Dr Victoria Rashbrook

Introduction

I am a postdoctoral research scientist and non-stipendiary lecturer with a particular interest in cardiovascular development, physiology and disease.

Teaching

I deliver tutorials in cardiovascular physiology for 1st and 2nd year medical students at St. Peter’s College, and 3rd year FHS tutorials. In addition, I supervise research projects for 2nd year FHS students and visiting summer students. Prior to coming to Oxford, I was a guest lecturer for MSc Microvascular Biology course, and assisted 1st year genetics tutorials for BSc Neuroscience students at UCL.

Research

I am a Postdoctoral Research Scientist working in Professor Duncan Sparrow’s group in the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics. My research interests are investigating the mechanisms of cardiovascular development and disease. My current research explores how exposure to different factors in the maternal environment during pregnancy affects heart and placental development in offspring

Selected publications

Rashbrook VS, Drydale E, Bell LE, Morris SM, Sparrow DB. Optimized methods of investigating developmental protein and transcript expression in whole-mount mouse embryos. Journal of Visualized Experiments. 2026; 235:e72960

Ioannou E, Dong M, Rashbrook VS, Ruhrberg C, Rudnicki M. CreER activation transiently disrupts angiogenesis by reducing proliferation and promoting apoptosis in vascular endothelial cells. Angiogenesis. 2026; 29(3):32

Davies B, Trelfa L, Rashbrook VS, Drydale E, Martin R, Bai B, Golebka J, Channon KM, Bhattacharya S, Douglas G. Mutagenesis on a complex mouse genetic background by site-specific nucleases. Transgenic Research.  2024;10.1007/s11248-024-00399-5

Rashbrook VS, Denti L, Ruhrberg C. Tamoxifen exacerbates morbidity and mortality in male mice receiving medetomidine anaesthesia. Animal Welfare. 2023;32:e78. doi:10.1017/awf.2023.98

Rashbrook VS, Brash JT, Ruhrberg C. Cre toxicity in mouse models of cardiovascular physiology and disease.  Nature Cardiovascular Research. 2022;1:806–816

Wood A, Antonopolous A, Chuaiphichai S, Kyriakou T, Diaz R, Al Husseini A, Marsh A, Manjit S, Meisuria M, McCann G, Rashbrook VS, Drydale E, Draycott S, Antoniades C, Watkins H, Channon KM, Adlam D, Douglas G. PHACTR1 modulates vascular compliance but not endothelial function: A translational study. Cardiovascular Research. 2022; cvac09.

Brash JT, Bolton RL, Rashbrook VS, Denti L, Ruhrberg C. Tamoxifen-Activated CreERT Impairs Retinal Angiogenesis Independently of Gene Deletion. Circ. Research. 2020; 127(6):849-850

Douglas G, Mehta V, Al Haj Zen A, Akoumianakis I, Goel A, Rashbrook VS, Trelfa L, Donovan L, Drydale E, Chuaiphichai S, Antoniades C, Watkins H, Kyriakou T, Tzima E, Channon KM. A key role for the novel coronary artery disease gene JCAD in atherosclerosis via shear stress mechanotransduction. Cardiovascular Research. 2020;116(11):1863-187

Chuaiphichai S, Rashbrook VS, Hale AB, Lygate CA, Channon KM, Douglas G. Endothelial Cell Tetrahydrobiopterin Modulates Sensitivity to AngII-Induced Vascular Remodeling, Blood Pressure, and Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm. Hypertension. 2018;72:128–138