Professor John W McAvoy
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Sydney Medical Research Foundation Professor of Experimental Ophthalmology
C09 - Sydney Eye Hospital |
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Themes | Biographical details | Research interests | Grants | PhD & Masters' project opportunities | Honours project opportunities | Keywords
Biographical details
Research interests
How a particular tissue or organ develops its characteristic size and three-dimensional cellular architecture is often a poorly understood part of its developmental program; yet, as is clearly the case for the eye lens, precise regulation of these features can be critical for function. During lens morphogenesis cells become organized into a polarized, spheroidal structure with a monolayer of epithelial cells overlying the apical tips of highly elongated fibre cells. Epithelial cells proliferate and progeny that shift below the lens equator differentiate into new fibres that become precisely aligned and oriented towards the poles of the lens as they progressively add to the fibre mass. Research in our laboratory has shown that FGF induces epithelial to fibre differentiation; however, it is not fully understood how the proliferation and differentiation compartments are regulated to ensure appropriate growth and at the same time maintain the highly ordered and polarized three-dimensional lens structure. In recent studies we have shown that planar cell polarity (PCP) operates in the lens and Wnt-Frizzled signalling plays a role in regulating the polarized cell behaviour that is critical for normal lens morphogenesis and growth. We believe that the lens will be a useful model system to study Wnt-Frizzled/PCP in general and gain insights into mechanisms that generate high-level cellular order during development.
Current national competitive grants*
2012
Preventing Blindness: Blocking TGFß-induced EMT and Cataract Development
Lovicu F, McAvoy J
NHMRC Project Grants ($332,175 over 3 years)
2011
Role of primary cilia and PCP proteins in lens development: implication for lens regeneration after cataract surgery
McAvoy J, Lovicu F
National Health and Medical Research Council Project Grant ($329,462 over 3 years)
* Grants administered through the University of Sydney
PhD and Masters' project opportunities
Regulation of growth factor signaling in the eye and its implications for normal lens biology and pathology.
Studies on eye lens development and cataract +
+ indicates the opportunity is full and unavailable.
Honours project opportunities
Growth factor-induced lens cell proliferation and differentiation regulating ocular lens development and growth.
Identifying the mechanisms regulating aberrant lens cell behaviour that lead to cataract and blindness.