Evelyn Torsney

Short Biography:

Dr Torsney obtained a Molecular Biology degree at the University of Glasgow then completed a PhD with Dr Helen Arthur at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. Her PhD thesis investigated ‘The Role of Endoglin in Vascular Development and Disease’ as part of a research project to understand the mechanism of disease in Hereditary Haemorrhagic Telangiectasia.Subsequent research experience here at St George’s in the laboratories of Prof Qingbo Xu and Dr Gillian Cockerill has focused on aspects of vascular biology including atherosclerosis, aneurysms and vascular progenitor cells.

Selected Publications:

Torsney E, Mandal K, Halliday A, Jahangiri M and Xu Q. Characterization of progenitor cells in human atherosclerotic vessels. Atherosclerosis 2006 in press.

Torsney E, Hu Y, Xu Q. Adventitial progenitor cells contribute to arteriosclerosis.

Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine 2005; 15(2):64-68.

Mandal K, Torsney E, Poloniecki J, Camm AJ, Xu Q, Jahangiri M. Association of high intracellular, but not serum, heat shock protein 70 with postoperative atrial fibrillation. Ann Thorac Surg. 2005;79:865-71.

Torsney E, Mayr U, Zou Y, Thompson WD, Hu Y, Xu Q. Thrombosis and neointima formation in vein grafts are inhibited by locally applied aspirin through endothelial protection. Circ Res. 2004;94:1466-73.

Hu Y, Zhang Z, Torsney E, Afzal AR, Davison F, Metzler B, Xu Q. Abundant progenitor cells in the adventitia contribute to atherosclerosis of vein grafts in ApoE-deficient mice. J Clin Invest. 2004;113:1258-65.

Torsney E, Charlton R, Diamond AG, Burn J, Soames JV, Arthur HM. Mouse model for hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia has a generalized vascular abnormality. Circulation. 2003;107:1653-7.

Torsney E, Charlton R, Parums D, Collis M, Arthur HM. Inducible expression of human endoglin during inflammation and wound healing in vivo. Inflamm Res. 2002;51:464-70.

Arthur HM, Ure J, Smith AJ, Renforth G, Wilson DI, Torsney E, Charlton R, Parums DV, Jowett T, Marchuk DA, Burn J, Diamond AG. Endoglin, an ancillary TGFbeta receptor, is required for extraembryonic angiogenesis and plays a key role in heart development. Dev Biol. 2000;217:42-53.

Poster communications:

Choke E, Cockerill GW, Torsney E, Nasr H, Jones A, Dawson J, Loftus I, and Thompson MM. Gene expression profiling of abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture. NYAS ‘The Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: Genetics, Pathophysiology, and Molecular Biology’, New York, April 2006.

Torsney E, Mandal K and Xu Q. Characterization of progenitor cells in atherosclerotic lesions and the adventitia in humans. American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, New Orleans, November 2004 Abstract in Circulation 110, No 17, Suppl III:7

Torsney E, Zou Y, Hu Y, Xu Q. Endothelial cell damage and thrombosis in vein graft atherosclerosis are inhibited by aspirin. International Vascular Biology Meeting, Toronto, June 2004 Abstract in Cardiovascular Pathology 13, No 3S:503.

Hu Y, Zhang Z, Torsney E, Davison F and Xu Q. Angiogenesis within atherosclerotic lesions is by stem/progenitor cells. International Vascular Biology Meeting, Toronto, June 2004 Abstract in Cardiovascular Pathology 13, No 3S:480.

Torsney E, Mayr U, Hu Y and Xu Q. Thrombosis and atherosclerosis in vein grafts are inhibited by locally applied aspirin. European Society of Cardiology, Vienna, September 2003.

Xu Q, Zhang Z, Torsney E, Davison F and Hu Y. EC regeneration of vein grafts by circulating progenitor cells. European Society of Cardiology, Vienna, September 2003.

?Hu Y, Zhang Z, Torsney E, Davison D, and Xu Q. Bone marrow stem cells are responsible for angiogenesis within atherosclerotic lesions of vein graft. XIIIth International Symposium on Atherosclerosis, Japan, September 2003, Japan. Abstract in Atherosclerosis Vol 4,No 2:199.

Torsney E, Zou Y, Hu Y, Xu Q. Thrombosis contributes to the development of arteriosclerosis in vein grafts and is inhibited by locally applied aspirin. British Atherosclerosis Society, Cambridge, September 2003.

Hu Y, Zhang Z, Torsney E, Davison F and Xu Q. Circulating progenitor cells regenerate endothelium of vein grafts. The British Atherosclerosis Society Spring Meeting, 10th —11th April, Oxford 2003. Abstract in Atherosclerosis 169:197.

Arthur H, Torsney E, Charlton R and Parums D. Regulation of endoglin expression during angiogenesis. Angiogenesis and Chronic Diseases, Keystone, April 2001.

Torsney E, Charlton R, Arthur H and Parums D. An antibody to Endoglin/CD105 (SN6h) localises to endothelial cells in chronic inflammation. International Meeting on Angiogenesis, Amsterdam, April 2000.

Oral communications:

Torsney E, Zhang Z, Mandal K, Davison F and Xu Q. Localisation of stem/progenitor cells in atherosclerotic lesions. British Atherosclerosis Society, Oxford, April 2004.

Torsney E. The role of endoglin in vascular development and disease. University of Newcastle upon Tyne, May 2001.

Torsney E, Charlton R, Parums D and Arthur H. Regulation of endoglin expression during angiogenesis and wound healing. IVth HHT Scientific Conference, Tenerife, April 2001.

Torsney E, Charlton R, Arthur H and Parums D. Endoglin, a gene required for murine embryonic vasculogenesis, is upregulated in angiogenesis in human inflammatory disease: studies using a ‘knockout’ mouse model. Joint meeting of the British and Dutch Pathological Societies, Maastricht, January 2001.

Prizes:

Awarded Poster Prize for Junior Researchers at St George’s Cardiovascular Group Open Day: Torsney E, Zou Y, Hu Y, Xu Q. Thrombosis contributes to the development of arteriosclerosis in vein grafts and is inhibited by locally applied aspirin.

A finalist of the Michael Davies Young Investigator Award, March 2004, Oxford, British Atherosclerosis Society.