Fields of Research

Central nervous system
Cardiology (incl. cardiovascular diseases)
Systems physiology
Cellular nervous system
Neurology and neuromuscular diseases
Basic pharmacology
Cell physiology
Signal transduction
Cellular interactions (incl. adhesion, matrix, cell wall)
Foetal development and medicine
Cell development, proliferation and death
Fine arts
Sensory systems
Cell neurochemistry
Structural biology (incl. macromolecular modelling)
Obstetrics and gynaecology
Nuclear medicine
Nanomedicine
Autonomic nervous system
Biostatistics
Respiratory diseases
Animal physiology - cell
Exercise physiology
Ophthalmology
Surgery
Gene expression (incl. microarray and other genome-wide approaches)
Neurosciences
Cancer cell biology
Proteomics and intermolecular interactions (excl. medical proteomics)
Animal physiology - systems
Law, science and technology
Innate immunity
Cellular immunology

Research Objectives

Clinical health
Expanding knowledge in the health sciences
Expanding knowledge in the biomedical and clinical sciences
Expanding knowledge in the biological sciences
Treatment of human diseases and conditions
Efficacy of medications
Neonatal and child health
Diagnosis of human diseases and conditions
The creative arts
Law reform
Legal processes

Career Best Publications

Research Publications

A critical role for astrocytes in hypercapnic vasodilation in brain; Journal of Neuroscience
A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of endovascular thrombectomy compared with best medical treatment for acute ischemic stroke; International journal of stroke
Acute and long-term changes in blood flow after ischemic stroke: challenges and opportunities; Neural Regeneration Research
Alteplase treatment does not increase brain injury after mechanical middle cerebral artery occlusion in the rat; Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism
An automated approach to improve the quantification of pericytes and microglia in whole mouse brain sections; eNeuro
Animal models of stroke; Reference Module in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Psychology
Applications of Nanotechnology in the Diagnosis and Therapy of Stroke; Seminars in Thrombosis and Hemostasis
Automated quantification of multiple cell types in fluorescently labeled whole mouse brain sections using QuPath; Bio-protocol
Capillary pericytes regulate cerebral blood flow in health and disease; Nature
Cerebral blood flow alteration in neuroprotection following cerebral ischaemia; The Journal of physiology
Cerebral heme oxygenase 1 and 2 spatial distribution is modulated following injury from hypoxia-ischemia and middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats; Neuroscience Research
Cerebral hypoxia-ischemia and middle cerebral artery occlusion induce expression of the cannabinoid CB2 receptor in the brain; Neuroscience letters
Characterization of a rat hypoxia-ischemia model where duration of hypoxia is determined by seizure activity; Journal of Neuroscience Methods
Commentary: Rapalink-1 increased infarct size in early cerebral ischemia–reperfusion with increased blood–brain barrier disruption; Frontiers in Physiology
Complications Associated with Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator Therapy for Acute Ischaemic Stroke; CNS & neurological disorders drug targets
Differences in fatigue-like behavior in the lipopolysaccharide and poly I:C inflammatory animal models; Physiology and Behavior
Differential effects of paracrine factors on the survival of cells of the neurovascular unit during oxygen glucose deprivation; International journal of stroke
Growth differentiation factor-11 causes neurotoxicity during ischemia in vitro; Frontiers in Neurology
Harnessing the stem cell properties of pericytes to repair the brain; Neural regeneration research
How does neurovascular unit dysfunction contribute to multiple sclerosis?; Neurobiology of Disease
Importance of preclinical research in the development of neuroprotective strategies for ischemic stroke; JAMA neurology
Inhalation gases or gaseous mediators as neuroprotectants for cerebral ischaemia; Current drug targets
Interview with Helen Shield
Investigation of the novel mTOR inhibitor AZD2014 in neuronal ischemia; Neuroscience Letters
Keynote speaker: pre-clinical research the potential therapeutic opportunities for various gases including oxygen; British Hyperbaric Association Annual Meeting
Laser Doppler Flowmetry to Measure Changes in Cerebral Blood Flow; Cerebral Angiogenesis Methods and Protocols
Magnetic resonance pH imaging in stroke - combining the old with the new; Frontiers in Physiology
Mechanisms of action of green tea catechins, with a focus on ischemia-induced neurodegeneration; Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry
Melatonin treatment following stroke induction modulates L-arginine metabolism; Journal of Pineal Research
Metabolic-vascular coupling in skeletal muscle: a potential role for capillary pericytes?; Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology
Multi-modal assessment of neurovascular coupling during cerebral ischaemia and reperfusion using remote middle cerebral artery occlusion; Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism
Neuroprotection for ischaemic stroke: Translation from the bench to the bedside; International Journal of Stroke
Neuroprotection for Stroke: Current Status and Future Perspectives; International journal of molecular sciences
Neuroprotective effects of (–)-epigallocatechin gallate after hypoxia-ischemia-induced brain damage: novel mechanisms of action; The FASEB Journal
Neurovascular coupling mechanisms in health and neurovascular uncoupling in Alzheimer's disease; Brain: A Journal of Neurology
Novel method to study pericyte contractility and responses to ischaemia in vitro using electrical impedance; Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism
Pericytes and Neurovascular Function in the Healthy and Diseased Brain; Frontiers in cellular neuroscience
Pharmacological PDGFRβ inhibitors imatinib and sunitinib cause human brain pericyte death in vitro; Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology
Placental capillary pericytes release excess extracellular vesicles under hypoxic conditions inducing a pro-angiogenic profile in term pregnancy; Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
Poly I:C and LPS induce blood brain barrier disruption and a fatigue behavioural phenotype in rodents in vivo; Society for Neuroscience Conference 2019
Quantitative chemical exchange saturation transfer imaging of nuclear overhauser effects in acute ischemic stroke; Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
Rapamycin in ischemic stroke: old drug, new tricks?; Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism
Reply: Intravenous thrombolysis for ischaemic strokes: a call for reappraisal; Brain
Reply: Thrombolysis in acute ischaemic stroke; Brain
Science in the Pub, Brain edition: Neuropathy, Stroke and Alzheimer's Disease
Separating surgery from stroke: the effects of surgical severity on photothrombotic animal models of cerebral ischaemia
Study of common quantification methods of amide proton transfer magnetic resonance imaging for ischemic stroke detection; Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
Targeting Pericytes and the Microcirculation for Ischemic Stroke Therapy; Neuroprotective Therapy for Stroke and Ischemic Disease
The biology and pathology of hypoxia-ischemia: an update; Archivum immunologiae et therapiae experimentalis
The Complex and Integral Roles of Pericytes Within the Neurovascular Unit in Health and Disease; Biology of Pericytes – Recent Advances
The contribution of L-arginine to the neurotoxicity of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator following cerebral ischemia: a review of rtPA neurotoxicity; Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism
The effect of rapamycin treatment on cerebral ischemia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of animal model studies; International journal of stroke
The exact science of stroke thrombolysis and the quiet art of patient selection; Brain
The future of stroke therapy must not be mired by past arguments; The Lancet
The IMPROVE Guidelines (Ischaemia Models: Procedural Refinements Of in Vivo Experiments); Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism
The life of Bo K. Siesjö, MD, PhD, 1930–2013; International Journal of Stroke
The rise of pericytes in neurovascular research; Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism
The role of antioxidants in models of inflammation: emphasis on L-arginine and arachidonic acid metabolism; Inflammopharmacology
The role of the endoplasmic reticulum stress response following cerebral ischemia; International journal of stroke
The transient intraluminal filament middle cerebral artery occlusion model as a model of endovascular thrombectomy in stroke; Journal of cerebral blood flow and metabolism
Thrombolytic Agents for Acute Ischaemic Stroke Treatment: The Past, Present and Future; CNS & neurological disorders drug targets
Tin Protoporphyrin Provides Protection Following Cerebral Hypoxia-Ischemia: Involvement of Alternative Pathways; Journal of neuroscience research
Transcranial contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the rat brain reveals substantial hyperperfusion acutely post-stroke; Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism
Untangling the effects of surgery and anaesthesia on a vasoconstrictive model of cerebral ischaemia
Vascular perfusion differs in two distinct PDGFRβ-positive zones within the ischemic core of male mice 2 weeks following photothrombotic stroke; Journal of neuroscience research
What has preclinical systematic review ever done for us?; BMJ Open Science

Research Projects

A new theory of fatigue: The role of AgRP neurons in ME/CFS; Equity Trustees Limited (EQT)
Acquisition of a VS200 Research Slide Scanner for the College of Health and Medicine; Ian Potter Foundation (IPF)
An energy crisis for Alzheimer's disease: is pericyte degeneration to blame?; National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
Blood vessels squeezed to death by pericytes: a new therapeutic target for ischaemic stroke; Rebecca L Cooper Medical Research Foundation (RLCMRF)
Blood-brain barrier energy dysfunction: the unifying cause of fatigue; The Mason Foundation (ANZCT-Mason Fdn)
Can anti-diabetic agents improve blood flow and outcome following stroke in type 2 diabetes?; Royal Hobart Hospital Research Foundation (RHHRF)
Can idebenone be used to reduce severity of stroke?; Royal Hobart Hospital Research Foundation (RHHRF)
Can metformin and exenatide improve brain vascular function in type 2 diabetes to reduce stroke severity? ; Diabetes Australia Research Program (DARP)
Detecting microvascular injury after stroke using a blood test; Royal Hobart Hospital Research Foundation (RHHRF)
Differentiation of inducible pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) into pericytes to investigate neuron-pericyte interactions; University of Tasmania (UTAS)
Dissecting the effects of CLN3 variants on the blood-brain barrier; Batten Disease Support and Research Association Australia (BDSRAA)
Harnessing the dual roles of pericytes to improve stroke outcomes; National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
In pursuit of an innovative experimental model of vascular dementia-a pilot study; University of Tasmania (UTAS)
Investigating ferroptosis as a novel mechanism of oligodendrocyte death.; Brain Foundation (BrainF)
Is the neurovascular niche the initiation point for multiple sclerosis?; Multiple Sclerosis Australia (MSA)
Paving the way for future stroke drug development: creating a new gold-standard model of stroke; Royal Hobart Hospital Research Foundation (RHHRF)
Pericyte dysfunction limiting energy supply in Alzheimer's disease; National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
Posthuman Genetic Legacies; Australian Network for Art and Technology (ANAT)
Special delivery to the brain: Using cutting-edge ultrasound to increase drug delivery to reduce brain damage after a stroke; Royal Hobart Hospital Research Foundation (RHHRF)
Squeezed to death by pericytes: a new target for ischaemic stroke treatment; University of Tasmania (UTAS)
Targeting no-reflow to augment tissue salvage in stroke; Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF)
The pathological effects of Alzheimer's disease on axons; Dementia Australia Research Foundation Ltd (DARF)
The Peri-Peri project: the role of pericytes in placental function and perinatal outcome; Royal Hobart Hospital Research Foundation (RHHRF)
The role of skeletal muscle pericytes in the development of insulin resistance: friend of foe?; University of Tasmania (UTAS)
The role of the placenta in determining the post-natal effects of in utero exposure to bushfire smoke; Australian Respiratory Council (AusRespC)
Toward targeted drug delivery to the brain using ultrasound; Royal Hobart Hospital Research Foundation (RHHRF)

Research Candidate Supervision