LMCB Group Leader, Associate Professor of Cell Biology
Employed part-time
Employed part-time
+44 (0)20 7679 7260
LMCB Room 2.03
Cell migration and education research
Research synopsis
Louise’s cytoskeleton research has contributed novel cell polarisation and cell motility mechanisms, which have featured multiple times in the scientific news, most recently 2018. Since then she has focused on education research to identify the origin of the difference in scores awarded to minority ethnic and white undergraduate students (with white students receiving the higher marks). Her findings have been highlighted in Times Higher Education and Nature Magazine. Her work will help provide much needed evidence-based interventions to reduce this ethnicity award gap and consequent career progression gaps.
Louise also leads and influences teaching and learning directly for the Division of Biosciences and contributes leading expansion of LMCB education:
- Cell Biology Tutor MRes Programme 2010-2016
- Major review of cell biology year 2 undergraduate teaching
- Conceiving interventions to increase student satisfaction
- Development of inclusive cell biology teaching, learning and assessment
- Co-organiser of all cell biology undergraduate education across year 2 benefitting >14 degrees
- Development of new LMCB undergraduate modules
For an example of Louise’s educational research and advocacy work, see here.


Selected publications
Cramer L (2021) EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION: Alternative strategies for closing the award gap between white and minority ethnic students. eLife 2021;10:e58971 DOI: 10.7554/eLife.58971
Feature news article, Nature, Sept 2021
Cramer LP, et al (2018) Repellent and Attractant Guidance Cues Initiate Cell Migration by Distinct Rear-Driven and Front-Driven Cytoskeletal Mechanisms. Current Biology, doi:10.1016/j.cub.2018.02.024
Nightingale TD, et al (2018). Tuning the endothelial response: differential release of exocytic cargos from Weibel-Palade Bodies. Journal of thrombosis and haemostasis : JTH, doi:10.1111/jth.14218
Cramer LP (2013). Mechanism of Cell Rear Retraction in Migrating Cells. Current Opinion Cell Biology 25(5) 591-599 doi: 10.1016/j.ceb.2013.05.001
Nightingale TD, et al (2012). Actin Coats and Rings Promote Regulated Exocytosis. Trends Cell Biol. 22:329-337 doi: 10.1016/j.tcb.2012.03.003
Kalaji R, et al (2012). ROCK1 and ROCK2 regulate epithelial polarisation and geometric cell shape. Biol. Cell 104: 435-451
Mseka T & Cramer LP (2011). Actin Depolymerization-Based Force Retracts the Cell Rear in Polarizing and Migrating Cells. Curr Biol 21(24):2085-91 doi:10.1016/j.cub.2011.11.006.
Nightingale TD, et al (2011). Actomyosin II contractility expels von Willebrand factor from Weibel-Palade bodies during exocytosis. J Cell Biol 194(4), 613-629 doi:10.1083/jcb.201011119.
Funders
3i
Cancer Research UK
BBSRC
Human Frontiers Science Programme Organisation
Wellcome Trust
Royal Society
Research themes
Race equality in Higher Education
Cytoskeleton
Polarity and cell motility
Cell migration
Collaborators
Dan Cutler (LMCB, UK)
Rob Kay (LMB, Cambridge, UK)
Tom Nightingale (Barts, UK)
Clare Bryant (University Cambridge, UK)