Sarah K. England, PhD
Title:
Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Education:
BA, Carleton College (1988)
PhD, Medical College of Wisconsin (1993)
Postdoctoral Fellowship:
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Societies and Memberships:
Society for Gynecologic Investigation
Perinatal Research Society
American Physiological Society
Society for General Physiologists
Dr. England accepted the position of professor of OB/GYN at Washington University in St. Louis on July 15, 2011. Prior to that, she was on faculty for 14 years at the University of Iowa in the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics. Dr. England’s basic science research focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying uterine function during pregnancy. Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association, the March of Dimes and other federal agencies. Dr. England has written many research and review articles and has reviewed for multiple journals in both basic science and clinical fields. Dr. England serves on review committees for multiple funding agencies including the NIH, AHA and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Dr. England was a 2005-06 Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow and worked in the office of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton for one year on policies related to maternal child health issues, women’s health and the healthcare workforce.
Dr. England’s research focuses on the question: "Can we advance our understanding of the function of ion channels in smooth muscle such that we can target these structures pharmacologically in the treatment of smooth muscle diseases?" The laboratory has been investigating the roles of potassium channels in regulating both vascular and uterine smooth muscle excitability, with an emphasis primarily on the latter. The molecular mechanisms that underlie uterine smooth muscle excitation during pregnancy remain unknown today, and this continues to hamper progress toward effective treatment of uterine dysfunction such as preterm labor. The limited efficacy associated with agents currently in use to arrest premature uterine contractions (tocolytics) have intensified the search for more promising therapeutic targets, and potassium channels are particularly promising because their activity results in the dampening of uterine smooth muscle excitability. This research is laying the groundwork for exploring whether channels can serve as more effective targets for tocolysis. In studying myometrial channels, the England lab hopes to unravel the mechanisms that are key to the transition from quiescence to contraction in at-term pregnancy, and to forge better links between basic biological channel function and defects in uterine contractility.
Office Phone: 314-286-1798
E-mail: Englands@wustl.edu
Lab members:
You-E Li (Lab Supervisor). You-E received her MD degree from Xiangya School of Medicine in China in 1988 and completed her otolaryngology resident training in 1995. She then moved to the University of Western Ontario, Canada, and in 2004 moved to the University of Iowa. She has won several awards and has had a number of publications. She joined Dr. Sarah England’s lab in September 2011. E-mail: Erica_li03@yahoo.com
Ramon A. Lorca, PhD (Post-Doctoral Fellow). Ramon received his BSc in biological sciences from P. Catholic University of Chile in 2001 and completed his PhD in biological sciences m. Physiology at P. Catholic University of Chile in 2008. He started his postdoctoral training at the Mohapatra Lab in the Department of Pharmacology, University of Iowa, from January 2009 to May 2010. Ramon joined the England Lab in May 2010 as a postdoctoral fellow. E-mail: lorcar@wudosis.wustl.edu
Cara Rada (Research Assistant I). Cara completed her BA at Wartburg College in Iowa in 2010. She had worked with Dr. England at the University of Iowa in the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics for a year before moving with Dr. England to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Washington University in July 2011. She is excited to be in St. Louis at Washington University and continue her research with Dr. England. E-mail: Radac@wudosis.wustl.edu
Erin Reinl, BS (Graduate Student). Erin received her BS degree in 2009 from St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin. She worked as a research assistant in Department of Biochemistry at the University of Iowa from May 2009 to July 2010 before starting graduate school at the University of Iowa in August 2010. She joined the England lab at the University of Iowa in May 2011 and will transfer to Washington University in January of 2012 to complete her doctoral training. E-mail: erin-reinl@uiowa.edu
Administrative Staff:
Susan Brewster (Secretary II). Susan completed her BA in organizational studies at Saint Louis University in 2004. She completed a certificate program as a medical administrative assistant from Metro Business College in 2010. Susan worked as an administrative assistant for Alleo Corporation at Scott Air Force Base. She is very excited to be joining the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Washington University. E-mail: brewsters@wudosis.wustl.edu