I undertook my PhD at Bristol University with Prof Graham Collingridge and Dr George Schofleld, where I used epifluorescence imaging techniques to study metabotropic glutamate receptor signalling in cerebellar granule cells (1988-1992). Following on from this as a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of Prof. Graham Collingridge (1992-1996), I was involved in one of the first studies investigating the surface expression of glutamate receptor (GluR1) subunits (Richmond et al., 1996). Subsequently, on obtaining a Wellcome Career Development Fellowship at the University of Aberdeen (1996-2001), we used related immunocytochemical approaches (in collaboration with Dr Coutts & Prof Pertwee, Aberdeen & Dr Mackie, Washington) for analysing the functional localisaton of cell surface CB1 receptors in cultured neurons (Irving et al., 2000), which we found to be highly polarised towards the axon and enriched at GABAergic terminals. This approach also allowed us to study the characteristics of agonist-induced internalisation of native CB1 receptors in neurons for the first time (Coutts et al., 2001). In 2001 I moved to a lectureship position at Dundee University, and was made a senior lecturer in 2010.

Irving AJ, Harvey J. (2014). Leptin regulation of hippocampal synaptic function in health and disease. Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society B-Biological Sciences Vol 369 Issue 1633 Art No20130155 doi: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0155 Kopach O, Vats J, Netsyk O, Voitenko N, Irving AJ, Fedirko, N (2012) Cannabinoid receptors in submandibular acinar cells: functional coupling between saliva fluid and electrolytes secretion and Ca2+ signalling. J. Cell Sci. 1884-1895 Anavi-Goffer S, Baillie G, Irving AJ, Gertsch J, Greig IR, Pertwee RG, Ross RA. (2011). Modulation of L-α-lysophosphatidylinositol /GPR55 MAP kinase signalling by cannabinoids. J Biol Chem. 287:91-104 Persheyev S. FanY., Irving A.J.*, RoseM.J.*. (2011) BV-2 Microglial cells sense micronanotextured silicon surface topology. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research 99:135-140 (*equal authorship). BainesA.E., CorrêaS.A.L., Irving A.J. & Frenguelli, B.G. (2011) Differential trafficking of adenosine receptors in hippocampal neurons monitored using GFP- and super-ecliptic pHlourin-tagged receptors. Neuropharmacol. 61:1-11. Lipina C., Stretton C., Hastings S., Hundal J.S., Mackie K., Irving A.J. & Hundal H.S. (2010) Regulation of MAPK-kinase-directed mitogenic and PKB-mediated signalling by cannabinoid receptor type 1 in skeletal muscle cells. Diabetes 59:375-85. Daly C.J., Ross R.A., Whyte J., Henstridge C.M., Irving A.J. & McGrath J.C. (2010) Fluorescent ligand binding reveals heterogeneous distribution of adrenergic and ‘cannabinoid-like’ receptors in small arteries. Brit. J. Pharmacol. 159:787-796. Henstridge C.M., Balenga N.A.B., Schröder R., Kargl J.K., Platzer W., Martini L., Arthur S., Whistler J.L., Kostenis E., Waldhoer M. & Irving A.J. (2010) GPR55 ligands promote receptor coupling to multiple signalling pathways. Brit. J. Pharmacol. 160:604-614. Moult P.R., Blair P., Cross A., Santos S.D., Carvalho A.L., Irving A.J., Leslie N.R., Harvey J. (2010) Leptin regulates AMPA receptor trafficking via PTEN inhibition. J. Neurosci. 30:4088-4101. Ford L.A., Roelofs A.J., Anavi-Goffer S., Mowat L., Simpson D.G., Irving A.J., Rogers M.J., Rajnicek A.M., RossR.A. (2010) A role for L-α-lysophosphatidylinositol and GPR55 in the modulation of migration, orientation and polarisation of human breast cancer cells. Brit. J. Pharmacol. 160:762-771. Henstridge C.M., Balenga N.A.B, Ford L.A., Ross R.A., WaldhoerM. & Irving A.J. (2009) The GPR55 ligand L-alpha-lysophosphatidylinositol promotes RhoA-dependent Ca2+ signaling and NFAT activation. FASEB J. 23:183-93. Etherington L-A., Patterson G.E., Meechan L., Boison D., Irving A.J., Dale N. & Frenguelli B.G. (2009) Astrocytic adenosine kinase regulates basal synaptic adenosine levels and seizure activity but not activity-dependent adenosine release in the hippocampus. Neuropharmacol. 56:429-37. OsborneK.D., LeeW., MalarkeyE.B., Irving A.J. & Parpura V. (2009) Dynamic imaging of cannabinoid receptor 1 vesicular trafficking in cultured astrocytes. ASN Neuro 1. pii: AN20090040. Krzywkowski K., Davies P.A., IrvingA.J., Bräuner-Osborne H. & JensenA.A. (2008) Characterization of the effects of four HTR3B polymorphisms on human 5-HT3AB receptor expression and signalling. Pharmacogenet. Genomics 18:1027-1040. O'Malley D., MacDonald N., Mizielinska S., Connolly C.N., Irving A.J. & Harvey J. (2007) Leptin promotes rapid dynamic changes in hippocampal dendritic morphology. Mol.Cell Neurosci. 35: 559-572. Cheng A., Bollan K.A., Greenwood S.M., Irving A.J. & Connolly C.N. (2007) Differential subcellular localization of RIC-3 isoforms and their role in determining 5-HT3 receptor composition. J. Biol. Chem. 282:6158-26166. McDonald N.A., Henstridge C.M., Connolly C.N. & Irving A.J. (2007) Generation and functional characterisation of fluorescent, N-terminally tagged CB1 receptor chimeras for live-cell imaging. Mol. Cell Neurosci. 35:237-248. Youssef F.M., Irving A.J. # & FrenguelliB.G.# (2007) Cannabinoid modulation of post-ischemic neuronal function in the rat hippocampal slice. Neuropharmacol. 6:1327-1335. (#equal co-authorship) McDonald NA, Henstridge C.M., Connolly C.N. & Irving A.J. (2007) An essential role for constitutive endocytosis, but not activity, in the axonal targeting of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor. Mol. Pharmacol. 71:1-9. Berghuis P., Rajnicek A.M., Morozov Y.M., Mulder J., Ross R.A., Urban G., Monory K., Marsicano G., Matteoli M., Canty A., Irving A.J., Katona I., Yanagawa Y., Rakic P., Lutz B., Mackie K. & Harkany T. (2007) Hardwiring the brain: endocannabinoids shape neuronal connectivity. Science 316:1212-1216.