Fields of Research

Neurology and neuromuscular diseases
Cellular nervous system
Central nervous system
Cell neurochemistry
Health services and systems
Immunogenetics (incl. genetic immunology)
Peripheral nervous system
Cardiology (incl. cardiovascular diseases)
Protein trafficking
Cognitive neuroscience

Research Objectives

Clinical health
Treatment of human diseases and conditions
Prevention of human diseases and conditions
Expanding knowledge in the biological sciences
Expanding knowledge in the biomedical and clinical sciences
Diagnosis of human diseases and conditions
Health related to ageing

Career Best Publications

Research Publications

In vitro models of the key pathological changes in axons associated with neurodegenerative disease and acquired brain injury; 4th Congress of Federation of Asian-Oceanain Neuroscience Societies
A Case for Microtubule Vulnerability in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Altered Dynamics During Disease; Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience
A Novel In Vitro Primary Culture Model of the Lower Motor Neuron-Neuromuscular Junction Circuit; Microfluidic and Compartmentalized Platforms for Neurobiological Research
Acute neocortical injury induces axonal sprouting and dendritic remodelling
ALS-like axonal pathology in cultured spinal motor neurons; 18th Symposium on ALS/MND
ALS-like pathology in cultured spinal motor neurons following excitoxicity; IBRO International Conference
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mutant TDP-43 may cause synaptic dysfunction through altered dendritic spine function; Disease Models & Mechanisms
An in vitro investigation of the role of interneurons in the development of ALS; 22nd Symposium on ALS/MND
Axonal degeneration, distal collateral branching and neuromuscular junction architecture alterations occur prior to symptom onset in the SOD1^G93A mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy
Axonal shearing in mature cortical neurons induces attempted regeneration and the reestablishment of neurite polarity; Brain Research: International Multidisciplinary Journal Devoted to Fundamental Research in The Brain Sciences
Axonopathy and cytoskeletal disruption in degenerative diseases of the central nervous system ; Brain Research Bulletin
Calretinin and Neuropeptide Y interneurons are differentially altered in the motor cortex of the SOD1^G93A mouse model of ALS; Scientific Reports
Cellular dynamics underlying regeneration of damaged axons differs from initial axon development; European Journal of Neuroscience
Chronic excitotoxin-induced axon degeneration in a compartmented neuronal culture model; ASN Neuro
Cortical murine neurons lacking the neurofilament light chain protein have an attenuated response to injury in vitro; Journal of Neurotrauma
Cytoplasmic human TDP-43 mislocalization induces widespread dendritic spine loss in mouse upper motor neurons; Brain Sciences
Degeneration of axons in spinal white matter in G93A mSOD1 mouse characterized by NFL and alpha internexin immunoreactivity; Brain Research
Delayed morphological alterations in a subpopulation of interneurons in the peri-wound region following focal damage to the adult rat neocortex; The 38th Annual Meeting of the Society of Neuroscience
Epothilone D accelerates disease progression in the SOD1^G93A mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology
Epothilone D alters normal growth, viability and microtubule dependent intracellular functions of cortical neurons in vitro; Scientific Reports
Excitotoxicity mediated by non-NMDA receptors causes distal axonopathy in long-term cultured spinal motor neurons; European Journal of Neuroscience
Focal Damage to the Adult Rat Neocortex Induces Wound Healing Accompanied by Axonal Sprouting and Dendritic Structural Plasticity ; Cerebral Cortex
Focal damage to the neocortex induces dendritic structural plasticity; Dementia, Ageing and Neurodegenerative Diseases Group Conference
Focal damage to the neocortex induces dendritic structural plasticity; Australian Neuroscience Society/Australian Physiological Society
Identifying the primary site of pathogenesis in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - vulnerability of lower motor neurons to proximal excitotoxicity; Disease Models & Mechanisms
Inducing chronic excitotoxicity in the mouse spinal cord to investigate lower motor neuron degeneration; Frontiers in Neuroscience
Inhibitory dysfunction in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: future therapeutic opportunities; Neurodegenerative Disease Management
Investigating the role of interneurons in neurological disease; DANDIS
Microfluidic primary culture model of the lower motor neuron-neuromuscular junction circuit; Journal of Neuroscience Methods
Mild and repetitive very mild axonal stretch injury triggers cystoskeletal mislocalization and growth cone collapse; PLoS One
Mild traumatic brain injury leads to decreased inhibition and a differential response of calretinin positive interneurons in the injured cortex; Journal of Neurotrauma
Mislocalisation of TDP‐43 to the cytoplasm causes cortical hyperexcitability and reduced excitatory neurotransmission in the motor cortex; Journal of Neurochemistry
Modelling ALS pathology in vitro; 22nd Symposium on ALS/MND
Modelling site specific excitotixicity in vitro; University of Tasmania Sharing Excellence in Research meeting
Modelling site-specific excitotoxicity in vivo; 22nd International Symposium on ALS/MND
Murine spinal neurons in vitro develop proximal axonal transport abnormalities and swellings that are similar to early axonal changes in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Society for Neuroscience
Neuron-glia interactions underlie ALS-like axonal cytoskeletal pathology; Neurobiology of Aging: Experimental and Clinical Research
Neuron-glia interactions underlying axonal health in an in vitro spinal culture model of relevance to ALS; 19th Symposium on ALS/MND
Reduced excitability and increased neurite complexity of cortical interneurons in a familial mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience
Site specific excitotoxicity: a model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; 32nd Annual Meeting Australian Neuroscience Society
Site-specific excitotoxin exposure in vivo leads to neuronal excitotoxicity and axonal dysfunction; 32nd Annual Meeting Australian Neuroscience Society
Synapse dysfunction of layer V pyramidal neurons precedes neurodegeneration in a mouse model of TDP-43 proteinopathies; Cerebral Cortex
Synaptic alterations in the TDP-A315T mouse model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; 25th International Symposium on ALS/MND
The degree of astrocyte activation in multiple system atrophy is inversely proportional to the distance to α-synuclein inclusions; Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience
The microtubule-modulating drug Epothilone D alters dendritic spine morphology in a mouse model of mild traumatic brain injury; Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience
The microtubule-stabilizing drug Epothilone D increases axonal sprouting following transection injury in vitro; Molecular and Cellular Neurosciences
The pathologic outcomes and efficacy of epothilone treatment following traumatic brain injury is determined by age; Neurobiology of Aging
The Tasmanian Devil Transcriptome Reveals Schwann Cell Origins of a Clonally Transmissible Cancer ; Science

Research Projects

2013: 24th International symposium on ALS/MND, Italy 5-8 Dec 2013; University of Tasmania (UTAS)
Axonal protection in ALS; Motor Neurone Disease Research Australia (MNDRA)
Can estrogen protect against synaptic disturbances in ALS?; Motor Neurone Disease Research Australia (MNDRA)
Can we stop the spread of TDP-43 pathology in ALS?; Motor Neurone Disease Research Australia (MNDRA)
Dendritic spine alterations in TDP-43 aggregated frontotemporal dementia: a novel therapeutic target?; Brain Foundation (BrainF)
Dendritic spine alterations in TDP-43 aggregated Frontotemporal dementia: a novel therapeutic target?; Dementia Australia Research Foundation Ltd (DARF)
Determining the mechanism underlying post-operative cognitive decline; Royal Hobart Hospital Research Foundation (RHHRF)
Do therapeutically targetable deficits in neuroplasticity drive Frontotemporal Dementia?; Dementia Australia Research Foundation Ltd (DARF)
HDAC6 inhibition to rescue axon degeneration in ALS; FightMND (FMND)
Investigating synaptic dysfunction in ALS; Motor Neurone Disease Research Australia (MNDRA)
Investigating the cause of site specific excitotoxicity in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; Motor Neurone Disease Research Australia (MNDRA)
Neuronal excitability in ALS a focus on TDP43 mislocalisation; Motor Neurone Disease Research Australia (MNDRA)
PhD Scholarship: Cathy Blizzard; Masonic Medical Research Foundation Limited (MMRF)
Preclinical Development of Neuropeptide Y for the Treatment of Motor Neuron Disease; FightMND (FMND)
Scholarship: TDP-43 Synaptic Alterations in Frontotemporal Dementia; Dementia Australia Research Foundation Ltd (DARF)
Synaptic alterations in ALS: A novel therapeutic target?; Motor Neurone Disease Research Australia (MNDRA)
SYNAPTIC DYSFUNCTION: AN EARLY MECHANISM OF TDP-43 PATHOGENESIS IN ALS?; Motor Neurone Disease Research Australia (MNDRA)
Targeted Axonal Protection: A Treatment for Motor Neuron Disease ?; University of Tasmania (UTAS)
TDP-43 Misprocessing drives synaptic deficits that leads to ALS; Motor Neurone Disease Research Australia (MNDRA)
The Control of Neuroplasticity in the Brain; Australian Research Council (ARC)
The Many Paths to Inhibitory Dysfunction and Excitotoxicity in ALS: Glial cells, not just innocent bystanders?; Motor Neurone Disease Research Australia (MNDRA)
The pathological effects of Alzheimer's disease on axons; Dementia Australia Research Foundation Ltd (DARF)
Toward tailored excitation therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
Blizzard MND Association Newsletter
Menzies Institute for Medical Research Community Research Fellow

Research Candidate Supervision

Interneurons and Traumatic Brain Injury
Targeted Axonal Protection in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis