Personal information

Mass spectrometry, Membrane proteins
United Kingdom

Biography

Professor Robinson holds the Oxford Chair of Dr. Lee’s Professor of Chemistry and is the founding Director of the Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery at the University of Oxford. She is recognised for using mass spectrometry to further research into the 3D structure of proteins and their complexes, particularly of membrane proteins.

During her early research Professor Robinson developed and applied mass spectrometry to show how protein folding could be monitored in the presence of molecular chaperones. This research prompted her to find new ways to preserve mega Dalton complexes in the gas phase and led her to uncover the heterogeneity and dynamics of numerous multi protein complexes.

In more recent work she demonstrated the numerous roles played by lipids in regulating the structure and function of membrane protein assemblies. Her current interest is in uncovering the synergy of lipid and drug binding. With this information she is exploring new ways to characterise receptor-signalling complexes.

Professor Robinson's graduate education was completed whilst working full-time in industry. She was subsequently admitted to the University of Cambridge where she completed her PhD in two years. Following an eight-year career break to begin raising her three children, she returned to research at Oxford. In 2001 she became the first female Professor of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge, returning to Oxford in 2009 to take up the Chair of Dr. Lee’s Professor of Chemistry.

Her research has attracted numerous international awards and distinctions. Her most recent awards are: The 2022 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Chemistry, The 2022 Louis Jeantet Prize for Medicine, The European Chemistry Gold Medal from the European Chemistry Society (EuChemS), The Othmer Gold Medal from the Science History Institute, The Academy Prize from the Royal Academy of Belgium and The Royal Medal A from the Royal Society. Her distinctions include International Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2021), Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Sciences (2017), Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2013 for her contributions to Science and Industry and she is also a former President of the UK Royal Society of Chemistry.

Activities

Employment (3)

Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, Oxford: Oxford, GB

2021-04-01 to present | Founder Director
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson

University of Oxford, Exeter College: Oxford, GB

2009-10-01 to present | Professorial Fellow
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson

University of Oxford Department of Chemistry: Oxford, Oxfordshire, GB

2009-10-01 to present | Dr. Lee's Professor of Chemistry
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson

Education and qualifications (3)

University of Cambridge: Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, GB

1980-10-01 to 1982-09-30 | PhD (Chemistry)
Education
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson

University of Wales: Swansea, GB

1979-10-01 to 1980-09-30 | Master of Science (Chemistry)
Qualification
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson

Royal Society of Chemistry: London, GB

1976-10-01 to 1979-09-30 | Graduate of the Royal Society of Chemistry
Qualification
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson

Professional activities (13)

Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851: London, GB

2021 to present | Commissioner
Membership
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson

American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, US

2021 to present | Associate Editor
Membership
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson

American Academy of Arts and Sciences: Cambridge, MA, US

2021 to present | International Honorary Member
Invited position
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson

Angewandte Chemie: Weinheim, DE

2018-01-09 to present | International Advisory Board Member
Service
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson

Bert L and N Kuggie Vallee Foundation: Boston, MA, US

2016-06-01 to present | Member of Board of Directors
Service
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson

Structure: Cambridge, MA, US

2015-08-01 to present | Editorial Board Member
Service
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson

The Royal National Children's SpringBoard Foundation: London, GB

2015-06-01 to present | Advisory Board Member
Service
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson

Current Opinion in Structural Biology: Amsterdam, NL

2012-09-01 to present | Editorial Board Member
Service
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson

Royal Society of Chemistry: London, London, GB

2018-07-11 to 2020-07-11 | President
Invited position
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson

National Academy of Sciences: Washington, DC, US

2017 | Foreign Associate
Distinction
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson

National: London, GB

2013 | Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE)
Distinction
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson

Academy of Medical Sciences: London, GB

2009 | Fellow
Distinction
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson

Royal Society: London, London, GB

2004 | Fellow
Distinction
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson

Funding (26)

A trans-omic platform to define molecular interactions underlying anhedonia at the blood-brain interface

2021-11 to 2022-10 | Grant
Wellcome (London, GB)
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson

Targeting membrane proteins in their native environments – Mass spectrometry meets cell biology

2021-08 to 2026-07 | Grant
Wellcome Trust (London, GB)
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson

Developing mass spectrometry to understand molecular mechanisms of antibacterial and antiviral drugs

2021-04 to 2026-03 | Grant
Medical Research Council (London, GB)
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson

State of the Art Lipidomics

2019-10 to 2024-10 | Grant
Wellcome Trust (London, GB)
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson

A new platform for drug discovery for membrane protein targets

2018-03 to 2021-02 | Award
Innovate UK (London, GB)
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson

Elucidating natural bilayer lipid environments (ENABLE)

2016-06 to 2021-05 | Grant
European Research Council (Brussels, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER:

695511

Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson

Applications of mass spectrometry to membrane protein drug development

2016-04 to 2021-03 | Grant
Medical Research Council (London, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER:

MR/N020413/1

Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson

Molecular basis of protein translocation through outer membrane porins

2014-06-30 to 2017-06-29 | Grant
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Swindon, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER: BB/L021234/1
GRANT_NUMBER: BB/L021234/1
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson via DimensionsWizard
grade
Preferred source (of 2)‎

Industrial Fellowship

2014-01 to 2015-12 | Contract
Micromass UK Ltd (Manchester, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER:

13-0578

Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson

Integral membrane proteins resolution of stoichiometry and structure

2011-06-01 to 2016-05-31 | Grant
European Research Council (Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, BE)
GRANT_NUMBER: 268851
GRANT_NUMBER: 268851
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson via DimensionsWizard
grade
Preferred source (of 2)‎

Mass spectrometry at the frontiers of molecular medicine

2011-03-31 to 2016-03-30 | Grant
Medical Research Council (Swindon, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER: G1000819
GRANT_NUMBER: G1000819
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson via DimensionsWizard

Design and Implementation of an Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry Computational Module for Structure Characterization of Protein Assemblies

2011-02-01 to 2011-04-29 | Grant
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Swindon, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER: BB/I02626X/1
GRANT_NUMBER: BB/I02626X/1
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson via DimensionsWizard
grade
Preferred source (of 2)‎

Pulsed-Laser Dissociation for Rapid Structural Characterization of Macromolecular Assemblies

2009-11-15 to 2011-05-13 | Grant
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Swindon, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER: BB/G024723/2
GRANT_NUMBER: BB/G024723/2
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson via DimensionsWizard
grade
Preferred source (of 2)‎

Quality Control of Gene Expression / RNA Surveillance

2009-11-01 to 2011-04-29 | Grant
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Swindon, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER: BB/F010311/2
GRANT_NUMBER: BB/F010311/2
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson via DimensionsWizard
grade
Preferred source (of 2)‎

Mass spectrometry of protein complexes - from networks to structures

2009-09-30 to 2011-08-30 | Grant
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Swindon, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER: BB/F021208/2
GRANT_NUMBER: BB/F021208/2
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson via DimensionsWizard
grade
Preferred source (of 2)‎

Computational methods to enable construcution of 3D models of protein complexes by integrating mass spectrometry and biochemical data

2008-09-17 to 2009-09-16 | Grant
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Swindon, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER: BB/G000360/1
GRANT_NUMBER: BB/G000360/1
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson via DimensionsWizard
grade
Preferred source (of 2)‎

Mass spectrometry of protein complexes - from networks to structures

2008-05-31 to 2009-09-29 | Grant
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Swindon, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER: BB/F021208/1
GRANT_NUMBER: BB/F021208/1
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson via DimensionsWizard
grade
Preferred source (of 2)‎

Quality Control of Gene Expression / RNA Surveillance

2008-03-31 to 2009-09-29 | Grant
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Swindon, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER: BB/F010311/1
GRANT_NUMBER: BB/F010311/1
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson via DimensionsWizard
grade
Preferred source (of 2)‎

Small heat-shock proteins in age-related disease

2008-01-01 to 2010-12-31 | Grant
National Health and Medical Research Council (Canberra, AU)
GRANT_NUMBER: 514615
GRANT_NUMBER: 514615
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson via DimensionsWizard
grade
Preferred source (of 2)‎

Elucidating the Mechanism of Amyloid Formation by Human Lysozyme

2007-06-30 to 2011-01-31 | Grant
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Swindon, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER: BB/E019927/1
GRANT_NUMBER: BB/E019927/1
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson via DimensionsWizard
grade
Preferred source (of 2)‎

Subunit architecture of non-covalent complexes isolated directly from the cells.

2007-03-01 to 2010-02-28 | Grant
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Swindon, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER: BB/E014917/1
GRANT_NUMBER: BB/E014917/1
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson via DimensionsWizard
grade
Preferred source (of 2)‎

Developing new mass spectrometry methodologies for the determination of structures of heterogeneous protein complexes

2007-02-01 to 2010-01-31 | Grant
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Swindon, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER: BB/E003478/1
GRANT_NUMBER: BB/E003478/1
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson via DimensionsWizard
grade
Preferred source (of 2)‎

Application of mass spectrometry approaches to the study of the function assembly associated factors and architecture of the proteasome

2006-09-30 to 2009-09-29 | Grant
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Swindon, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER: BB/E004334/1
GRANT_NUMBER: BB/E004334/1
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson via DimensionsWizard
grade
Preferred source (of 2)‎

Microfluidic Microdroplet Reactors

2006-04-30 to 2010-10-30 | Grant
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (Swindon, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER: EP/D048664/1
GRANT_NUMBER: EP/D048664/1
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson via DimensionsWizard
grade
Preferred source (of 2)‎

A modified hybrid Qq time of flight mass spectrometer for analysis of multiprotein complexes

2006-03-31 to 2006-12-31 | Grant
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Swindon, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER: BB/D524524/1
GRANT_NUMBER: BB/D524524/1
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson via DimensionsWizard
grade
Preferred source (of 2)‎

Interfacing Mass Spectrometry with Electron Microscopy

2005-04-30 to 2006-04-29 | Grant
Medical Research Council (Swindon, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER: G0401530
GRANT_NUMBER: G0401530
Source: Self-asserted source
C V Robinson via DimensionsWizard

Peer review (14 reviews for 5 publications/grants)

Review activity for Analytical chemistry. (2)
Review activity for Angewandte Chemie. (3)
Review activity for Journal of the American Chemical Society. (3)
Review activity for Nature (3)
Review activity for Nature communications (3)