Elizabeth Cartwright

Elizabeth Cartwright is a Professor and Head of the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences at the University of Manchester. Her research focuses on molecular mechanisms underlying left ventricular dysfunction and heart failure, with a particular emphasis on the role of plasma membrane calcium pumps (PMCA). She leads the British Heart Foundation 4-year PhD program and the MRes in Cardiovascular Sciences, supervising numerous graduate students. Cartwright holds a PhD from the University of Manchester (1995) and has held academic positions at the University of Leeds and Manchester since 1994.

• Education:
  • PhD in Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manchester (1995)
  • Research Fellow, University of Leeds (1994–2002)
  • Lecturer to Professor, University of Manchester (2002–present)

Research Interests: Her work investigates novel genes linked to heart failure, PMCA isoforms’ roles in cardiac physiology, and translational approaches to drug development. Key contributions include discoveries about PMCA4’s role in hypertension and PMCA1’s involvement in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).

Teaching & Leadership: Academic Lead for pre-medical/dental programs, PBL tutor for MBChB students, and supervisor for bioscience projects. She directs funded PhD programs and collaborates on projects like the BHF Centre for Research Excellence.

Grants & Labs: Principal or co-investigator on grants totaling £multi-million, including projects on Hippo pathway inhibition and miRNA-based therapies. Her lab is part of the Manchester Regenerative Medicine Network and Christabel Pankhurst Institute.