Professor Greg Sutherland
People_

Professor Greg Sutherland

Associate Professor
Neuroscience, School of Medical Sciences
Professor Greg Sutherland

I am a research group leader in neuropathology, Director of the NSW Brain Tissue Resource Centre (brain bank) and A/Prof in Neuroscience in the School of Medical Sciences, based in the Charles Perkins Centre. Previously, I had post doctoral positions in Brisbane (Eskitis Institute, Griffith University) and Sydney (Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute (now Neura) and the University of Sydney). I graduated with a PhD in molecular medicine from the University of Auckland in 2004. Prior to this I spent 13 years in veterinary clinical practice and commercial research.

ORCID:0000-0003-2493-9736

Scopus ID:56219276900

My research group, Sydney Brainomics is a multi-disciplinary group that brings together neuropathology, molecular biology and bioinformatics to study neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and alcohol-related brain damage. Sydney Brainomics combines spatial and molecular data from human postmortem brain tissue to improve our understanding of why certain individuals get these diseases and how to cure them. We are also involved in international and national collaborative teams that utilise data science, machine learning, neuroimaging, patient-derived stem cells and transgenic animal models towards these goals. I am also the Leader of the 'Brain and Body' research node at the Charles Perkins Centre that aims to understand the bidirectional relationships between brains diseases like AD and systemic chronic disorders such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity using the expertise at the Charles Perkins Centre and beyond.

My research-focused teaching is neuropathology with a wider interest in disease mechanisms. I teach medical, dental and science students and post-graduates and I am the UoS coordinator of a Masters Pathology unit (PATH5000 and an interdisciplinary course (IMPA3888) that provides biomedical science students with big picture ideas and skills.

Sydney Brainomics has a range projects including the role of microglia in alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD)"; "modelling the natural course of AD by comparing areas with differing severities of pathology at post-mortem" ; "the pathogenesis of white matter loss in ARBD"; and machine learning of big data (e.g. UK Biobank and ROSMAP studies) to develop hypotheses to find early neurodegenerative disease biomarkers.

Member of Alzheimer's Association

Member of Research Association on Alcoholism

Member of Australasan Neuroscience Society

Editorial Board of Alcohol

Editorial Board of Frontiers in Neuroscience

Editorial Board of International Journal of Molecular Science

2015 Sydney Medical School Foundation Research Fellowship

2016 Inaugural Sydney Medical School Accelerator Fellowship

2017 Sydney Medical School Award for Outstanding Research and Teaching

2019 – 2020 University of Sydney Research Accelerator Fellowship (SOAR)

Neurosciences and Mental Health, Healthy Ageing, Lifespan
Project titleResearch student
Understanding how dementia risk gene APOE affect brain lipid metabolismYushan Cai CAI

Publications

Book Chapters

  • Sutherland, G., Sheedy, D., Kril, J. (2014). Neuropathology of Alcoholism. In Edith V. Sullivan and Adolf Pfefferbaum (Eds.), Handbook of Clinical Neurology, Vol 125, (pp. 603-615). Elsevier Inc. [More Information]
  • Sutherland, G., Kril, J. (2012). Alzheimer's Disease: Approaches to Pathogenesis in the Genomic Age. In Carlos M. Contreras (Eds.), Neuroscience - Dealing With Frontiers, (pp. 389-428). Rijeka, Croatia: InTech Publishers. [More Information]
  • Sutherland, G., Sidhu, K. (2012). Pluripotent Stem Cells for (Neurodegenerative) Disease Modelling. In Kuldip Sidhu (Eds.), Frontiers in Pluripotent Stem Cells Research and Therapeutic Potentials: Bench-to-Bedside, (pp. 205-219). United Arab Emirates: Bentham Science Publishers. [More Information]

Journals

  • Sweeney, A., Rush, A., Stevens, J., Sutherland, G. (2024). A Survey of Community Perceptions on Brain Donation for Research. Biopreservation and Biobanking. [More Information]
  • Friske, M., Hitzemann, R., Philips, M., Fei, S., Sommer, W., Mayfield, R., Spanagel, R., Torrico, E., Haas, M., Borruto, A., Sutherland, G., et al (2024). A systematic review and meta-analysis on the transcriptomic signatures in alcohol use disorder. Molecular Psychiatry. [More Information]
  • Zillich, L., Cetin, M., Hummel, E., Poisel, E., Fries, G., Frank, J., Streit, F., Foo, J., Sirignano, L., Friske, M., Sutherland, G., et al (2024). Biological aging markers in blood and brain tissue indicate age acceleration in alcohol use disorder. Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, 48(2), 250-259. [More Information]

Conferences

  • Sutherland, G. (2012). Transcriptomic studies of Alzheimer's disease. The Australian Neuroscience Society 32nd Annual Meeting, Kent Town, South Australia: Australian Neuroscience Society.
  • Sutherland, G. (2011). A transciptomic analusis of Parkinson's disease. Dimentia, Ageing and Neurodegenerative Diseases group, Auckland: Dementia, Ageing and neurodegenerative Diseases group (ANS).
  • Sutherland, G. (2011). A transcrptomics approach to preclinical Alzheimer's disease. The Australian Neuroscience Society 31st Annual Meeting, Kent Town, South Australia: Australian Neuroscience Society.

Patents

  • Ankersmidt-Udy, A., Stanfield, A., Ford, C., Sutherland, G., Spelman, R., Snell, R. (2004). A Bovine Genotyping Test. Patent No. 525023. New Zealand.

2024

  • Sweeney, A., Rush, A., Stevens, J., Sutherland, G. (2024). A Survey of Community Perceptions on Brain Donation for Research. Biopreservation and Biobanking. [More Information]
  • Friske, M., Hitzemann, R., Philips, M., Fei, S., Sommer, W., Mayfield, R., Spanagel, R., Torrico, E., Haas, M., Borruto, A., Sutherland, G., et al (2024). A systematic review and meta-analysis on the transcriptomic signatures in alcohol use disorder. Molecular Psychiatry. [More Information]
  • Zillich, L., Cetin, M., Hummel, E., Poisel, E., Fries, G., Frank, J., Streit, F., Foo, J., Sirignano, L., Friske, M., Sutherland, G., et al (2024). Biological aging markers in blood and brain tissue indicate age acceleration in alcohol use disorder. Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, 48(2), 250-259. [More Information]

2023

  • Adams, C., Perry, N., Conigrave, J., Hurzeler, T., Stevens, J., Yacou Dunbar, K., Sweeney, A., Lee, K., Sutherland, G., Haber, P., Morley, K. (2023). Central markers of neuroinflammation in alcohol use disorder: A meta-analysis of neuroimaging, cerebral spinal fluid, and postmortem studies. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 47(2), 197-208. [More Information]
  • Allwright, M., Mundell, H., Sutherland, G., Austin, P., Guennewig, B. (2023). Machine learning analysis of the UK Biobank reveals IGF-1 and inflammatory biomarkers predict Parkinson's disease risk. PloS One, 18(5), e0285416. [More Information]
  • Allwright, M., Mundell, H., McCorkindale, A., Lindley, R., Austin, P., Guennewig, B., Sutherland, G. (2023). Ranking the risk factors for Alzheimer's disease; findings from the UK Biobank study. Aging Brain, 3, 100081. [More Information]

2022

  • Smith, C., Sheedy, D., McEwen, H., Don, A., Kril, J., Sutherland, G. (2022). Lipidome changes in alcohol-related brain damage. Journal of Neurochemistry, 160(2), 271-282. [More Information]
  • Hooshmand, K., Halliday, G., Pineda Gonzalez, S., Sutherland, G., Guennewig, B. (2022). Overlap between Central and Peripheral Transcriptomes in Parkinson's Disease but Not Alzheimer's Disease. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(9), 5200. [More Information]
  • Paasila, P., Aramideh, J., Sutherland, G., Graeber, M. (2022). Synapses, Microglia, and Lipids in Alzheimer’s Disease. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 15, 778822. [More Information]

2021

  • Guennewig, B., Lim, J., Marshall, L., McCorkindale, A., Paasila, P., Patrick, E., Kril, J., Halliday, G., Cooper, A., Sutherland, G. (2021). Defining early changes in Alzheimer's disease from RNA sequencing of brain regions differentially affected by pathology. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 4865. [More Information]
  • Paasila, P., Fok, S., Flores-Rodriguez, N., Sajjan, S., Svahn, A., Dennis, C., Holsinger, D., Kril, J., Becker, T., Banati, R., Sutherland, G., Graeber, M. (2021). Ground state depletion microscopy as a tool for studying microglia-synapse interactions. Journal of Neuroscience Research, 99(6), 1515-1532. [More Information]
  • O'Rourke, M., Viengkhou, B., Smith, C., Sonderegger, L., Padula, M., Sutherland, G., Hofer, M., Crossett, B. (2021). Matrix phase fractionation: Investigating the compromise between dynamic range of analyte extraction and spatial resolution in mass spectrometry imaging. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 35(13), e9106. [More Information]

2020

  • Newman, M., Nik, H., Sutherland, G., Hin, N., Kim, W., Halliday, G., Jayadev, S., Smith, C., Laird, A., Lucas, C., et al (2020). Accelerated loss of hypoxia response in zebrafish with familial Alzheimer's disease-like mutation of presenilin 1. Human Molecular Genetics, 29(14), 2379-2394. [More Information]
  • Paasila, P., Davies, D., Sutherland, G., Goldsbury, C. (2020). Clustering of activated microglia occurs before the formation of dystrophic neurites in the evolution of A Beta plaques in Alzheimer's disease. Free Neuropathology, 1, 1-18. [More Information]
  • Shen, K., Welton, T., Lyon, M., McCorkindale, A., Sutherland, G., Burnham, S., Fripp, J., Martins, R., Grieve, S. (2020). Structural core of the executive control network: A high angular resolution diffusion MRI study. Human Brain Mapping, 41(5), 1226-1236. [More Information]

2019

  • O'Rourke, M., Smith, C., Tse, B., Sutherland, G., Crossett, B., Padula, M. (2019). 'What did I do wrong?' An empirical evaluation of sample preparation methodologies in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry imaging. Future Science OA, 5(4), 1-16. [More Information]
  • Ke, Y., Chan, G., Stefanoska, K., Au, C., Bi, M., Muller, J., Przybyla, M., Feiten, A., Prikas, E., Halliday, G., Piguet, O., Kiernan, M., Kassiou, M., Hodges, J., Loy, C., Kril, J., Sutherland, G., et al (2019). CNS cell type-specific gene profiling of P301S tau transgenic mice identifies genes dysregulated by progressive tau accumulation. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 294(38), 14149-14162. [More Information]
  • O'Rourke, M., Smith, C., de la Monte, S., Sutherland, G., Padula, M. (2019). Higher Mass Accuracy MALDI-TOF/TOF Lipid Imaging of Human Brain Tissue in Alzheimer's Disease. Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, 126(1), e86. [More Information]

2018

  • Lumsden, A., Rogers, J., Majd, S., Newman, M., Sutherland, G., Verdile, G., Lardelli, M. (2018). Dysregulation of neuronal iron homeostasis as an alternative unifying effect of mutations causing familial alzheimer's disease. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 12(AUG), 1-21. [More Information]
  • Youssef, P., Chami, B., Lim, J., Middleton, T., Sutherland, G., Witting, P. (2018). Evidence supporting oxidative stress in a moderately affected area of the brain in Alzheimer's disease. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 11553. [More Information]
  • Littlejohn, M., Turner, S., Walker, C., Berry, S., Tiplady, K., Sherlock, R., Sutherland, G., Swift, S., Garrick, D., Lacy-Hulbert, S., et al (2018). Identification of an immune modulation locus utilising a bovine mammary gland infection challenge model. Journal of Dairy Research, 85(2), 185-192. [More Information]

2017

  • Sutherland, G., Lim, J., Srikanth, V., Bruce, D. (2017). Epidemiological Approaches to Understanding the Link Between Type 2 Diabetes and Dementia. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 59(2), 393-403. [More Information]
  • Dennis, C., Suh, L., Rodriguez, M., Kril, J., Sutherland, G. (2017). Response to: Comment on Human adult neurogenesis across the ages: An immunohistochemical study"". Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology, 43(5), 452-454. [More Information]
  • Papp-Peka, A., Tong, M., Kril, J., de la Monte, S., Sutherland, G. (2017). The differential effects of alcohol and nicotine-specific Nitrosamine Ketone on White Matter Ultrastructure. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 52(2), 165-171. [More Information]

2016

  • Jayne, T., Newman, M., Verdile, G., Sutherland, G., Munch, G., Musgrave, I., Moussavi Nik, S., Lardelli, M. (2016). Evidence for and Against a Pathogenic Role of Reduced (yamma)-Secretase Activity in Familial Alzheimer's Disease. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 52(3), 781-799. [More Information]
  • Dennis, C., Suh, L., Rodriguez, M., Kril, J., Sutherland, G. (2016). Human adult neurogenesis across the ages: An immunohistochemical study. Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology, 42(7), 621-638. [More Information]
  • Ittner, A., Chua, S., Bertz, J., Volkerling, A., van der Hoven, J., Gladbach, A., Przybyla, M., Bi, M., van Hummel, A., Stevens, C., Suh, L., Sutherland, G., Kril, J., Silva, A., Mackay, J., et al (2016). Site-specific phosphorylation of tau inhibits amyloid-b toxicity in Alzheimer's mice. Science, 354(6314), 904-908. [More Information]

2015

  • van Eersel, J., Stevens, C., Przybyla, M., Gladbach, A., Stefanoska, K., Chan, C., Ong, W., Hodges, J., Sutherland, G., Kril, J., Ittner, L., et al (2015). Early-onset axonal pathology in a novel P301S-Tau transgenic mouse model of frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology, 41(7), 906-925. [More Information]

2014

  • Sutherland, G., Sheedy, D., Sheahan, P., Kaplan, W., Kril, J. (2014). Comorbidities, Confounders, and the White Matter Transcriptome in Chronic Alcoholism. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 38(4), 994-1001. [More Information]
  • Newman, J., Todorovic, M., Silburn, P., Sutherland, G., Mellick, G. (2014). Lack of reproducibility in re-evaluating associations between GCH1 polymorphisms and Parkinson’s disease and isolated dystonia in an Australian case-control group. Parkinsonism and Related Disorders, 20(6), 668-670. [More Information]
  • Dennis, C., Sheahan, P., Graeber, M., Sheedy, D., Kril, J., Sutherland, G. (2014). Microglial proliferation in the brain of chronic alcoholics with hepatic encephalopathy. Metabolic Brain Disease, 29(4), 1027-1039. [More Information]

2013

  • Ooi, L., Sidhu, K., Poljak, A., Sutherland, G., O’Connor, M., Sachdev, P., Munch, G. (2013). Induced pluripotent stem cells as tools for disease modelling and drug discovery in Alzheimer's disease. Journal of Neural Transmission, 120(1), 103-111. [More Information]
  • Sutherland, G., Chami, B., Youssef, P., Witting, P. (2013). Oxidative stress in Alzheimer's disease: Primary villain or physiological by-product? Redox Report, 18(4), 134-141. [More Information]
  • Sutherland, G., Sheahan, P., Matthews, J., Dennis, C., Sheedy, D., McCrossin, T., Curtis, M., Kril, J. (2013). The effects of chronic alcoholism on cell proliferation in the human brain. Experimental Neurology, 247, 9-18. [More Information]

2012

  • Sutherland, G., Kril, J. (2012). Alzheimer's Disease: Approaches to Pathogenesis in the Genomic Age. In Carlos M. Contreras (Eds.), Neuroscience - Dealing With Frontiers, (pp. 389-428). Rijeka, Croatia: InTech Publishers. [More Information]
  • Newman, J., Sutherland, G., Boyle, R., Limberg, N., Blum, S., O'Sullivan, J., Silburn, P., Mellick, G. (2012). Common polymorphisms in dystonia-linked genes and susceptibility to the sporadic primary dystonias. Parkinsonism and Related Disorders, 18(4), 351-357. [More Information]
  • Sutherland, G., Sidhu, K. (2012). Pluripotent Stem Cells for (Neurodegenerative) Disease Modelling. In Kuldip Sidhu (Eds.), Frontiers in Pluripotent Stem Cells Research and Therapeutic Potentials: Bench-to-Bedside, (pp. 205-219). United Arab Emirates: Bentham Science Publishers. [More Information]

2011

  • Sutherland, G. (2011). A transciptomic analusis of Parkinson's disease. Dimentia, Ageing and Neurodegenerative Diseases group, Auckland: Dementia, Ageing and neurodegenerative Diseases group (ANS).
  • Sutherland, G. (2011). A transcrptomics approach to preclinical Alzheimer's disease. The Australian Neuroscience Society 31st Annual Meeting, Kent Town, South Australia: Australian Neuroscience Society.
  • Sutherland, G., Siebert, G., Kril, J., Mellick, G. (2011). Knowing Me, Knowing You: Can a Knowledge of Risk Factors for Alzheimer's Disease Prove Useful in Understanding the Pathogenesis of Parkinson's Disease? Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 25(3), 395-415. [More Information]

2010

  • Sutherland, G. (2010). Exploiting the potential of molecular profiling in Parkinson's disease: current practice and future probabilities. Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics, 10(8), 1035-1050. [More Information]

2009

  • Sutherland, G., Matigian, N., Chalk, A., Anderson, M., Silburn, P., Mackay-Sim, A., Wells, C., Mellick, G. (2009). A cross-study transcriptional analysis of Parkinson's disease. PloS One, 4(3), 1-8. [More Information]
  • Sutherland, G., Rowe, D. (2009). Do polymorphisms in the familial Parkinsonism genes contribute to risk for sporadic Parkinson's disease? Movement Disorders, 24(6), 833-838. [More Information]
  • Sutherland, G., Siebert, G., Newman, J., Silburn, P., Boyle, R., O'Sullivan, J., Mellick, G. (2009). Haplotype analysis of the PARK 11 gene, GIGYF2, in sporadic Parkinson's disease. Movement Disorders. [More Information]

2008

  • Sutherland, G. (2008). Do polymorphisms in the familial parkinsonism genes contribute to risk for sporadic Parkinson's disease? 4th Australian Health and Medical Research Congress (AHMRC), Brisbane: The Australian Society for Medical Research.
  • Sutherland, G., Mellick, G., Newman, J., Double, K., Stevens, J., Lee, L., Rowe, D., Silburn, P., Halliday, G. (2008). Haplotype analysis of the IGF2-INS-TH gene cluster in Parkinson's disease. American Journal of Medical Genetics, Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics, 147B (4), 495-499. [More Information]
  • Sutherland, G. (2008). Using human olfactory-derived cell cultures to study Parkinson's disease (PD). 4th Australian Health and Medical Research Congress (AHMRC), Brisbane: The Australian Society for Medical Research.

2007

  • Sutherland, G., Nowak, G., Halliday, G., Kril, J. (2007). Tau isoform expression in frontotemporal dementia without tau deposition. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience, 14(12), 1182-1185. [More Information]

2005

  • Ford, C., Stanfield, A., Spelman, R., Smits, B., Ankersmidt-Udy, A., Cottier, K., Holloway, H., Walden, A., Al-Wahb, M., Bohm, E., et al (2005). A mutation in bovine keratin 5 causing epidermolysis bullosa simplex, transmitted by a mosaic sire. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 124(6), 1170-1176. [More Information]

2004

  • Ankersmidt-Udy, A., Stanfield, A., Ford, C., Sutherland, G., Spelman, R., Snell, R. (2004). A Bovine Genotyping Test. Patent No. 525023. New Zealand.

Selected Grants

2024

  • Link between Diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, Sutherland G, Lucas Papaw Foundation/Research Donation

2023

  • Rewarding Research 2024, Sutherland G, Faculty of Medicine and Health/FMH Rewarding Research Success
  • Brain Tissue Resource Center for Alcohol Research, Sutherland G, National Institutes of Health (USA)/Research Support

In the media

1. Ed Yong- The Atlantic - https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/03/do-adult-brains-make-new-neurons-a-contentious-new-study-says-no/555026/.

2. Ashley Yeager- The Scientist -

3. https://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/52021/title/Study-Finds-No-Neurogenesis-in-Adult-Humans--Hippocampi/.

4. Sharon Begley- STAT -

5. https://www.statnews.com/2018/03/07/adult-brains-neurogenesis/

6. ABC Radio National "A new look brain biobank" - https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/healthreport/new-look-brain-biobank/13356826

7. ABC Sydney - Brqain donation - https://www.abc.net.au/sydney/programs/afternoons/brain-bank/14002612

8. The Conversation - "How do I donate my brain to science? - https://theconversation.com/how-do-i-donate-my-brain-to-science-177322