Dr Linda Lefièvre

Dr Linda Lefièvre

Department of Biomedical Sciences
Senior Lecturer in Endocrinology

Contact details

Telephone
+44 (0)121 414 6848
Email
l.lefievre@bham.ac.uk
View my research portal
Address
Department of Biomedical Sciences
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Linda Lefievre is a Senior Lecturer in Endocrinology.  She is Deputy Director of Education for Digital and Distance Learning for the College of Medicine and Health.

Linda's research expertise is in reproduction, particularly focusing on sperm maturation in the female tract prior fertilisation, a process known as sperm capacitation. Linda has a wide teaching portfolio and teaches across many programmes in the College.  She has also been involved in student recruitment having been Admissions tutor for many years for the Biomedical Science programme.  More recently, Linda has taken on the role of Deputy Director of Education for Digital and Distance Learning for the College with the focus of supporting colleagues with innovative and blended approaches for teaching and learning.  In addition, Linda is developing a distance learning portfolio for the College which includes post graduate programmes as well as short courses and microcredentials.

Qualifications

  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, 2014
  • PhD in Experimental Surgery, 2002, McGill University, Montréal, Canada         
  • MSc in Biomedical Science, 1997, Université de Montréal, Canada
  • BSc in Biochemistry, 1994, Université de Montréal, Canada

Biography

Linda did her undergraduate and post graduate degrees in Montréal, Canada.  She graduated from Université de Montréal with a degree in Biochemistry in 1994 and a MSc in Biomedical Science (Study of epididymal proteins involved in sperm maturation) in 1997.  She then studied at McGill University and was awarded her PhD in 2002 (Study of phosphodiesterase activities in human spermatozoa). 

In 2002 she became a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Birmingham. She gained personal fellowships funded by Fonds Québécois de la Recherche sur la Nature et les Technologies (FQRNT) and Fonds de la Recherché en Santé du Québec (FRSQ) to study the composition of the human zona pellucida involved in the sperm-egg interaction leading to fertilisation and later continued her work on post translational modifications occurring in sperm during the process of sperm capacitation which is an essential maturation necessary for fertilisation to take place. 

Linda was appointed as Lecturer in Endocrinology in the College of Medical and Dental Sciences in 2010.  From 2013-2020 she was Admissions Tutor for the Biomedical Science programme and she has recently been appointed as Deputy Director of Education for Digital and Distance Learning for the College of Medical and Dental Sciences.

Teaching

  • BSc Biomedical Science (Years 1-3): Reproduction, Cardio-Respiratory, Digestion and Renal
  • BSc Human Biology (Year 1): Reproduction
  • BMedSc Biomedical Material Science (Year 2):  Reproduction
  • MPharm (Year 1):  Autonomic Nervous System, Reproduction and Digestion
  • MBChB (Years 1 and 2):  Reproduction, Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Digestion and Renal
  • BDS (Year 1):  Reproduction, Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Digestion and Renal
  • Reproduction and Women’s Health:  Clinical Science intercalation (Year 4) – Module Lead

Research

Linda began her interest in the field of reproduction during her undergraduate degree project. Since that date, this field of research has fascinated and motivated her, in part due to how little is known about this crucial stage at the start of life. Linda has studied different areas linked to the process of fertilisation starting from the process of sperm capacitation, that render sperm able to interact with the egg, particularly looking at post-translational modifications and changes in the signalling pathway involved in this process.  She also studied sperm-egg interaction in order to identify a target protein on sperm in order to develop a male contraceptive.  Linda then moved into studying the extracellular structure of the egg, the zona pellucida, a structure that binds sperm prior fertilisation. Humans display a significant difference from the ubiquitously described zona pellucida in mice. This discovery has generated a great deal of interest and it is a new, crucial piece of evidence for the future identification of complementary sperm-zona binding protein(s) and immunocontraceptive strategies that could be used to develop a new contraceptives.

Publications

  1. Morris J, Jones S, Howl J, Lukanowska M, Lefievre L, Publicover S. Cell penetrating peptides, targeting the regulation of store-operated channels, slow decay of the progesterone-induced [Ca2+]i signal in human sperm. Mol Hum Reprod. 2015; 21:563-570.
  2. Tardif S, Madamidola OA, Brown SG, Frame L, Lefièvre L, Wyatt PG, Barratt CL, Martins Da Silva SJ. Clinically relevant enhancement of human sperm motility using compounds with reported phosphodiesterase inhibitor activity. Hum Reprod. 2014; 29:2123-2135.
  3. Lefievre L, Nash K, Mansell S, Costello S, Punt E, Correia J, Morris J, Kirkman-Brown J, Wilson SM, Barratt CL, Publicover S. 2-APB-potentiated channels amplify CatSper-induced Ca2+ signals in human sperm. Biochem J. 2012; 448:189-200.
  4. Nash K, Lefièvre L, Peralta-Arias R, Morris J, Morales-Garcia A, Connolly T, Costello S, Kirkman-Brown JC, Publicover SJ. Techniques for imaging Ca2+ signaling in human sperm. J Vis Exp. 2010; (40). pii: 1996. doi: 10.3791/1996. 
  5. Lefièvre L, Machado-Oliveira G, Ford C, Kirkman-Brown J, Barratt C, Publicover S.Communication between female tract and sperm: Saying NO* when you mean yes. Commun Integr Biol. 2009;2(2):82-85.
  6. Costello S, Michelangeli F, Nash K, Lefièvre L, Ford WCL, Morris J, Machado-Oliveira G, Kirkman-Brown J, Publicover SJ. Ca2+-stores in sperm: their identities and functions. Reproduction 2009; 138(3):425-437
  7. Lefièvre L, Machado-Oliveira G, Ford C, Kirkman-Brown J, Barratt C, Publicover S. Communication between female tract and sperm; Saying NO. when you mean yes. Communicative & Integrative Biology. 2009; 2:1-4
  8. Machado-Oliveira GSM, Lefièvre L, Ford WCL, Barratt CLR, Kirkman-Brown JC, Herrero MB, Publicover SJ. Mobilisation of Ca2+ stores and flagellar regulation in human sperm by S-nitrosylation: a role for NO synthesised in the cumulus oophorous. Development. 2008; 135:3677-3686.
  9. Bedu-Addo K, Costello S, Harper C, Machado-Oliveira G, Lefièvre L, Ford C, Barratt C, Publicover S. Mobilisation of stored calcium in the neck region of human sperm--a mechanism for regulation of flagellar activity. Int J Dev Biol 2008; 52:615-626.
  10. Lefièvre L, Chen Y, Conner SJ, Scott JL, Publicover SJ, Ford WC, Barratt CL. Human spermatozoa contain multiple targets for protein S-nitrosylation: an alternative mechanism of the modulation of sperm function by nitric oxide? Proteomics 2007; 7(17):3066-3084.
  11. Lefièvre L, Bedu-AddoK, Conner SJ, Machado-OliveiraGSM, ChenY, Kirkman-Brown JC, AfnanMA, PublicoverSJ, FordWCL,and BarrattCLR. Counting sperm does not add up any more: Time for a new equation? Reproduction 2007; 133(4):237-255.
  12. Conner SJ, Lefièvre L, Kirkman-Brown J, Michelangeli F, Jimenez-Gonzalez C, Oliveira GM, Pixton KL, Brewis IA, Barratt CLR and Publicover SJ; Understanding the physiology of pre-fertilisation events in the human spermatozoa – a necessary prerequisite to developing rational therapy. Soc Reprod Suppl 2007; 63 237-256.
  13. Bedu-Addo K, Lefièvre L, Moseley FL, Barratt CL, Publicover SJ. Bicarbonate and bovine serum albumin reversibly 'switch' capacitation-induced events in human spermatozoa. Mol Hum Reprod. 2005; 11:683-691.
  14. Moseley FLC, Jha KN, Björndahl L, Brewis IA, Publicover SJ, Barratt CLR, Lefièvre L. Protein tyrosine phosphorylation, hyperactivation and progesterone-induced acrosome reaction are enhanced in IVF media: an effect that is not associated with an increase in protein kinase A activation. Mol Hum Reprod 2005; 11(7):523-529.
  15. Conner SJ, Lefièvre L, Hughes DC, Barratt CLR. Cracking the Egg–Increased Complexity in the Zona Pellucida. Hum Reprod 2005; 20:1148-1152.
  16. Harper C, Wootton L, Michelangeli F, Lefièvre L, Barratt CLR, Publicover SJ. Secretory pathway Ca2+-ATPase (SPCA1) Ca2+ pumps, not SERCAs, regulate complex [Ca2+]i signals in human spermatozoa. J Cell Sci 2005; 118:1673-1685.
  17. Bailey JL, Tardif S, Dubé C, Beaulieu M, Reyes-Moreno C, Lefièvre L, Leclerc P. Use of phosphoproteomics to study tyrosine kinase activity in capacitating boar sperm. Kinase activity and capacitation. Theriogenology. 2005; 63:599-614.
  18. Tardif S, Lefièvre L, Gagnon C, Bailey JL. Implication of cAMP during porcine sperm capacitation and protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Mol Reprod Dev 2004; 69:428-435.
  19. Lefièvre L, Conner SJ, Salpekar A, Olufowobi O, Ashton P, Pavlovic B, Lenton W, Afnan M, Brewis IA, Monk M, Hughes DC, Barratt CL. Four zona pellucida glycoproteins are expressed in the human. Hum Reprod 2004; 19:1580-1586.
  20. Lefièvre L, Barratt CLR, Harper CV, Conner SJ, Flesch FM, Deeks E, Moseley FLC, Pixton KL, Brewis IA, Publicover SJ. Physiological and proteomic approaches to study pre fertilisation events in the human. Biomedicine Online 2003; 7(4):419-427.
  21. Lefièvre L, Jha KN, de Lamirande E, Visconti PE, Gagnon C. Activation of protein kinase A during human sperm capacitation and acrosome reaction. J Androl 2002; 23:709-716.
  22. Lefièvre L, de Lamirande E, Gagnon C. Presence of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases PDE1A, existing as a stable complex with calmodulin, and PDE3A in human spermatozoa. Biol Reprod 2002; 67:423-430.
  23. Kirkman-Brown JC, Lefièvre L, Bray C, Stewart PM, Barratt CL, Publicover SJ. Inhibitors of receptor tyrosine kinases do not suppress progesterone-induced [Ca2+]i signalling in human spermatozoa. Mol Hum Reprod 2002; 8:326-332.
  24. Yi JH, Lefièvre L, Gagnon C, Anctil M, Dubé F. Increase of cAMP upon release from prophase arrest in surf clam oocytes. J Cell Sci 2002; 115:311-320.
  25. Lefièvre L, de Lamirande E, Gagnon C. The cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase inhibitor, sildenafil, stimulates sperm motility, hyperactivation, capacitation but does not affect acrosome reaction of human spermatozoa. J Androl 2000; 21:929-937.
  26. Herrero MB, Chatterjee S, Lefièvre L, de Lamirande E, Gagnon C. Nitric oxide interacts with the cAMP pathway to modulate capacitation of human spermatozoa. Free Rad Biol Med 2000; 29:522-536.
  27. Parent S, Lefièvre L, Brindle Y, Sullivan R. A sperm protein associated with bull fertility. Molec Reprod Dev 1999; 52:57-65.
  28. Légaré C, Bérubé B, Boué F, Lefièvre L, Morales C, El Alfi M, Sullivan R. Hamster sperm antigen P26h is a glycophosphatidylinositol-anchored protein. Mol Reprod Dev 1999; 52:225-233.
  29. Bérubé B., Lefièvre L., Coutu L., Sullivan R. Regulation of the epididymal synthesis of P26h, a hamster sperm protein. J Androl 1996; 17:104-110.
  30. Bérubé B., Coutu L., Lefièvre L., Bégin S., Dupont H., et Sullivan R.  The Elimination of Keratin Artifacts in Immunoblots Probed with Polyclonal Antibodies. Anal. Biochem. 1994; 217:331-333

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