Fields of Research

Cell metabolism
Respiratory diseases
Signal transduction
Receptors and membrane biology
Environmental management
Cardiology (incl. cardiovascular diseases)
Exercise physiology
Analytical biochemistry
Genomics
Cellular interactions (incl. adhesion, matrix, cell wall)
Enzymes
Genome structure and regulation
Health psychology
Environmental education and extension
Clinical sciences
Ecological impacts of climate change and ecological adaptation
Pharmaceutical sciences
Infectious agents
Bioinformatic methods development
Cell physiology
Health policy
Nutrigenomics and personalised nutrition
Gene expression (incl. microarray and other genome-wide approaches)
Naturopathy
Neurosciences
Peripheral nervous system
Traditional, complementary and integrative medicine
Community and primary care
Medical biochemistry - proteins and peptides (incl. medical proteomics)

Research Objectives

Clinical health
Diagnosis of human diseases and conditions
Climate change adaptation measures (excl. ecosystem)
Provision of health and support services
Treatment of human diseases and conditions
Expanding knowledge in the biological sciences
Ecosystem adaptation to climate change
Expanding knowledge in the health sciences
Coastal and estuarine systems and management
Prevention of human diseases and conditions
Other health
Health education and promotion
Allied health therapies (excl. mental health services)
Preventive medicine

Career Best Publications

Research Publications

β-Adrenergic signaling regulates NR4A nuclear receptor and metabolic gene expression in multiple tissues; Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology
'Champions' of research
1-deoxysphingolipids, early predictors of type 2 diabetes, compromise the functionality of skeletal myoblasts; Frontiers in Endocrinology
A Novel Transcript Fromthe KLKP1Gene Is Androgen Regulated,Down-Regulated During Prostate Cancer Progression and Encodes the First Non-Serine Protease Identified Fromthe Human Kallikrein Gene Locus; The Prostate
A Novel Y-Specifc Long NonCoding RNA Associated with Cellular Lipid Accumulation in HepG2 cells and Atherosclerosisrelated Genes; Scientific Reports
Adapting Australian coastal regions to climate change; Climate Change and the Coast: Building Resilient Communities
Adaptive learning and coastal management in South-east Queensland, Australia; Sustainable Coastal Management and Climate Adaptation: Global Lessons from Regional Approaches in Australia
Airway inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): a true paradox
Akt1 signalling supports acinar proliferation and limits acinar-to-ductal metaplasia formation upon induction of acute pancreatitis; Journal of Pathology
An ERRbeta/gamma agonist modulates GRalpha expression, and glucocorticoid responsive gene expression in skeletal muscle cells; Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology
Capsaicin and zinc promote glucose uptake in C2C12 skeletal muscle cells through a common calcium signalling pathway; International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Caveolin-1 is necessary for hepatic oxidative lipid metabolism: evidence for crosstalk between caveolin-1 and bile acid signaling; Cell Reports
Chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor II regulates nuclear receptor, myogenic, and metabolic gene expression in skeletal muscle cells; Physiological Genomics
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer: underlying pathophysiology and new therapeutic modalities; Drugs
Climate change and stewardship: strategies to build community resilience in the Capricorn Coast; Australasian Journal of Environmental Management
Climate Change in the Capricorn Coast: an analysis of stewardship potential
Clinical application of forced oscillation technique (FOT) in early detection of airway changes in smokers; Journal of Clinical Medicine
Co-Learning in Marine Protected Areas for Integrated Coastal Zone Management; Global Challenges in Integrated Coastal Zone Management
Community Based Early Intervention for the Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes: A Case Report of the Kahnawake Schools Diabetes Prevention Project; Journal of Diabetes & Metabolism
Compartmentalized expression of kallikrein 4 (KLK4/hK4) isoforms in prostate cancer: nuclear, cytoplasmic and secreted forms; Endocrine - Related Cancer
Differential airway remodeling changes were observed in patients with asthma COPD overlap compared to patients with asthma and COPD alone; American Journal of Physiology
Direct Progesterone Receptor and Indirect Androgen Receptor Interactions with the Kallikrein-Related Peptidase 4 Gene Promoter in Breast and Prostate Cancer; Molecular Cancer Research
Editorial: Clifford Craig Foundation researchers
Electronic cigarette aerosol is cytotoxic and increases ACE2 expression on human airway epithelial cells: Implications for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19); Journal of Clinical Medicine
Endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT) and vascular remodeling in pulmonary hypertension and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis; Expert Review of Respiratory Medicine
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition, a spectrum of states: role in lung development, homeostasis, and disease; Developmental Dynamics
Epithelial–mesenchymal transition is driven by transcriptional and post transcriptional modulations in COPD: implications for disease progression and new therapeutics; International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF) drives EMT in patients with COPD: implications for disease pathogenesis and novel therapies; Laboratory Investigation
Identification and Characterization of KLK14, a Novel Kallikrein Serine Protease Gene Located on Human Chromosome 19q13.4 and Expressed in Prostate and Skeletal Muscle; Genomics: International Journal for Analysis of The Human and Other Genomes
Identification and validation of the pathways and functions regulated by the orphan nuclear receptor, ROR alpha1, in skeletal muscle; Nucleic Acids Research
Integrated coastal zone management and planning; Marine Resources Management
Interleukin-6 Induces the Down Regulation of Human Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor Alpha via the MAPK-induced STAT Pathway in Human Hepatocytes; Journal of Biochemical and Pharmacological Research
Interleukin-6 inhibition of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha expression is mediated by JAK2- and PI3K-induced STAT1/3 in HepG2 hepatocyte cells; Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry
Interplay between Endoplasmic Reticular Stress and Survivin in Colonic Epithelial Cells; Cells
Kallikrein 4 (KLK4), A New Member of the Human Kallikrein Gene Family Is Upregulated By Estrogen and Progesterone in the Human Endometrial Cancer Cell Line, KLE; The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism
Local hyperthyroidism promotes pancreatic acinar cell proliferation during acute pancreatitis; Journal of Pathology
microRNAs are key regulators in chronic lung disease: exploring the vital link between disease progression and lung cancer
N-glycosylation analysis of the human Tweety family of putative chloride ion channels supports a penta-spanning membrane arrangement: impact of N-glycosylation on cellular processing of Tweety homologue 2 (TTYH2); Biochemical Journal
New therapeutic targets for the prevention of infectious acute exacerbations of COPD: role of epithelial adhesion molecules and inflammatory pathways; Clinical Science
Nr4a1 siRNA Expression Attenuates αMSH Regulated Gene Expression in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes; Molecular Endocrinology
Nutrition, Genes and Modern Disease: A Current Dilemma or a Legacy of our Past; Journal of Diabetes & Metabolism
Orphan Nuclear Receptor Signalling and Skeletal Muscle: Insights into Metabolic Disorders
Quantitative analysis of orphan nuclear receptors in insulin-resistant C2C12 skeletal muscle cells; Journal of Diabetes & Metabolism
Renal mechanisms of association between fibroblast growth factor 1 and blood pressure; Journal of the American Society of Nephrology
sE-cadherin and sVE-cadherin indicate active epithelial/endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT and EndoMT) in smokers and COPD: implications for new biomarkers and therapeutics; Biomarkers
Ski transgenic mice are resistant to diet-induced obesity and have altered skeletal muscle metabolic gene expression; 11th International Congress on Obesity
Targeting the zinc transporter ZIP7 in the treatment of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes; Nutrients
The Chicken Ovalbumin Upstream Promoter-Transcription Factors Modulate Genes and Pathways Involved in Skeletal Muscle Cell Metabolism; Journal of Biological Chemistry
The combination of exercise training and Zataria multiflora supplementation increase serum irisin levels in postmenopausal women; Integrative Medicine Research
The effect of concurrent high intensity low volume with supplemental low intensity high volume resistance training on salivary cortisol and testosterone levels in elite athletes; Journal of Australian Strength and Conditioning
The effectiveness of immunosuppressive cyclosporin in attenuating the progression of interstitial lung diseases; Journal of Thoracic Disease
The Orphan Nuclear Receptor, NOR-1, a Target of r-Adrenergic Signaling, Regulates Gene Expression that Controls Oxidative Metabolism in Skeletal Muscle; Endocrinology
The Relationship between Zinc and Insulin Signaling: Implications for Type 2 Diabetes; Diabetes Management
The tissue Kallikrein Family of Serine Proteases: Functional Roles in Human Disease and Potential as Clinical Biomarkers
The Ubiquitin-Protein Ligase Nedd4-2 Differentially Interacts with and Regulates Members of the Tweety Family of Chloride Ion Channels; The Journal of biological chemistry
The zinc transporter SLC39A7 (ZIP7) harbours a highly-conserved histidinerich N-terminal region that potentially contributes to zinc homeostasis in the endoplasmic reticulum; Computers in Biology and Medicine
The zinc transporter Zip7 is downregulated in skeletal muscle of insulin-resistant cells and in mice fed a high-fat diet; Cells
The zinc transporter, Slc39a7 (Zip7) is implicated in glycaemic control in skeletal muscle cells; PLoS One
Tissue-specific Expression Patterns and Fine Mapping of the Human Kallikrein (KLK) Locus on Proximal 19q13.4; International Journal of Biological Chemistry
TRPV1 activation by capsaicin mediates glucose oxidation and ATP production independent of insulin signalling in mouse skeletal muscle cells; Cells
Type-2 Diabetes as a risk factor for severe COVID-19 infection; Microorganisms
Vascular remodelling in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients and its detrimental effect on lung physiology: potential role of endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition; ERJ Open Research
Western herbal medicines in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Zinc and gastrointestinal disorders: a role for the zinc transporters Zips and ZnTs
Zinc and type 2 diabetes
Zinc controls glucose metabolism independent of insulin in human skeletal muscle: implications for type 2 diabetes
Zinc is critical for the activation of cell signalling molecules in skeletal muscle: implications for insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes; Tasmanian Health Conference 2016
Zinc modulates several transcription-factor regulated pathways in mouse skeletal muscle cells; Molecules
Zinc stimulates glucose oxidation and glycemic control by modulating the insulin signaling pathway in human and mouse skeletal muscle cell lines; PLoS One
Zinc transporters and insulin resistance: therapeutic implications for type 2 diabetes and metabolic disease; Journal of Biomedical Science
Zinc transporters and zinc signaling: new insights into their role in type 2 diabetes; International Journal of Endocrinology
Zinc Transporters, Mechanisms of Action and Therapeutic Utility: Implications for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Zinc, Zinc Transporters and Type 2 Diabetes; Endocrine Diseases

Research Projects

Airway macrophage phenotypic switch drives epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in smokers and COPD: implications for early therapy.; Rebecca L Cooper Medical Research Foundation (RLCMRF)
Are newly introduced electronic smoking devices safe for smoking cessation and implications for SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19); Clifford Craig Foundation (CCFoundation)
Detection of early small airway abnormalities in apparently normal smokers; Clifford Craig Foundation (CCFoundation)
Epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): role in both airway fibrosis and lung cancer; Clifford Craig Foundation (CCFoundation)
Epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) in the lungs and airways in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF); Clifford Craig Foundation (CCFoundation)
Evaluation of new therapeutic targets in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF): insights from Australian IPF registry tissue analysis; Clifford Craig Foundation (CCFoundation)
Exploring zinc to improve insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism in human insulin-resistant skeletal muscle; Clifford Craig Foundation (CCFoundation)
The effect of current and investigational COPD pharmacological agents on the airway Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) process in smokers and COPD; Clifford Craig Foundation (CCFoundation)
Using exercise to improve the health of Tasmanian caregivers; Tasmanian Community Fund (TasCF)
What drives the regulation of the zinc transporter ZIP7 in insulin-resistant skeletal muscle? Implications for the treatment of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.; Clifford Craig Foundation (CCFoundation)
Zinc activation of enzymes responsible for insulin signalling and glucose homeostasis in type 2 diabetes; Clifford Craig Foundation (CCFoundation)
Zinc contributes to glucose control in the absence of insulin in skeletal muscle; Clifford Craig Foundation (CCFoundation)

Research Candidate Supervision