Julie Sanderson

Dr. Julie Sanderson is a Senior Lecturer in Pharmaceutical Cell Biology at the School of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia (UEA). She has been a long-standing member of the academic staff at UEA, having earned her PhD in ocular physiology from the same institution in 1991. Her academic journey includes roles as a research associate and senior demonstrator in the School of Biological Sciences before her appointment as a Lecturer in Pharmacology in 2004. She is affiliated with the Molecular and Tissue Pharmacology research group and maintains strong collaborative ties with the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital and industry partners like AstraZeneca and CooperVision.

Her research spans ocular pharmacology, cell signaling, and disease mechanisms, with a focus on glaucoma and cataract. She developed the Human Organotypic Retinal Culture (HORC) model, a key tool in studying retinal neurodegeneration and drug toxicity. Her work is funded by the Humane Research Trust, NNUH Glaucoma Research Fund, AstraZeneca UK, and Calpain Therapeutics.

Julie Sanderson’s research publications, primarily in high-impact ophthalmology and pharmacology journals, reveal a consistent focus on retinal cell signaling, ATP-mediated neurodegeneration, calcium dynamics, and drug delivery systems. Her recent work includes the development of drug-eluting contact lenses and the investigation of CDK inhibitor retinotoxicity, indicating a trajectory toward translational and therapeutic applications.

• Humane Research Trust
• NNUH Glaucoma Research Fund
• AstraZeneca UK
• Calpain Therapeutics
• Royal Society
• CooperVision

She actively supervises PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, including Matthew Felgate, Sofia Habib, and Dr. Phillip Wright. Her lab fosters interdisciplinary collaboration between academia, clinical ophthalmology, and pharmaceutical development. Current projects include building ex-vivo models for drug-eluting contact lenses and exploring neuroprotective strategies in glaucoma.