Research areas and laboratories

The Discipline of Biomedical Science is active in a broad range of research areas, reflecting the diverse interests and expertise of staff. The following list shows the major research areas and key researchers of the Discipline and their associates.

If you are a potential student please contact the person(s) listed in your area of interest or the persons listed on the right pane.

Contents

• Antimicrobial Resistance
• Cardiovascular Control
• Cancer
• Cellular Toxicology
• Elite Music Performance
• Molecular Neuroscience
• Neurodegeneration Research
• Neurophysiology
• Reproductive Toxicology
• Respiratory Motor Control
• Sensory Systems
• Shoulder
• Vision
• Visual Neuroscience

Antimicrobial Resistance Research

Leader: Dr Elizabeth Hegedus

Research Topics

• Epidemiology of hospital and community acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
• Epidemiology of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in the community
• Emergence of microbes resistant to antimicrobial drugs
• Strategies for prevention of antimicrobial resistance
• Infection control

Research Staff
Dr Gary Lee - Discipline of Biomedical Science

Dr Diana Oakes - Discipline of Biomedical Science

Dr Catherine Willis - Discipline of Biomedical Science

Associates
Mr Geoffrey Coombs - Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Royal Perth Hospital WA

Dr Peter Knight - Discipline of Biomedical Science

Dr Ming Wu - School of Biomedical and Health Sciences,
College of Health and Science, UNSW

Cardiovascular Control Research

Leader: Dr Jaimie Polson

Research Topics

• Programmed hypertension: the effects of maternal stress or exposure to raised glucocorticoid during pregnancy.
• Command neurons in the midbrain: cardio-respiratory regulation in defensive and escape behaviours
• The role of the hypothalamus in the cardiovascular response to environmental stressors such as psychological stress or exercise.
• Cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction in congenital cardiac disease

Our interests lie in how the brain controls cardiovascular and respiratory regulation at rest and during certain behaviours, such as stress or exercise.

We use a multidisciplinary approach in studying the central nervous system control of blood pressure. Techniques include:

• Radio-telemetry recording of blood pressure in conscious animals.
• Neuroanatomical tract tracing using antero- and retrograde tracers.
• C-fos mapping of activated brain neurons in response to activation of cardiovascular reflexes.
• Electrophysiological recording of central neurons & peripheral nerves.
• Brain microinjections of peptides and neuroactive substances.

Research is primarily carried out in the Discipline of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, Camperdown Campus.

Associates
Professor Roger Dampney - Discipline of Physiology

Professor Julian Paton - Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, University of Bristol. UK

Professor Andrew Wolf - Professor of Paediatric Anaesthesia and Intensive Care. Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. UK

Cancer Research

Leader: Associate Professor Fazlul Huq

Research Topics

• Design of novel platinum compounds cis-geometry and trans-geometry targeted to ovarian cancer
• Platinum(II) complexes with multiple metal centres
• Optimization of bioavailability of trans-platinums by modulation of leaving groups
• Overcoming drug resistance in ovarian and colorectal cancers using drug combination
• Proteomic studies
• In vivo activity of selected platinums
• Metal-induced toxicity and carcinogenicity
• Molecular modeling analyses of metabolism of drugs and toxicants

Associates
Associate Professor Philip Beale - Department of Medicine

Associate Professor Charles Chan - Department of Pathology

Dr. Jun Qing Yu - Discipline of Biomedical Science

Prof Patricia Vit Olivier - Venezuela

Associate Professor Mohammad Danish - University of Gujurat Pakistan

Cellular Toxicology

Leader: Dr Diana Oakes and

Research Topics

Research interests include developing/assessing in vitro techniques that can be utilised to assess the toxic effects of chemicals (eg therapeutic drugs, occupational chemicals, complementary medicines). This allows subsequent risk assessment to be based on biological and toxicological plausibility.

• Screening chemical mixtures for possible pro- or anti- genotoxic effects.
• Assessing the in vitro DNA damage induced by novel chemotherapeutic drugs and associated mechanisms of cellular resistance.
• Investigate the genotoxic effects of therapeutic drugs and chemicals that are associated with birth defects.
• Other opportunities exist for PhD projects in collaboration with Dr. Helen Ritchie based at the Laboratory of Reproductive Toxicology in the Discipline of Anatomy & Histology, University of Sydney – based at Camperdown campus.

Associates

Professor Bill Webster - Discipline of Anatomy & Histology

Assoc. Prof. Fazlul Huq - Discipline of Biomedical Science

Dr Elizabeth Hegedus - Discipline of Biomedical Science

Dr Helen Ritchie - Discipline of Biomedical Science

Elite Music Performance Research

Leader: Dr Bronwen Ackermann

Research Topics

• Electromyographic (EMG) studies investigating respiratory and facial muscle activation and coordination patterns in wind and brass musicians.
• Injury prevention studies involving prospective surveillance of professional orchestral musicians
• Developing a national educational curriculum aimed at improving health education of musicians
• Studies investigating efficacy of interventions purported to reduce injury in the professional musician population
• Studies developing an assessment tool and evaluating the validity and reliability of the components of this physical examination protocol
• Examining the use of video feedback and developing coaching methods to improving performance biomechanics and reduce injury in musicians
• Physical characteristic and injury profiling in various musical groups within the professional and tertiary student music population

Associates
Associate Professor Tim Driscoll - School of Public Health

Associate Professor Suzanne Wijsman - School of Music, UWA

Professor Dianna Kenny - School of Education and Social Work

Associate Professor Nick O’Dwyer - Discipline of Exercise Science

Dr Mark Halaki - Discipline of Exercise Science

Project manager
Ms Donna McDaniel (ARC linkage grant)
Ms Julie Seaton (ALTC grant)

Research Assistants
Ms Alison Evans
Mr Xinguang (Chris) Wang

Molecular Neuroscience Research

Leader: Dr Damian Holsinger

Research Topics
Neurodegenerative diseases

We investigate genes associated with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Down Syndrome.

• Our investigations in Alzheimer’s disease have led to the development of a gene therapeutic approach using RNA interference that is currently undergoing pre-clinical assessment in our laboratory.
• The investigations in Down Syndrome are focussed around two critical genes that are located on chromosome 21, the trisomy of which contributes to the Syndrome.
• We have recently embarked on a project related to Parkinson’s disease that is investigating a key genetic mutation associated with the disease that is equally prevalent in both early and late onset forms of the disease. Understanding the contribution of this gene will enable us to develop therapeutic strategies.

Successful ageing

• Centenarians are a key group of individuals that demonstrate resilience and successful ageing in the face of lifes’ travesties. These individuals must therefore have a unique genetic composition that has enabled them to successfully navigate the daily maladies of gene-environment interactions, which normally prove toxic to other individuals. We are currently investigating the presence of various allelic and single nucleotide polymorphisms that may contribute to successful ageing.

Associates
Dr Yong Chen - Post doctoral associate; Brain and Mind Research Instutute

Ms Rebecca Brown - PhD scholar; Brain and Mind Research Institue

Research Assistant
Aedan Roberts

Neurodegeneration Research

Leader: Associate Professor Kay Double

Research Topics

• Investigating why only certain brain cells are affected by degenerative disorders, with a focus on Parkinson’s disease. Characteristic features of individual cells, such as the expression of certain proteins, pigments, receptors or ion channels, may make ostensibly similar neurons more vulnerable in these disorders.
• Investigating the implications of metal changes in Parkinson’s disease for neurogeneration and the potential of metal modification for novel therapies.
• Developing new imaging methods to improve diagnosis of movement disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease and Restless Legs Syndrome.
• Studying brain plasticity and how movement control is altered in movement disorders.
• Investigating stem cells in the healthy and diseased brain and the potential of these cells for novel treatments for degenerative disease

Neuroscience Research Laboratory, Cumberland

Associate Professor Double is establishing a new laboratory facility at the Cumberland Campus for neuroscience research. The laboratory is scheduled for completion in the second half of 2013, with research conducted until this time at her laboratory at Neuroscience Research Australia in Randwick.

Associates

Currently active research collaborations include projects with researchers in Melbourne, Adelaide, Germany, France and Finland, with regular exchanges of researchers and students.

Research Staff

• Ms Veronica Cottam - Laboratory Manager; Neuroscience Research Australia
• Ms Mercedes Ballesteros - Laboratory Manager; Discipline of Biomedical Science
• Ms Germaine Chua - Research Assistant; Neuroscience Research Australia

Neurophysiology Research including biomechanics of neurological and musculoskeletal disorders

Leader: Dr John Burne

Research Topics
The symptoms that confront clinicians in the neurological and musculoskeletal disorders are often difficult to quantify and understand in terms of the underlying disease process. A better understanding of their neurophysiology and biomechanics can help plug this knowledge gap. Although my research and teaching are based in neurophysiology many collaborations in clinical neurology, rehabilitation, physiotherapy and engineering have ensured the projects have an applied emphasis.

The hunt is on for neural and non-neural contributors to the muscle rigidity that causes movement disorders in:

• Parkinsonism
• Arthritis
• Muscle cramp
• Spasticity.

In these studies computer- controlled servomotors produce passive movement of joints under study to elicit neural / reflex and biomechanical responses. This data is modeled in patients and control subjects.

Associates
Dr Dennis Cordata - Head of Neurology, Bankstown Hospital

Dr C. Yiannikas - Private Neurologist

Professor Kemal Turker - Chair in Marie Curie, Chair of the European Union, Center for Brain Research

Dr Serajul Khan - Postdoctoral fellow, Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute, UNSW

Reproductive Toxicology Research

Leader: Dr Helen Ritchie and Dr Diana Oakes

Research Topics

• Role of hypoxia in abnormal development
• Bradycardia and birth defects
• Expression of ion-channel proteins during development

Associates
Professor Bill Webster - Discipline of Anatomy & Histology

Respiratory Motor Control Research

Leader: Dr Ronald Balnave

Research Topics
Research in this laboratory concentrates on physiological links between the midbrain and brainstem respiratory centres involved in control of respiration. The dorsal and ventral respiratory groups, interconnected networks of respiratory-related cells, are part of the neural system controlling respiratory rhythm generation and respiratory motor output. The work in the laboratory is attempting to locate cells in these centres and observe their firing patterns during “normal” breathing and to observe changes in these firing patterns when the respiratory system is perturbed by alterations to central or peripheral neural inputs.

Current works

• Brainstem mechanisms in the control of breathing – production of apnea
• Interactions between peripheral inputs and midbrain centres in the control of breathing – vagus nerve and midbrain PAG

Associates
Dr Chin Moi Chow - Discipline of Exercise & Sport Science

Sensory Systems Research

Leader: Dr. Aaron Camp

Research Topics

• Airplanes, submarines and even our humble phones use sophisticated guidance systems to allow them to navigate through the environment. Amazingly, vertebrates have used analogous systems for billions of years! These systems are our senses. My research investigates how sensory signals are combined to enable navigation through our complex world.
  (view Aaron's sensory systems flyer.)

Projects

• Anatomical and physiological development of mouse and human vestibular (balance) organs.
• Investigations into early visual processing in the mouse and primate visual system.
• Integration of vision and balance in the cerebral cortex.

Associates
Dr Sam Solomon - Discipline of Physiology

Dr Rebecca Lim - University of Newcastle

Research Assistants
Mr Rajiv Wijesinghe

Shoulder Research

Leader: Associate Professor Karen Ginn

Research Topics

• Electromyographic (EMG) studies investigating shoulder muscle activation and coordination patterns in normal subjects and patients with shoulder dysfunction
• EMG studies evaluating shoulder exercises
• Clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy of conservative treatment for shoulder dysfunction
• Studies investigating adherence to clinical guidelines for the treatment of shoulder dysfunction
• Studies evaluating the validity and realiability of components of the physical examination of the shoulder
• Shoulder region profiling in various sporting population

Associates
Dr Mark Halaki - Discipline of Exercise Science

Dr Ian Cathers - Discipline of Exercise Science

Research Assistants
Ms Robyn Adler

Mr Dan Tardo

Vision Research

Leader: Dr Alan Freeman

Research Topics

• Ambiguous perception
• Modelling the visual system
• Rapid serial visual presentation

For more detail, please see Alan's research lab poster.

Publications
See http://ResearcherID.com

Associates
Dr. Urte Roeber - School of Health and Human Sciences, Southern Cross University

Dr. Elaine Wong - Discipline of Biomedical Science

Dr Padma Iyer - School of Medicine, Duke University, North Carolina, USA

Visual Neuroscience Research

Leader: Dr Jin Huang

Research Topics
If we ask: How do we see? How is the image processed? The answer lies in the eyes and rest of the brain.
Located at the back of the eye is the retina. It is light sensitive. It contains nerve cells (neurons) that are important in the first stage of visual perception and visual processing. One of the types of neurons in the retina is called ganglion cells. They project to other regions within the brain and are important in the modification of complex visual signals.

Ganglion cells also receive a variety of excitatory and inhibitory signals within the retina. Hence, the properties of ganglion cells depend on how these signals are integrated. An important aspect of this integration is related to the relative magnitude and timing of these inputs, as this helps to determine the spatial and temporal properties of ganglion cells.

However, we do not know at present exactly how these inputs to ganglion cells impact on their activity. To investigate this, we are using intracellular recording techniques to examine the changes in ganglion cells activity in response to different types of inputs. Our project also looks at the effects of drug-simulation on the responses of ganglion cells, as this can also help us in understanding the receptive filed properties of ganglion cells.

Current Work
Jin is currently working on the retina. Looking at the properties of ganglion cells using patch clamping techniques.

Community and professional engagements
Please follow this link to view Jin's community and professional engagements.

Associates
Dr Dario Protti - Discipline of Physiology