Dr Nick Toms
Profiles

Dr Nick Toms

Associate Professor in Clinical Education & Pharmacology (Education)

Peninsula Medical School (Faculty of Health)

Biography

Biography

BMBS Director of Medical Science Learning 

Professional membership

Senior Fellow HEA
Association for the Study of Medical Education (ASME)
Teaching

Teaching

Teaching interests

My key areas of medical educational interest include:
  • Pharmacology & therapeutics
  • Physiology
  • Neuroscience
  • Medical biochemistry
  • Technology-enhanced learning
  • Small group learning (Team-Based Learning)
  • Optimising student academic support

Staff serving as external examiners

University of Cardiff: Award and Subject External Examiner
University of Surrey: Curriculum Design Review (Biosciences pathway)  
Publications

Publications

Key publications

Key publications are highlighted

Journals
Articles
Burr S, Martin T, Edwards J, Ferguson C, Gilbert K, Gray C, Hill A, Hosking J, Johnstone K & Kisielewska J (2021) 'Standard setting anchor statements: a double cross-over trial of two different methods' MedEdPublish 10, (1:32) 1-13 Publisher Site , DOI Open access
Schoenborn P, Osborne R, Toms N, Johnstone K, Milsom C, Muneer R, Jarvis MA & Belshaw R (2019) 'OncoSim and OncoWiki: an authentic learning approach to teaching cancer genomics' BMC Medical Education 19, (1) , DOI Open access
Gray CP & Toms N (2018) 'A holistic remediation intervention for struggling undergraduate medical students affords sustained Progress Test performance recovery' MedEdPublish , DOI Open access
Plant KE, Anderson E, Simecek N, Brown R, Forster S, Spinks J, Toms N, Gibson GG, Lyon J & Plant N (2009) 'The neuroprotective action of the mood stabilizing drugs lithium chloride and sodium valproate is mediated through the up-regulation of the homeodomain protein Six1' Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 235, (1) 124-134 Author Site , DOI
Elphick LM, Hawat M, Toms NJ, Meinander A, Mikhailov A, Eriksson JE & Kass GEN (2008) 'Opposing roles for caspase and calpain death proteases in L-glutamate-induced oxidative neurotoxicity' Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 232, (2) 258-267 Author Site , DOI
Godfrey L, Bailey I, Toms NJ, Clarke GD, Kitchen I & Hourani SMO (2007) 'Paracetamol inhibits nitric oxide synthesis in murine spinal cord slices' Eur J Pharmacol 562, (1-2) 68-71 Author Site , DOI
Berry EV & Toms NJ (2006) 'Pyruvate and oxaloacetate limit zinc-induced oxidative HT-22 neuronal cell injury' Neurotoxicology 27, (6) 1043-1051 Author Site , DOI
Elphick LM, Meinander A, Mikhailov A, Richard M, Toms NJ, Eriksson JE & Kass GEN (2006) 'Live cell detection of caspase-3 activation by a Discosoma-red-fluorescent-protein-based fluorescence resonance energy transfer construct' Anal Biochem 349, (1) 148-155 Author Site , DOI
Kanumilli S, Toms NJ & Roberts PJ (2004) 'Novel metabotropic glutamate receptor negatively coupled to adenylyl cyclase in cultured rat cerebellar astrocytes' Glia 46, (1) 1-7 Author Site , DOI
Kelland EE, Kelly MD & Toms NJ (2004) 'Pyruvate limits zinc‐induced rat oligodendrocyte progenitor cell death' European Journal of Neuroscience 19, (2) 287-294 , DOI
Law W, Kelland EE, Sharp P & Toms NJ (2003) 'Characterisation of zinc uptake into rat cultured cerebrocortical oligodendrocyte progenitor cells' Neuroscience Letters 352, (2) 113-116 , DOI
Law W (2003) 'Characterisation of zinc uptake into rat cultured cerebrocortical oligodendrocyte progenitor cells' Neuroscience Letters , DOI
Geeson J, Larsson K, Hourani SMO & Toms NJ (2002) 'Sodium nitroprusside-induced rat fundus relaxation is ryanodine-sensitive and involves L-type Ca2+ channel and small conductance Ca(2+)-sensitive K+ channel components' Auton Autacoid Pharmacol 22, (5-6) 297-301 Author Site , DOI
Kanumilli S, Toms NJ, Venkateswarlu K, Mellor H & Roberts PJ (2002) 'Functional coupling of rat metabotropic glutamate 1a receptors to phospholipase D in CHO cells: involvement of extracellular Ca2+, protein kinase C, tyrosine kinase and Rho-A' Neuropharmacology 42, (1) 1-8 Author Site , DOI
Bailey A, Kelland EE, Thomas A, Biggs J, Crawford D, Kitchen I & Toms NJ (2001) 'Regional mapping of low-affinity kainate receptors in mouse brain using [3H](2S,4R)-4-methylglutamate autoradiography' European Journal of Pharmacology 431, (3) 305-310 , DOI
Kelland EE & Toms NJ (2001) 'Group I metabotropic glutamate receptors limit AMPA receptor-mediated oligodendrocyte progenitor cell death' European Journal of Pharmacology 424, (3) R3-R4 , DOI
Toms NJ & Roberts PJ (1999) 'Group 1 mGlu receptors elevate [Ca2+]i in rat cultured cortical type 2 astrocytes: [Ca2+]i synergy with adenosine A1 receptors' Neuropharmacology 38, (10) 1511-1517 Author Site , DOI
Reid ME, Toms NJ, Bedingfield JS & Roberts PJ (1999) 'Group I mGlu receptors potentiate synaptosomal [3H]glutamate release independently of exogenously applied arachidonic acid' Neuropharmacology 38, (4) 477-485 Author Site , DOI
Gunn-Moore FJ, Williams AG, Toms NJ & Tavaré JM (1997) 'Activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase and p70S6 kinase is not correlated with cerebellar granule cell survival' Biochem J 324 ( Pt 2), (Pt 2) 365-369 Author Site , DOI
Toms NJ, Hawkins LM & Roberts PJ (1997) 'Inhibition of AMPA receptor-stimulated 57Co2+ influx by D- and L-2-amino-4-phosphonobutanoic acid (D- and L-AP4) and L-serine-O-phosphate (L-SOP) in cultured cerebellar granule cells' Neuropharmacology 36, (3) 335-343 Author Site , DOI
Toms NJ, Reid ME, Phillips W, Kemp MC & Roberts PJ (1997) 'A novel kainate receptor ligand [3H]-(2S,4R)-4-methylglutamate: pharmacological characterization in rabbit brain membranes' Neuropharmacology 36, (11-12) 1483-1488 Author Site , DOI
Toms NJ, Roberts PJ, Salt TE & Staton PC (1996) 'Latest eruptions in metabotropic glutamate receptors' Trends Pharmacol Sci 17, (12) 429-435 Author Site , DOI
Toms NJ, Jane DE, Kemp MC, Bedingfield JS & Roberts PJ (1996) 'The effects of (RS)-alpha-cyclopropyl-4-phosphonophenylglycine ((RS)-CPPG), a potent and selective metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonist' Br J Pharmacol 119, (5) 851-854 Author Site , DOI
Bedingfield JS, Jane DE, Kemp MC, Toms NJ & Roberts PJ (1996) 'Novel potent selective phenylglycine antagonists of metabotropic glutamate receptors' Eur J Pharmacol 309, (1) 71-78 Author Site , DOI
Toms NJ, Jane DE, Tse HW & Roberts PJ (1995) 'Characterization of metabotropic glutamate receptor-stimulated phosphoinositide hydrolysis in rat cultured cerebellar granule cells' Br J Pharmacol 116, (7) 2824-2827 Author Site , DOI
Toms NJ & Roberts PJ (1994) 'NMDA receptor-mediated stimulation of rat cerebellar nitric oxide formation is modulated by cyclic AMP' Eur J Pharmacol 266, (1) 63-66 Author Site , DOI
Conference Papers
Gilbert KG, Chatterjee A & Toms N (2016) 'Team-based learning as a formative assessment tool for consolidation week at Plymouth Peninsula School of Medicine' Ottawa 2016 Perth Western Australia 3-/-0/20163-/-0/2016Open access
Hawat M, Kaksonen E, Elphick LM, Toms NJ, Eriksson JE & Kass GEN (2007) 'Opposing roles for caspase and calpain death proteases in l-glutamate-induced oxidative neurotoxicity' Elsevier BV 182-183 , DOI
Plant K, Brown R, Anderson E, Toms N, Simecek N, Lyon J & Plant N (2006) 'Modulation of Six1 expression by the anti-mania agents lithium chloride and sodium valproate' 70-71 , DOI
Macanas-Pirard P, Lee PC, Hinton RH, Toms NJ & Kass GEN (2003) 'Caspases mediate the execution of apoptosis by paracetamol (acetaminophen) in human HUH7 hepatoblastoma cells'
Berry EV, Darvill NL & Toms NJ (2003) 'Pyruvate affords protection from zinc toxic insults in the murine HT-22 hippocampal neuronal cell line'
Elphick LM, Eriksson JE, Kass GEN & Toms NJ (2003) 'Staurosporine and anti-FAS (CD95) antibody induce caspase activation in the HT-22 murine hippocampal cell line'
Kelland EE & Toms NJ (2003) 'Pyruvate rescues oligodendrocyte progenitor cells from zinc toxic insults' U102-U102
Kelland EE & Toms NJ (2002) 'Attenuation of excitotoxic oligodendrocyte progenitor cell degeneration by the caspase inhibitor, Z-VAD-fmk'
Kelland EE & Toms NJ (2001) 'AMPA receptor-mediated excitotoxic cell death in rat cultured oligodendrocyte progenitor cells' U73-U73
Kanumilli S, Toms NJ & Roberts PJ (1999) 'Coupling of group 1 mGluRs to phospholipase D in cultured CHO-mGluR1 alpha cells and cortical type 1 astrocytes' A22-A22
Kanumilli S, Toms NJ, Philpotts J & Roberts PJ (1999) 'Novel glutamate-mediated inhibition of forskolin-stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation in rat cultured cerebellar astrocytes'
Ge J, Kilpatrick IC, Long S, Toms NJ & Roberts PJ (1998) 'Activation of group I mGluRs increases extracellular glycine levels in the nucleus accumbens and caudate-putamen of freely-moving rats' R138-R138
Toms NJ & Roberts PJ (1998) 'Adenosine A<sub>1</sub> receptor activation potentiates group I metabotropic glutamate receptor-stimulated [Ca<SUP>2+</SUP>]<sub>i</sub> in cultured cortical glia' R137-R137
Ge J, Kilpatrick IC, Long S, Toms NJ & Roberts PJ (1998) 'The group I, II and III mGluR modulating glutamate release in nucleus accumben and caudate putamen of freely-moving rats in vivo' R138-R138
Reid ME, Toms NJ & Roberts PJ (1997) 'mGlu<sub>1α</sub> receptor undergoes rapid, PKC-independent desensitization when expressed in CHO cells' U104-U104
Ge J, Toms NJ, Roberts PJ, Long SK & Kilpatrick IC (1997) 'Effects of the mGlu receptor agonist (1S,3S)-ACPD on glutamate, aspartate and glycine release in the nucleus accumbens and striatum of the rat' P158-P158
TOMS NJ, JANE DE, TSE HW & ROBERTS PJ (1995) 'CHARACTERIZATION OF METABOTROPIC GLUTAMATE-RECEPTOR COUPLED PHOSPHOINOSITIDE HYDROLYSIS IN CULTURED RAT CEREBELLAR GRANULE CELLS' P109-P109
TOMS NJ & ROBERTS PJ (1995) 'LACK OF EVIDENCE FOR CYCLIC-AMP-DEPENDENT REGULATION OF NMDA RECEPTOR-STIMULATED NITRIC-OXIDE SYNTHESIS IN CULTURED RAT CEREBELLAR GRANULE CELLS' P277-P277
ROBERTS PJ & TOMS NJ (1994) 'CYCLIC-AMP ENHANCES NMDA RECEPTOR-MEDIATED STIMULATION OF RAT CEREBELLAR NITRIC-OXIDE FORMATION' P57-P57
Presentations and posters
Chatterjee A, Mirza M, Seymour E & Toms N Chatterjee A, Mirza M, Seymour E & Toms N 'Student Perceptions towards Responseware in a Team Based Learning setting'