239
Kennedy, K., Gannicliffe, C., Cole, L., Sealey, M., & Francese, S. (2022). In depth investigation of the capabilities and limitations of combined proteomic-MALDI MS based approach for the forensic detection of blood. Science & Justice, 62 (5), 602-609. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.scijus.2022.09.001
Kennedy, K., Cole, L., Witt, M., Sealey, M., & Francese, S. (2022). Forensic discrimination of differentially sourced animal blood using a bottom-Up proteomics based MALDI MS approach. Molecules, 27 (7). http://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27072039
Bury, C.S., Heaton, C., Cole, L., McColm, R., & Francese, S. (2022). Exploring the problem of determining human age from fingermarks using MALDI MS-machine learning combined approaches. Analytical Methods. http://doi.org/10.1039/d1ay02002a
Voloaca, O.M., Clench, M., Koellensperger, G., Cole, L., Haywood-Small, S., & Theiner, S. (2022). Elemental Mapping of Human Malignant Mesothelioma Tissue Samples Using High-Speed LA-ICP-TOFMS Imaging. Analytical Chemistry, 94, 2597-2606. http://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.1c04857
Cole, L.M., Handley, J., Claude, E., Duckett, C.J., Mudhar, H.S., Sisley, K., & Clench, M.R. (2021). Multi-Modal Mass Spectrometric Imaging of Uveal Melanoma. Metabolites, 11 (8). http://doi.org/10.3390/metabo11080560
Flint, L.E., Hamm, G., Ready, J.D., Ling, S., Duckett, C.J., Cross, N.A., ... Clench, M.R. (2021). Comparison of Osteosarcoma Aggregated Tumour Models with Human Tissue by Multimodal Mass Spectrometry Imaging. Metabolites, 11 (8). http://doi.org/10.3390/metabo11080506
Heaton, C., Witt, M., Cole, L., Eyre, J., Tazzyman, S., McColm, R., & Francese, S. (2021). Detection and mapping of haemoglobin variants in blood fingermarks by MALDI MS for suspect "profiling". Analyst. http://doi.org/10.1039/d1an00578b
Kennedy, K., Benjat, R., Heaton, C., Herman, Y., Oz, C., Elad, M.L., ... Francese, S. (2021). "MALDI-CSI": A proposed method for the tandem detection of human blood and DNA typing from enhanced fingermarks. Forensic Science International. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2021.110774
Spencer, C.E., Flint, L.E., Duckett, C., Cole, L., Cross, N., Smith, D., & Clench, M. (2021). Role of MALDI-MSI in combination with 3D tissue models for early stage efficacy and safety testing of drugs and toxicants. Expert Review of Proteomics, 17 (11-12), 827-841. http://doi.org/10.1080/14789450.2021.1876568
Russo, C., Heaton, C., Flint, L., Voloaca, O., Haywood-Small, S., Clench, M., ... Cole, L. (2020). Emerging applications in mass spectrometry imaging; enablers and roadblocks. Journal of Spectral Imaging, 9, 1-21. http://doi.org/10.1255/jsi.2020.a13
Kennedy, K., Heaton, C., Langenburg, G., Cole, L., Clark, T., Clench, M.R., ... Francese, S. (2020). Pre-validation of a MALDI MS proteomics-based method for the reliable detection of blood and blood provenance. Scientific Reports, 10 (1), 17087. http://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-74253-z
Little, L.D., Carolan, V.A., Allen, K.E., Cole, L.M., & Haywood-Small, S.L. (2020). Headspace analysis of mesothelioma cell lines differentiates biphasic and epithelioid sub-types. Journal of Breath Research, 14 (4), 046011. http://doi.org/10.1088/1752-7163/abaaff
Pousinis, P., Ramos, I.R., Woodroofe, M.N., & Cole, L.M. (2020). Lipidomic UPLC-MS/MS Profiles of Normal-Appearing White Matter Differentiate Primary and Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. Metabolites, 10 (9), e366. http://doi.org/10.3390/metabo10090366
Heaton, C., Bury, C., Patel, E., Bradshaw, R., Wulfert, F., Heeren, R., ... Francese, S. (2020). Investigating sex determination through MALDI MS analysis of peptides and proteins in natural fingermarks through comprehensive statistical modelling. Forensic Chemistry, 20 (100271), 1-12. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.forc.2020.100271
Voloaca, O.M., Greenhalgh, C.J., Cole, L., Clench, M.R., Managh, A.J., & Haywood-Small, S. (2020). Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry as a novel clinical imaging tool to detect asbestos fibres in malignant mesothelioma. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 34 (21), e8906. http://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.8906
Flint, L.E., Hamm, G., Ready, J.D., Ling, S., Duckett, C.J., Cross, N.A., ... Clench, M.R. (2020). Characterization of an Aggregated Three-Dimensional Cell Culture Model by Multimodal Mass Spectrometry Imaging. Analytical Chemistry. http://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.0c02389
Greenhalgh, C.J., Voloaca, O.M., Shaw, P., Donard, A., Cole, L.M., Clench, M.R., ... Haywood-Small, S.L. (2020). Needles in haystacks: using fast-response LA chambers and ICP-TOF-MS to identify asbestos fibres in malignant mesothelioma models. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry. http://doi.org/10.1039/d0ja00268b
Palubeckaitė, I., Crooks, L., Smith, D., Cole, L., Bram, H., Le Maitre, C., ... Cross, N.A. (2019). Mass spectrometry imaging of endogenous metabolites in response to doxorubicin in a novel 3D osteosarcoma cell culture model. Journal of Mass Spectrometry. http://doi.org/10.1002/jms.4461
Cole, L., Clench, M., & Francese, S. (2019). Sample treatment for tissue proteomics in cancer, toxicology, and forensics. Adv Exp Med Biol, 1073 (1073), 77-123. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-12298-0_4
Wojakowska, A., Cole, L., Chekan, M., Bednarczyk, K., Maksymiak, M., Oczko-Wojciechowska, M., ... Widlak, P. (2018). Discrimination of papillary thyroid cancer from non-cancerous thyroid tissue based on lipid profiling by mass spectrometry imaging. Endokrynologia Polska, 69 (1), 2-8. http://doi.org/10.5603/EP.a2018.0003
Selvan, A., Cole, L., Spackman, L., & Wright, C. (2017). Hierarchical Cluster Analysis to Aid Diagnostic Image DataVisualization of MS and Other Medical Imaging Modalities. .
Selvan, A., Cole, L., Spackman, L., & Wright, C. (2017). Hierarchical Cluster Analysis to Aid Diagnostic Image DataVisualization of MS and Other Medical Imaging Modalities. .
Harvey, A., Day, R., Cole, L.M., Bartlett, M., Warwick, J., Bojar, R., ... Clench, M.R. (2016). MALDI-MSI for the analysis of a 3D tissue-engineered psoriatic skin model. Proteomics, 16 (11-12), 1718-1725. http://doi.org/10.1002/pmic.201600036
Patel, E., Cole, L.M., Bradshaw, R., Batubara, A., Mitchell, C.A., Francese, S., & Clench, M. (2015). MALDI-MS imaging for the study of tissue pharmacodynamics and toxicodynamics. Bioanalysis, 7 (1), 91-101. http://doi.org/10.4155/bio.14.280
Cole, L.M., Selvan, A.N., Partridge, R., Reed, H., Wright, C., & Clench, M.R. (2015). Communication of medical images to diverse audiences using multimodal imaging. Advanced Structural and Chemical Imaging, 1 (1). http://doi.org/10.1186/s40679-015-0012-8
Cole, L., & Clench, M. (2015). Mass spectrometry imaging for the proteomic study of clinical tissue. PROTEOMICS - Clinical Applications, 9 (3-4), 335-341. http://doi.org/10.1002/prca.201400103
Cole, L.M., & Clench, M.R. (2015). Mass spectrometry imaging tools in oncology. Biomarkers in medicine, 9 (9), 863-868. http://doi.org/10.2217/bmm.15.61
Cole, L., Bluff, J.E., Carolan, V., Paley, M.N., Tozer, G.M., & Clench, M. (2014). MALDI-MSI and label-free LC-ESI-MS/MS shotgun proteomics to investigate protein induction in a murine fibrosarcoma model following treatment with a vascular disrupting agent. Proteomics, 14 (7-8), 890-903. http://doi.org/10.1002/pmic.201300429
Cole, L.M., Mahmoud, K., Haywood-Small, S., Tozer, G.M., Smith, D.P., & Clench, M.R. (2013). Recombinant "IMS TAG" proteins - A new method for validating bottom-up matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation ion mobility separation mass spectrometry imaging. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 27 (21), 2355-2362. http://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.6693
Mahmoud, K., Cole, L., Newton, J., Mohamed, S., Al-Enazi, M., Qirke, P., & Clench, M. (2013). Detection of the epidermal growth factor receptor, amphiregulin and epiregulin in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded human placenta tissue by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging. European Journal of Mass Spectrometry, 19 (1), 17-28. http://doi.org/10.1255/ejms.1212
Trim, P.J., Djidja, M.-.C., Muharib, T., Cole, L.M., Flinders, B., Carolan, V., ... Clench, M. (2012). Instrumentation and software for mass spectrometry imaging -making the most of what you've got. Journal of Proteomics, 75 (16), 4931-4940.
Cole, L., Djidja, M.-.C., Bluff, J., Claude, E., Carolan, V., Paley, M., ... Clench, M. (2011). Investigation of protein induction in tumour vascular targeted strategies by MALDI MSI. Methods, 54 (4), 442-453. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymeth.2011.03.007
Trim, P.J., Djidja, M.C., Atkinson, S.J., Oakes, K., Cole, L.M., Anderson, D.M.G., ... Clench, M.R. (2010). Introduction of a 20 kHz Nd:YVO4 laser into a hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer for MALDI-MS imaging. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 397 (8), 3409-3419. http://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-010-3874-6
Conference papers
Millar, J., Campbell, S., Duckett, C., Doyle, S.L., & Cole, L. (2022). Multimodal mass spectrometry imaging of key biomarkers to study age-related macular degeneration [Abstract only]. Investigative ophthalmology & visual science, 63 (7), 471. https://iovs.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2778965
Cole, L., Selvan, A., Wright, C., Reed, H., & Clench, M. (2014). Communication of medical images to diverse audiences using multiple imaging modalities'. In BMSS Annual Meeting 2014, Alderley Park Conference Centre, Macclesfield, Cheshire, 1 April 2014 - 2 April 2014.
Books
Thickett-Cole, L., & Clench, M. (Eds.). (2023). Imaging Mass Spectrometry. Methods and Protocol. 2nd edition. New York: Humana Press. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-0716-3319-9
Thickett-Cole, L. (Ed.). (2017). 978-1-4939-7051-3 Published: 18 May 2017(first). Springer.
Theses / Dissertations
Millar, J. (2024). Mass Spectrometry Imaging to inform on the pathology of Age-Related Macular Degeneration. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Cole, L. http://doi.org/10.7190/shu-thesis-00650
Guarnerio, S. (2023). A multi-model study of extracellular vesicles in bowel cancer invasion and metastasis. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Peake, N., Le Maitre, C., & Cole, L. http://doi.org/10.7190/shu-thesis-00581
Little, L.D. (2022). Volatile organic compounds as breathomicviomarkers of malignant mesothelioma. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Haywood-Small, S., Carolan, V., Allen, L., & Cole, L. http://doi.org/10.7190/shu-thesis-00495
Heaton, C.E.G. (2022). Human identification through advanced forensic mass spectrometry of blood and fingermarks. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Francese, S., Cole, L., & McColm, R. http://doi.org/10.7190/shu-thesis-00500
Flint, L.E. (2021). Imaging Three-Dimensional Cell-Culture Models for Pre-Clinical Biopharmaceutical Testing. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Clench, M., Cross, N., Cole, L., & Smith, D. http://doi.org/10.7190/shu-thesis-00406
Posters
Wright, C., Reed, H., Partridge, R., Cole, L., Selvan, A., & Clench, M. (2014). Communication of multi-modal imaging:MRI, MSI, and histology. Presented at: BCISMRM, Edinburgh, 2014