Dr Rice graduated with a degree in Physiology from Kings College London in 1986, where she also obtained her PhD in “⁶⁵Zinc Transport across the Blood-Brain Barrier” under the supervision of the late Professor Malcolm Bradbury. After a career break of seven years, Dr Rice was awarded a scholarship from the Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital to do an MSc in Human Reproductive Biology, in order to change her field of research. She then worked a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Professors Steve Franks and Kate Hardy at The Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London, where she developed her interest in polycystic ovary syndrome, folliculogenesis and reproductive endocrinology.

Dr Rice joined St George’s, University of London in 2003 as a postdoctoral researcher in Professor Helen Mason’s laboratory with whom she went on to have a very successful collaboration. She got a faculty position in 2007 and established herself as a principle investigator.

Dr Rice is the current Chair of the national Society for Reproduction and Fertility (SRF), one of the principal scientific societies specialising in reproductive biology, both within the UK and internationally. She also represents the SRF on the programme organising and joint executive committees for Fertility, the annual joint conference of the UK Fertility Societies i.e. SRF, British Fertility Society (BFS) and Association of Reproductive and Clinical Scientists (ARCS). She has also served as session chair at the Fertility meetings and is a regular reviewer for abstracts submitted to the international conferences for the European Society of Endocrinology (2015-current), ENDO2015, and Fertility (2016-current). 

Dr Rice is also closely associated with the international Australian Society for the Study of Reproductive Biology (SRB) and USA Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR). She was part of the committee that formed, assessed and awarded the first global Roger Short Medal for Reproductive Biology (2023). She is currently on the committee to establish the first global International Federation of Reproductive Biology.

She is also a member of the Awards Assessment Panel for The Daphne Jackson Trust (2014-current), the UKs leading organisation providing assistance to scientist returning to work after a career break.

Dr Rice has been an examiner for 2 external PhD vivas and 2 internal (University of London), as well as 2 MPhil transfer vivas. She has refereed numerous papers for journals such as the Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Human Reproduction, Reproduction, Frontiers and Endocrinology amongst others. She is currently the external examiner for the Reproductive Biology Honours programme, Edinburgh University. 

Dr Rice is a member of a number of committees and panels at SGUL, including Student Support and Welfare committee; Campus Good Relations committee; intercalated Biomedical Science committee; Virtual Panel for PhD examiner approval and has served on Senate twice (elected academic member).

Dr Rice is associated with the Cell Biology Centre in the Neurosciences and Cell Biology Research Institute.

Her research concentrates on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and dysfunctional ovarian follicle growth, with its resultant fertility issues. PCOS is the most common endocrine disorder affecting 5-10% of women of reproductive age. It has significant co-morbidities and long-term health implications, such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes and cardiovascular problems. Her research focuses on the various signalling pathways that control and regulate ovarian steroidogenesis and glucose metabolism, and hence growth of the cells of the follicle. Follicle growth is further disrupted by inputs from the external environment e.g. obesity, insulin resistance and vitamin D deficiency, adding to the complexity of the problem. She is also involved with collaborators in Denmark to investigate the impact of environmental factors on foetal development and human fertility. 

On-going specific research projects are focussed on:

1.  Investigating the altered metabolic and endocrine parameters in women with PCOS to determine correlations between Vitamin D deficiency, insulin resistance and menstrual cyclicity. The long-term goad is to determine whether clinical interventions alter these parameters.
2. Determining the alterations in the insulin signalling pathway in granulosa cells taken from women with insulin resistance and PCOS, using in vitro analysis of the main proteins in this pathway.
3. Elucidating the regulation of anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) which is over-expressed in the polycystic ovary.
4. Investigating the effect of environmental pollutants and over-the-counter medication on foetal organ development, with a special focus on the gonads, as well as male and female fertility. 

1. Henrietta Brain, Christiana Georgiou, Helen D. Mason and Suman Rice (in submission) The effect of Vitamin D (1,25-(OH)2-D3) on human theca and granulosa cell function. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.06.16.545289
2. Nafi Dilaver, Laura Pellatt, Ella Jameson, Michael Ogunjimi, Gul Bano, Roy Homburg, Helen D Mason, Suman Rice (Dec. 2019) The regulation and signalling of anti-Müllerian hormone in human granulosa cells: relevance to polycystic ovary syndrome. Human Reproduction. 34(12):2467–2479
3. Rice S, Pellat L, Ahmetaga A, Bano G, Mason HD and Whitehead SA (2015) Dual effect of metformin on growth inhibition and oestradiol production in breast cancer cells. International Journal of Molecular Medicine. 35:1088-1095
4. Rice S, Elia A, Jawad Z, Pellatt L, Mason HD (2013) Metformin inhibits follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) action in human granulosa cells: relevance to polycystic ovary syndrome. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM) 98: E1491–E1500.
5. Stubbs SA, Webber LJ, Stark J, Rice S, Margara R, Lavery S, Trew GH, Hardy K, Franks S (2013) Role of insulin-like growth factors in initiation of follicle growth in normal and polycystic human ovaries Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM) 98(8): 3298-305
6. Rice S, Patel B, Bano G, Ugwumadu A, Whitehead SA (2012) Aromatase Expression in Abdominal Omental/Visceral and Subcutaneous Fat Depots: a comparison from Pregnant and Obese Women. Fertility & Sterility 97(6):1460-6
7. Rice S, Pellatt L, Bryan SJ, Whitehead SA, Mason HD (2011) Action of Metformin on the Insulin-Signalling Pathway and on Glucose Transport in Human Granulosa Cells. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM) 96(3):E247-35
8. Pellatt L, Rice S, Dilaver N, Heshri A, Galea R, Brincat M, Brown K, Simpson ER, Mason HD. (2011) Anti-Müllerian hormone reduces follicle sensitivity to follicle-stimulating hormone in human granulosa cells. Fertil Steril. 96(5):1246-51
9. Pellatt LJ, Rice S, Mason HD. (2011) Phosphorylation and Activation of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase (AMPK) by Metformin in the Human Ovary Requires Insulin. Endocrinology 152(3):1112-8
10. Rice S, Pellatt L, Ramanathan K, Whitehead SA, Mason HD (2009) Metformin inhibits aromatase via an ERK-mediated pathway. Endocrinology 150:4794-4801
11. Suman Rice, Kamal Ojha, Helen Mason (2008) Human ovarian biopsies as a viable source of pre-antral follicles. Reprod. 23(3):600-605
12. Kalsi KK, Baker EH, Medina RA, Rice S, Wood DM, Ratoff JC, Philips BJ, Baines DL. (2008) Apical and basolateral localisation of GLUT2 transporters in human lung epithelial cells. Pflugers Arch.-Eur J Physiol 456:991-1003
13. Rice S, Ojha K, Whitehead S, Mason H (2007) Stage-specific expression of androgen receptor (AR), follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) and anti-Müllerian hormone type II receptor (AMHRII) in single, isolated, human preantral follicles: relevance to polycystic ovaries (PCO). JCEM 92(3):1034-1040
14. Suman Rice, Annette Amon, Saffron Whitehead (2007) Ethanolic extracts of black cohosh (Actae Racemosa) inhibit growth and oestradiol synthesis from oestrone sulphate in breast cancer cells Maturitas 56:359-367
15. Rice S, Mason H, Whitehead S (2006) Phytoestrogens and their low dose combinations inhibit mRNA expression and activity of aromatase in human granulosa-luteal cells. Steroid Biochem. Mol. Biol. 101:216-225
16. Rice S, Christoforidis N, Gadd C, Nikolau D, Seyani L, Donaldson A, Margara R, Hardy K & Franks S (2005) Impaired insulin-dependent glucose metabolism in granulosa-lutein cells from anovulatory women with polycystic ovaries. Reprod. 20:373-381
17. Spanos, S. Rice, P. Karagiannis, D. Taylor, DL Becker, RML Winston, K. Hardy (2002) Caspase activity and expression of cell death genes during development of human preimplantation embryos Reproduction 124:353-363
18. Buxani-Rice S, Ueda F, Bradbury MW (1994) Transport of zinc-65 at the blood-brain barrier during short cerebrovascular perfusion in the rat: its enhancement by histidine J Neurochem 62(2):665-72.
19. Rice Suman, Whitehead Saffron Anne (2014) Targets for the Action of Phytoestrogens in Breast Cancer - Focus on Isoflavones and Resveratrol. Current Breast Cancer Reports 6:88-95
20. Pellatt Laura, Rice Suman, Mason Helen (2010) Anti-Mullerian hormone and polycystic ovary syndrome: a mountain too high? Reproduction 139(5):825-833
21. Mason H, Colao A, Blume-Peytavi Y, Rice S, Qureshi A, Pellatt L, Oria F, Atkin S (2008) PCOS trilogy – a translational and clinical review Clin. Endocrinol. (Oxf) 69(6):831-44
22. Rice S, Whitehead SA. (2008) Phytoestrogens oestrogen synthesis and breast cancer. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 108(3-5):186-95.
23. Rice S and Whitehead SA (2006) Phytoestrogens and breast cancer-promoters or protectors? Endocrine Related Cancer 13:995-1015
24. Hardy K, Wright C, Rice S, Tachataki M, Roberts R, Morgan D, Spanos S & Taylor D (2002) Future developments in assisted reproduction in humans. Reproduction 123: 171-183

Collaborations within St George's:

Dr Gul Bano, Thomas Addison Endocrine Clinic, SGHT

Mr Kamal Ojha, Obs & Gynae., SGHT

Prof. Tom Carter, SGUL

Dr Alexis Bailey, SGUL

External Collaborations:

Prof. Claus Yding Andersen and Dr Linn Salto Mamsen, University Hospital of Copenhagen

Dr Tim Marczylo, Reproductive Toxicology Unit, UKHSA

Dr Rice is a member of the Institute of Medical and Biomedical Education and is currently the Personal Tutor Co-ordinator for all courses at SGUL. She is the lead for the Intercalated and 3rd year BMS Science of Reproduction module.

Her teaching responsibilities span all years of the BSc and MSci Biomedical Science degrees, MBBS4, MBBS5, BSc in Healthcare Science and the Physicians Associate. Dr Rice lectures extensively on reproductive physiology. She supervises research projects at undergraduate (BSc and iBSc) and postgraduate levels (MRes and PhD).