Browse Research Staff by Research Area Emeritus Professor Peter Barry     School of Medical Sciences - Department of Physiology Statement of Interests: These include investigating the relationship between the molecular structure and the physiological function of channels such as those of the inhibitory neurotransmitter receptor glycine and the olfactory cyclic nucleotide-gated channel, investigating the factors that determine their ion selectivity and conductance, together with the mechanisms underlying olfactory transduction and the role different ionic channels in that phenomenon. Other interests include evaluating errors arising from liquid junction potentials in membrane potential measurements (with the development of a software program, JPCalc, to do that; see http://www.med.unsw.edu.au/PHBSoft) and the role of unstirred-layers in biological phenomena More... Dr Benjamin Barry     School of Medical Sciences - Exercise Physiology Program Statement of Interests: The broad aim of my research is to understand the physiology of the nervous system involved in the control of movement, and to determine how this system changes with ageing, injury and disease. More... Associate Professor Paul Bertrand     School of Medical Sciences Statement of Interests: The goal of my research is to understand the neuronal basis of disease with an emphasis on the compounds ATP & serotonin (5‑HT) and the roles they play in neurotransmission & sensory transduction. My laboratory focuses on the neurophysiology of the gastrointestinal tract using electrophysiological and electrochemical methods. More... Dr Rebecca Bertrand     School of Medical Sciences Statement of Interests: The gastrointestinal tract turns out to be quite a complicated organ. You might think it's just absorb this and poop that, but how does that really happen? A lot of it is controlled by a massive network of neurons located within the gut (called the enteric nervous system) - that's right, the brain isn't the only place where a whole bunch of neurons live. We investigate how this network of neurons manages to control the workings of the intestine without any help from the brain. We record from individual neurons (intracellular electrophysiology) to see how they communicate with their neighbours and how the neighbours talk to them (synaptic transmission). We also look at it from the whole organ level. More... Dr Tjeerd Boonstra     School of Psychiatry Statement of Interests: The integration of related findings from different levels of observation is a prerequisite for a comprehensive understanding of brain activity, i.e. how the neuronal dynamics observed by single cell recordings relate to macroscopic recordings such as electroencephalography. Part of the Thinking Systems Group, I'm mainly interested in how the macroscopic patterns observed in EMG and EEG recordings serve human motor control. More... Dr Yati Boutcher     School of Medical Sciences - Exercise Physiology Program Statement of Interests: Exercise and cardiovascular function, and in particular the role of acute and chronic exercise on blood volume expansion and vasodilatory capacity as well as vein compliance in normal healthy and normotensive individuals with family history of hypertension. The role of exercise in the prevention of hypertension is important to investigate as normotensive individuals with family history of hypertension already have limited vasodilatory capacity (high peripheral resistance) compared to normotensives without a family history of hypertension. More... Associate Professor Michael Breakspear     School of Psychiatry Statement of Interests: I am interested in developing and refining mathematical theories of large-scale neural systems, testing and refuting these through functional neuroscience experiments and using these to understand cognitive, perceptual and motor action processes. A larger goal is to use these tools to understand disturbances of mood and thinking such as occur in mood disorders, psychosis and dementia. More... Professor Terry Campbell AM     Medical Administration - Office of the Dean Statement of Interests: Basic cardiac electrophysiology and pharmacology, using patch clamp methods to study individual cardiac ion channels and their modulation by drugs and structure-function relatioonships. Clinical research projects at various times, usually related to drug therapy for cardiovascular disorders including arrhythmias, heart failure and ischaemic heart disease. Research Program: Biophysics and Pharmacology of Cardiac Ion Channels. This work is carried out in laboratories on the St Vincents campus (Victor Chang Cardiac Reseasrch Institute) and largely directed and supervised by Assoc Professor Jamie Vandenberg More... Professor Ian Cook     St George Clinical School - Department of Medicine Statement of Interests: Physiology, pathophysiology and management of swallowing and its disorders. Evaluation of novel techniques to assess the biomechanics of the pharyngeal swallow (combined manometry &radiography, high resolution manometry, intraluminal impedance, scintigraphy). Novel approaches to evaluation and treatment of pharyngeal dysphagia. Study of oesophageal afferent nerve function and reflexes and how these impact reflux disease and its complications including regurgitation and respiratory complications. Pathophysiology of oesophago-pharyngeal regurgitation and reflux laryngitis. Pathophysiology of functional heartburn. Application of novel techniques in the evaluation of colonic motor and sensory function (pancolonic manometry, scintigraphy, intraluminal impedance). Relationships among colonic pressures, transit and defaecation. Pathophysiology of constipation syndromes. Novel therapeutic approach to treatment of severe constipation (eg sacral nerve stimulation). More... Professor Simon Gandevia     Prince of Wales Clinical School - Department of Medicine Statement of Interests: Our laboratories are broadly concerned with human motor control, both with basic mechanisms and with pathophysioloy. For example we undertake studies in proprioception, the behaviour of muscle spindles and the fusimotor system, and the neural control of hand function. In addition we study the central nervous system control of motoneurones and muscle during fatiguing exercise, and the control of respiratory motoneurones in health and disease. More... Dr Karen Gibson     School of Medical Sciences - Department of Physiology Statement of Interests: There is considerable recent epidemiological evidence that the quality of life in utero influences the development of adult disease eg hypertension, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Collaborative work with Prof E.R. Lumbers and Dr Amanda Boyce is concerned with renal development, cardiovascular development and the renin angiotensin system and possible programming for later disease. More... Mr Chris Hayward     St Vincent's Clinical School - Department of Medicine Statement of Interests: Despite similar levels of LV dysfunction, patients with heart failure vary in their ability to function. This is yet to be adequately explained and may relate to how the heart and arterial system interact (ventriculovascular coupling). Sometimes the best treatements involve mechanical devices, although again the interaction with the arterial system is significant. As part of the Heart Failure & Transplant Unit, these, and other areas, are investigated. More... Professor Gary Housley     School of Medical Sciences - Department of Physiology Statement of Interests: Noise and age-related hearing loss is the most prominent sensory disability in society. Research based in the newly established Translational Neuroscience Facility in the School of Medical Sciences is extending fundamental research on the cellular and molecular processes of cochlear homeostasis to investigate novel ways to preserve hearing. The work focuses on both peripheral sensory and central brain function. More... Dr Anthony Kee     School of Medical Sciences - Department of Anatomy Statement of Interests: Interests are in the fields of muscle physiology and cell biology. Particularly interested in aspects of novel structural and cytoskeletal proteins and complexes and their involvement in normal muscle physiology and disease processes. Diseases of interest include muscular dystrophy and other congenital myopathies, diabetes and obesity. Have an interest in treatment of muscle diseases, including exercise. More... Associate Professor Matthew Kiernan     Prince of Wales Clinical School Statement of Interests: Clinical neurology and neurophysiological studies (particularly axonal excitability) that investigate disease pathophysiology in patients with neurological disorders. More... Dr Trevor Lewis     School of Medical Sciences - Department of Physiology Statement of Interests: Ligand-gated ion channels are one of the fundamental building blocks for a functioning nervous system. They are responsible for the fast transmission of signals between nerve cells at specialised junctions called synapses. Research is undertaken on the human glycine receptor as a model system of ligand-gated channels in general. The overall aim is to relate the functional characteristics of the glycine receptor to what is know about its protein structure. Two strands are currently being investigated. The first is the conformational changes that follow ligand binding to allow the ion channel pore to open. This is concentrating particularly on the interface between the transmembrane domain and the extracellular domain of the receptor. The second strand is the relationship between the structure of the ion channel pore and what characteristics determine the ability to select for anions in preference to cations. More... Emeritus Scientia Professor Eugenie Lumbers     School of Medical Sciences - Department of Physiology Statement of Interests: fetal origins of adult disease, hypertension , development of control of the circulation, renin-angiotensin system, effects on the autonomic control of the circulation, renal development and function, placental function and the placental and renal prorenin/renin systems, preterm labour, programming for renal and cardiovascular disease More... Associate Professor George Mangos     St George Clinical School - Department of Medicine Statement of Interests: Pre-eclampsia - cardiovascular outcomes, blood pressure measurement, cardiovascular risk stratification Glucocorticoid-induced hypertension - collaborative work with Professor J Whitworth's group from JCSMR More... Associate Professor David McKenzie     Prince of Wales Clinical School - Department of Medicine Statement of Interests: Studies of respiratory and upper airway motor control, respiratory reflexes and sensations respiratory muscle function in various pulmonary and neuromuscular disorders and obstructive sleep apnoea are undertaken in collaboration with scientists at the Prince of Wales Medical research Institute and the Departments of Liason Psychiatry and Physiotherapy at the Prince of Wales Hospital. More... Dr Andrew Moorhouse     School of Medical Sciences - Department of Physiology Statement of Interests: My main research area is glycine receptors; how their molecular structure relates to their function; their physiological roles at synapses and investigating novel modulators. I also research additional aspects of synaptic transmission and ion channels. More... Dr Peregrine Osborne     School of Medical Sciences - Department of Physiology Statement of Interests: I am conjoint member of staff based The Pain Management Research Institute at the Royal North Shore Hospital. I collaborate with neuroscientists and clinicians on research projects that aim to understand the neurobiology of processes that cause or alleviate human pain states. A wide range of approaches are used in this work including: molecular biology, neuroanatomy, electrophysiology, behavioural testing and psychological studies, plus fMRI and other clinical methods. My own research uses animal models to study the neurobiology of pain; pharmacology of analgesic drugs; central neuropathic pain and spinal cord injury pain; and visceral pain. More... Dr Georg Ramm     St Vincent's Clinical School Statement of Interests: The main research area is the study of intersections between cell signalling and membrane transport and to understand how extrinsic signals such as insulin, nutrient signals, or pro-inflammatory stimuli regulate the flux of molecules inside the cell. Research has been conducted on medically relevent processes such as GLUT4 trafficking (Type 2 diabetes), MHC class II trafficking (infection and immunity) and autophagy. The current research focuses on the regulation of autophagy by growth factors and nutrients. Autophagy occurs at low levels in all cell types and has a dual role in the protection from diseases as well as in their pathogenesis. More... Dr Shaun Sandow     School of Medical Sciences - Department of Pharmacology Statement of Interests: Working with colleagues in Australia, Canada, Britain, the US and Denmark, our studies aim to determine some of the ways that cells in arteries communicate with one another and specifically, at how cells control the balance between the way that arteries narrow (constrict) and enlarge (dilate). This balance is referred to as vascular tone and is the main determinant of blood pressure and thus cardiovascular disease. Coordination of vascular tone is dependent on signals passing through junctions within and between the cellular layers in arteries. Our studies correlate anatomy and function, to identify the fundamental pathways that underlie blood vessel function. More... Ms Daina Sturnieks     School of Medical Sciences Statement of Interests: Research interests include studies to understand human balance and walking, including sensory and motor contributions, as well as falls-related research in elderly populations. More... Dr Gail Trapp     School of Medical Sciences - Exercise Physiology Program Statement of Interests: There is an obesity epidemic in Australia which leads to metabolic dysfunction. The ways in which exercise and physical activity can ameliorate these problems are being explored. Collaborative work with St. Vincent's Hospital and Garvan Institute is concerned with changes in insulin and body composition during high intensity intermittent exercise. More... Dr Jamie Vandenberg     St Vincent's Clinical School - Department of Medicine Statement of Interests: The rhythm of the heart beat is controlled by electrical signals carried by voltage-gated ion channels. Dysfunction of cardiac ion channels can result in arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. There are three main research themes in my laboratory. 1. Structure-function relationships in voltage-gated ion channels with a particular emphasis on hERG K+ channels. 2. The molecular basis of drug binding to hERG potassium channels and drug-induced cardiac arrhythmias. 3. Understanding genotype-phenotype relationships in inherited arrhythmia syndromes. For more details see: http://www.victorchang.edu.au/research/ProfJamieVandenberg.cfm?cid=75 More... Dr Richard Vickery     School of Medical Sciences - Department of Physiology Statement of Interests: My broad aim is to understand the neural mechanisms that give rise to sensory perception. In collaboration with colleagues at UWS I work on the integration of binocular information in extrastriate visual cortex, and on somatosensory system. Pharmacological and electrophysiological techniques are employed to study synaptic influences on single neurons. Psychophysical and behavioural studies are carried out to look at integration. More... Need to update your profile? Click here to login with your Staff ID, prefixed by a lower case "s" (eg s1234567), and UniPass to update your profile. If you have any problems please send an email to .

Search | Site Map | Online Enquiry | Site Feedback | UNSW Medicine Home Last Updated 11/24/2009 | Data Management | Disclaimer