Autumn 2011 Issue - University of Central Lancashire

20 Funding, Awards and Recognition
Professor Jaipaul Singh receives
the University’s first DSc
Jai is a true scientist
with an immense
enthusiasm for his
subject which he
conveys to his research
students wherever they
are working.
Professor Jaipaul Singh has been awarded
the University’s first Doctor of Science (DSc)
at an award ceremony on 11th July 2011.
This is in recognition of his outstanding
contribution to research in the area of
diabetes and physiology in general. Whilst
many in the audience of the award
ceremony would have probably thought he
was “just another doctorate” walking across
the stage, the award is for a two volume
thesis containing over 180 previously
refereed and published papers from his long
career and an overview summary. The thesis
was examined by two world leading experts
in the fields of exocrine glands and the heart.
Their reports recognised his outstanding
scientific contribution.
Professor Jaipaul Singh gained his BSc degree
from the University of Guyana in 1971. In
1974 he joined the University of St Andrews
in Scotland where he obtained his PhD for a
thesis entitled
‘Evidence for the
involvement of
intracellular cyclic
nucleotides in the
control of myocardial
contractility’. On completion of his PhD he
worked at St Andrews (1978-1980), the
University of Dundee (1980-1981) and the
Liverpool (1981-1984). He joined Preston
Polytechnic (now UCLan) in 1984 and became
Professor in 1993.
His research has concentrated on two main
areas. The first is on exocrine glands and the
mechanism of stimulus-secretion coupling in
the exocrine pancreas, the parotid salivary
gland and the lacrimal glands. The research
has been concerned with neuroendocrine
control and the effect of age on these glands
in normal and pathophysiological conditions
(e.g. diabetes, dry eyes and Sjörgen
Syndrome) and the relationship between
magnesium and calcium signalling in the
control of exocrine secretion. The second
area of his research has focussed on the
heart and the mechanism of excitationcontraction
coupling in the myocardium in
normal and pathophysiological conditions
(eg. diabetes-induced cardiomyopathy and
hypomagnesemia). The work has focussed
upon the sub-cellular roles of calcium and
magnesium in the control of myocardial
contractility. Some work also involves the role
of exercise in the development of the
athlete’s heart and the beneficial use of
exercise in type II diabetic patients.
He has worked with 47 research students and
with many collaborators nationally and
internationally including long standing
collaborations in Spain and the UAE.
The work he has done has
immeasurably
increased our knowledge of exocrine glands
and the heart and the effects of age. Of his
190 published papers he attracts on average
some 45 citations per year.
Jai is a true scientist with an immense
enthusiasm for his subject which he conveys
to his research students wherever they are
working. I have travelled with him to India,
the Middle East and Spain and I have been
impressed by his ability to communicate his
enthusiasm and knowledge. This is to
individual students and to assembled groups
of several hundred including leading
academics in his field. He has also been able
to broaden his research base with work on
the beneficial effects of momordica charantia
(bitter gourd) juice on the pancreas and on
its anti-cancer properties. During his time
here at the University he has been
responsible for the development of an active
research culture first in the Department of
Biological Sciences and more recently in the
schools of Forensic and Investigative Sciences
and Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences. He
has supported many students through their
research degrees and has influenced the
development of research at a University level.
Will he stop now that he has the DSc?
Probably not!
Professor Mike Holmes
Picture: Professor Jaipaul Singh DSc (centre) with
Professor Tony D’Emanuele, Dean of the School
of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences (left) and
Professor Mike Holmes, Head of the Graduate
Research School (right).