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Dr Melissa Reichelt
Dr

Melissa Reichelt

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 336 52957

Overview

Background

Dr Reichelt is a tenured teaching and research academic in The University of Queensland’s School of Biomedical Sciences. She completed her PhD in cardiovascular Physiology at Griffith University, and held postdoctoral positions at The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute (VCCRI) in Sydney, the University of California, San Diego (USA) and was a NHMRC Peter Doherty Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Melbourne. Dr Reichelt is currently funded by two Australian Research Council Discovery Project Grants and lead a 2019 Major Equipment Infrastructure Grant for a preclinical ultrasound machine (Vevo 3100) which measures cardiac function in animals as small as embryos in utero.

Dr Reichelt investigated the most important receptors governing cardiac function (adenosinergic, adrenergic, angiotensin, growth factor, mineralocorticoid, SGLT2), and the influence of ageing, diabetes, hypertension, exercise, influenza and sepsis on cardiovascular physiology. This work has been published in leading cardiovascular journals including Circulation Research, Basic Research in Cardiology, Cardiovascular Research, Hypertension and broader or other specialist journals such as Autophagy, Antioxidant and Redox Signalling, Journal of Infectious Disease and Scientific Reports. Dr Reichelt’s research has most recently been augmented by in-house design and production of viruses that control the expression of receptors and their ligands. She remains fascinated by what the heart can accomplish; filling with and ejecting blood every second (or so) of every day and night, year after year, while retaining the capacity to more than treble cardiac output during exercise. It’s an incredible feat of engineering and only gets more and more interesting the more I learn about it.

Availability

Dr Melissa Reichelt is:
Available for supervision

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Griffith University

Research impacts

Dr Reichelt heads the Cardiac Disease and Therapy group, focused on optimising heart function in clinically relevant models of cardiovascular disease including chronic high blood pressure, heart ischemia (lack of flow), diabetes, ageing and cardiotoxicity associated with cancer therapy. Her research spans studies of single cell populations (cell culture), isolated heart function, and function of the intact heart. This approach is integrated with advanced techniques for gene editing to target specific cell subtypes in the heart to modify receptor expression and function. This ability to intervene in a time- and cell-subtype-specific manner with gene therapy has many applciations the heart, which are currently being pursued by the Cardiac Disease and Therapy group.

Works

Search Professor Melissa Reichelt’s works on UQ eSpace

48 works between 2000 and 2024

1 - 20 of 48 works

Featured

2018

Journal Article

Diastolic dysfunction is more apparent in STZ-induced diabetic female mice, despite less pronounced hyperglycemia

Chandramouli, Chanchal, Reichelt, Melissa E., Curl, Claire L., Varma, Upasna, Bienvenu, Laura A., Koutsifeli, Parisa, Raaijmakers, Antonia J. A., De Blasio, Miles J., Qin, Cheng Xue, Jenkins, Alicia J., Ritchie, Rebecca H., Mellor, Kimberley M. and Delbridge, Lea M. D. (2018). Diastolic dysfunction is more apparent in STZ-induced diabetic female mice, despite less pronounced hyperglycemia. Scientific reports, 8 (1) 2346, 2346. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-20703-8

Diastolic dysfunction is more apparent in STZ-induced diabetic female mice, despite less pronounced hyperglycemia

Featured

2017

Journal Article

Cavin-1 deficiency modifies myocardial and coronary function, stretch responses and ischaemic tolerance: roles of NOS over-activity

Kaakinen, Mika, Reichelt, Melissa E., Ma, Zhibin, Ferguson, Charles, Martel, Nick, Porrello, Enzo R., Hudson, James E., Thomas, Walter G., Parton, Robert G. and Headrick, John P. (2017). Cavin-1 deficiency modifies myocardial and coronary function, stretch responses and ischaemic tolerance: roles of NOS over-activity. Basic Research in Cardiology, 112 (3) 24, 24. doi: 10.1007/s00395-017-0613-6

Cavin-1 deficiency modifies myocardial and coronary function, stretch responses and ischaemic tolerance: roles of NOS over-activity

2024

Conference Publication

Trastuzumab-Induced Cardiotoxicity Involves Antibody Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity (ADCC)

Griffiths, L., Ho, U., Burt, K., Watson, S., Patel, K., Bradford, J., Tan, C., Bhavsar, C., Palpant, N., Souza-Fonseca-Guimaraes, F., Wu, S., Reichelt, M. and Thomas, W. (2024). Trastuzumab-Induced Cardiotoxicity Involves Antibody Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity (ADCC). 72nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand, Perth, WA Australia, 1-4 August 2024. Chatswood, NSW Australia: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.hlc.2024.06.397

Trastuzumab-Induced Cardiotoxicity Involves Antibody Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity (ADCC)

2024

Conference Publication

Targeting Cardiomyocytes with Adeno Associated Viruses to Protect Hearts from Trastuzumab-induced Cardiotoxicity

Reichelt, Melissa, Ho, Uda, Bunt, Kelsey, Watson, Sophie, Patel, Kinjal, Bradford, Julia and Thomas, Walter G. (2024). Targeting Cardiomyocytes with Adeno Associated Viruses to Protect Hearts from Trastuzumab-induced Cardiotoxicity. American Physiology Summit 2024, Long Beach, CA United States, 4-7 April 2024. Rockville, MD United States: American Physiological Society. doi: 10.1152/physiol.2024.39.s1.2480

Targeting Cardiomyocytes with Adeno Associated Viruses to Protect Hearts from Trastuzumab-induced Cardiotoxicity

2024

Journal Article

Acid-sensing ion channel 1a blockade reduces myocardial injury in rodent models of myocardial infarction

Redd, Meredith A, Yoshikawa, Yusuke, Khan, Nemat, Waqar, Maleeha, Saez, Natalie J, Outhwaite, Jennifer E, Russell, Jake S, Hanna, Amy D, Chiu, Han S, Er, Sing Yan, Butcher, Neville J, Mardon, Karine, Fraser, John F, Smythe, Mark L, Rash, Lachlan D, Thomas, Walter G, King, Glenn F, Reichelt, Melissa E and Palpant, Nathan J (2024). Acid-sensing ion channel 1a blockade reduces myocardial injury in rodent models of myocardial infarction. European Heart Journal, 45 (17), 1571-1574. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehad793

Acid-sensing ion channel 1a blockade reduces myocardial injury in rodent models of myocardial infarction

2024

Journal Article

Cardiac human bitter taste receptors contain naturally occurring variants that alter function

Bloxham, Conor J., Hulme, Katina D., Fierro, Fabrizio, Fercher, Christian, Pegg, Cassandra L., O'Brien, Shannon L., Foster, Simon R., Short, Kirsty R., Furness, Sebastian G. B., Reichelt, Melissa E., Niv, Masha Y. and Thomas, Walter G. (2024). Cardiac human bitter taste receptors contain naturally occurring variants that alter function. Biochemical Pharmacology, 219 115932, 115932. doi: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115932

Cardiac human bitter taste receptors contain naturally occurring variants that alter function

2023

Journal Article

Periconceptional alcohol alters in vivo heart function in ageing female rat offspring: Possible involvement of oestrogen receptor signalling

Dorey, Emily S., Headrick, John P., Paravicini, Tamara M., Wlodek, Mary E., Moritz, Karen M. and Reichelt, Melissa E. (2023). Periconceptional alcohol alters in vivo heart function in ageing female rat offspring: Possible involvement of oestrogen receptor signalling. Experimental Physiology, 108 (5), 772-784. doi: 10.1113/ep090587

Periconceptional alcohol alters in vivo heart function in ageing female rat offspring: Possible involvement of oestrogen receptor signalling

2023

Journal Article

Early cardiac aging linked to impaired stress-resistance and transcriptional control of stress response, quality control and mitochondrial pathways

Ashton, Kevin J., Kiessling, Can J., Thompson, Jamie-Lee M., Aziz, Aliah Y., Thomas, Walter G., Headrick, John P. and Reichelt, Melissa E. (2023). Early cardiac aging linked to impaired stress-resistance and transcriptional control of stress response, quality control and mitochondrial pathways. Experimental Gerontology, 171 112011, 1-15. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2022.112011

Early cardiac aging linked to impaired stress-resistance and transcriptional control of stress response, quality control and mitochondrial pathways

2022

Conference Publication

Using action learning to develop a model for inclusive teaching in a COVID-split cohort

Aland, Claire, Oancea, Iulia, Midwinter, Mark, Pillai, Suja, Manchadi, Mary-Louise, Reichelt, Melissa and Wu, Sherry (2022). Using action learning to develop a model for inclusive teaching in a COVID-split cohort. 26th Annual International Association for Medical Science Educators, Denver, CO, United States, 4-7 June 2022.

Using action learning to develop a model for inclusive teaching in a COVID-split cohort

2022

Journal Article

A peptide toxin in ant venom mimics vertebrate EGF-like hormones to cause long-lasting hypersensitivity in mammals

Eagles, David A., Saez, Natalie J., Krishnarjuna, Bankala, Bradford, Julia J., Chin, Yanni K.-Y., Starobova, Hana, Mueller, Alexander, Reichelt, Melissa E., Undheim, Eivind A. B., Norton, Raymond S., Thomas, Walter G., Vetter, Irina, King, Glenn F. and Robinson, Samuel D. (2022). A peptide toxin in ant venom mimics vertebrate EGF-like hormones to cause long-lasting hypersensitivity in mammals. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119 (7) e2112630119. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2112630119

A peptide toxin in ant venom mimics vertebrate EGF-like hormones to cause long-lasting hypersensitivity in mammals

2021

Journal Article

Corrigendum to “BRET-based assay to monitor EGFR transactivation by the AT1R reveals Gq/11 protein-independent activation and AT1R-EGFR complexes” [Biochem. Pharmacol. 158 (2108) 232–242] (Biochemical Pharmacology (2018) 158 (232–242), (S0006295218304386), (10.1016/j.bcp.2018.10.017))

O'Brien, Shannon L., Johnstone, Elizabeth K.M., Devost, Dominic, Conroy, Jacinta, Reichelt, Melissa E., Purdue, Brooke W., Ayoub, Mohammed A., Kawai, Tatsuo, Inoue, Asuka, Eguchi, Satoru, Hébert, Terence E., Pfleger, Kevin D.G. and Thomas, Walter G. (2021). Corrigendum to “BRET-based assay to monitor EGFR transactivation by the AT1R reveals Gq/11 protein-independent activation and AT1R-EGFR complexes” [Biochem. Pharmacol. 158 (2108) 232–242] (Biochemical Pharmacology (2018) 158 (232–242), (S0006295218304386), (10.1016/j.bcp.2018.10.017)). Biochemical Pharmacology, 192 114756, 114756. doi: 10.1016/j.bcp.2021.114756

Corrigendum to “BRET-based assay to monitor EGFR transactivation by the AT1R reveals Gq/11 protein-independent activation and AT1R-EGFR complexes” [Biochem. Pharmacol. 158 (2108) 232–242] (Biochemical Pharmacology (2018) 158 (232–242), (S0006295218304386), (10.1016/j.bcp.2018.10.017))

2021

Journal Article

Therapeutic inhibition of acid sensing ion channel 1a recovers heart function after ischemia-reperfusion injury

Redd, Meredith A., Scheuer, Sarah E., Saez, Natalie J., Yoshikawa, Yusuke, Chiu, Han Sheng, Gao, Ling, Hicks, Mark, Villanueva, Jeanette E., Joshi, Yashutosh, Chow, Chun Yuen, Cuellar-Partida, Gabriel, Peart, Jason N., See Hoe, Louise E., Chen, Xiaoli, Sun, Yuliangzi, Suen, Jacky Y., Hatch, Robert J., Rollo, Ben, Xiao, Di, Alzubaidi, Mubarak A.H., Maljevic, Snezana, Quaife-Ryan, Gregory A., Hudson, James E., Porrello, Enzo R., White, Melanie Y., Cordwell, Stuart J., Fraser, John F., Petrou, Steven, Reichelt, Melissa E. ... Palpant, Nathan J. (2021). Therapeutic inhibition of acid sensing ion channel 1a recovers heart function after ischemia-reperfusion injury. Circulation, 144 (12), 947-960. doi: 10.1161/circulationaha.121.054360

Therapeutic inhibition of acid sensing ion channel 1a recovers heart function after ischemia-reperfusion injury

2021

Journal Article

Sotagliflozin, a dual SGLT1/2 inhibitor, improves cardiac outcomes in a normoglycemic mouse model of cardiac pressure overload

Young, Sophia L., Ryan, Lydia, Mullins, Thomas P., Flint, Melanie, Steane, Sarah E., Walton, Sarah L., Bielefeldt-Ohmann, Helle, Carter, David A., Reichelt, Melissa E. and Gallo, Linda A. (2021). Sotagliflozin, a dual SGLT1/2 inhibitor, improves cardiac outcomes in a normoglycemic mouse model of cardiac pressure overload. Frontiers in Physiology, 12 738594, 738594. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2021.738594

Sotagliflozin, a dual SGLT1/2 inhibitor, improves cardiac outcomes in a normoglycemic mouse model of cardiac pressure overload

2021

Journal Article

Type I diabetes mellitus increases the cardiovascular complications of influenza virus infection

Sinclair, Jane E., Bloxham, Conor J., Chiu, Han, Chew, Keng Yih, Russell, Jake, Yoshikawa, Yusuke, Bielefeldt-Ohmann, Helle, Steele, Lauren E., Hulme, Katina D., Verzele, Nathalie A. J., Noye, Ellesandra C., Wu, Melanie, Reichelt, Melissa E., Thomas, Walter G., Gallo, Linda A., Redd, Meredith A. and Short, Kirsty R. (2021). Type I diabetes mellitus increases the cardiovascular complications of influenza virus infection. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 11 714440, 714440. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.714440

Type I diabetes mellitus increases the cardiovascular complications of influenza virus infection

2021

Journal Article

Stimulation of the four isoforms of receptor tyrosine kinase ErbB4, but not ErbB1, confers cardiomyocyte hypertrophy

Wang, Zhen, Chan, Hsiu‐Wen, Gambarotta, Giovanna, Smith, Nicola J., Purdue, Brooke W., Pennisi, David J., Porrello, Enzo R., O'Brien, Shannon L., Reichelt, Melissa E., Thomas, Walter G. and Paravicini, Tamara M. (2021). Stimulation of the four isoforms of receptor tyrosine kinase ErbB4, but not ErbB1, confers cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Journal of Cellular Physiology, 236 (12) jcp.30487, 8160-8170. doi: 10.1002/jcp.30487

Stimulation of the four isoforms of receptor tyrosine kinase ErbB4, but not ErbB1, confers cardiomyocyte hypertrophy

2021

Journal Article

WDR62 is required for centriole duplication in spermatogenesis and manchette removal in spermiogenesis

Ho, Uda Y., Feng, Chun-Wei Allen, Yeap, Yvonne Y., Bain, Amanda L., Wei, Zhe, Shohayeb, Belal, Reichelt, Melissa E., Homer, Hayden, Khanna, Kum Kum, Bowles, Josephine and Ng, Dominic C. H. (2021). WDR62 is required for centriole duplication in spermatogenesis and manchette removal in spermiogenesis. Communications Biology, 4 (1) 645, 1-14. doi: 10.1038/s42003-021-02171-5

WDR62 is required for centriole duplication in spermatogenesis and manchette removal in spermiogenesis

2020

Journal Article

A high fat diet increases influenza A virus-associated cardiovascular damage

Siegers, Jurre Y., Novakovic, Boris, Hulme, Katina D., Marshall, Rebecca, Bloxham, Conor J., Thomas, Walter G., Reichelt, Mellissa E., Leijten, Lonneke, van Run, Peter, Knox, Karen, Sokolowski, Kamil A., Tse, Brian W. C., Chew, Keng Yih, Christ, Angelika N., Howe, Greg, Bruxner, Timothy J. C., Karolyi, Mario, Pawelka, Erich, Koch, Rebecca M., Bellmann-Weiler, Rosa, Burkert, Francesco, Weiss, Günter, Samanta, Romit J., Openshaw, Peter J. M., Bielefeldt-Ohmann, Helle, van Riel, Debby and Short, Kirsty R. (2020). A high fat diet increases influenza A virus-associated cardiovascular damage. The Journal of infectious diseases, 222 (5), 820-831. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiaa159

A high fat diet increases influenza A virus-associated cardiovascular damage

2020

Other Outputs

Sotagliflozin, a dual SGLT1/2 inhibitor, improves cardiac outcomes in a mouse model of early heart failure without diabetes

Young, Sophia L., Ryan, Lydia, Mullins, Thomas P., Flint, Melanie, Steane, Sarah E., Walton, Sarah L., Bielefeldt-Ohmann, Helle, Carter, David A., Reichelt, Melissa E. and Gallo, Linda A. (2020). Sotagliflozin, a dual SGLT1/2 inhibitor, improves cardiac outcomes in a mouse model of early heart failure without diabetes.

Sotagliflozin, a dual SGLT1/2 inhibitor, improves cardiac outcomes in a mouse model of early heart failure without diabetes

2018

Journal Article

BRET-based assay to monitor EGFR transactivation by the AT1R reveals Gq/11 protein-independent activation and AT1R-EGFR complexes

O'Brien, Shannon L., Johnstone, Elizabeth K. M., Devost, Dominic, Conroy, Jacinta, Reichelt, Melissa E., Purdue, Brooke W., Ayoub, Mohammed A., Kawai, Tatsuo, Inoue, Asuka, Eguchi, Satoru, Hébert, Terence E., Pfleger, Kevin D.G. and Thomas, Walter G. (2018). BRET-based assay to monitor EGFR transactivation by the AT1R reveals Gq/11 protein-independent activation and AT1R-EGFR complexes. Biochemical Pharmacology, 158, 232-242. doi: 10.1016/j.bcp.2018.10.017

BRET-based assay to monitor EGFR transactivation by the AT1R reveals Gq/11 protein-independent activation and AT1R-EGFR complexes

2018

Journal Article

Modeling heart failure risk in diabetes and kidney disease: limitations and potential applications of transverse aortic constriction in high fat fed mice

Tan, Wei Sheng, Mullins, Thomas P., Flint, Melanie, Walton, Sarah L., Bielefeldt-Ohmann, Helle, Carter, David A., Gandhi, Meera R., McDonald, Hayley R., Li, Joan, Moritz, Karen M., Reichelt, Melissa E. and Gallo, Linda A (2018). Modeling heart failure risk in diabetes and kidney disease: limitations and potential applications of transverse aortic constriction in high fat fed mice. American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology, 314 (6), R858-R869. doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.00357.2017

Modeling heart failure risk in diabetes and kidney disease: limitations and potential applications of transverse aortic constriction in high fat fed mice

Funding

Current funding

  • 2023 - 2025
    Protecting hearts from trastuzumab-induced cardiomyopathy
    NHMRC IDEAS Grants
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2023 - 2024
    Studying the basis of and developing new therapies to treat heart disease
    IPF Healthy - Medical Research
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2024
    Targeting cavin-1 via gene therapy in a model of metabolic/low-level chronic stress
    Diabetes Australia Research Program
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2023
    Understanding how an old heart gets stiff
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2022
    Eph receptor blockade to prevent and repair endothelial damage in systemic inflammation
    The Children's Hospital Foundation
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2022
    How tissues generate the peptide hormone angiotensin II
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2019
    Advanced Brightfield and Fluorescent High Speed and Throughput Slide Scanner for biological, medical, materials science, and agricultural applications
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2019
    Vevo 3100 Imaging System for ultrahigh resolution and frame rate echocardiographic assessment of small animals.
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant

Supervision

Availability

Dr Melissa Reichelt is:
Available for supervision

Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.

Available projects

  • Understanding how growth factor receptors regulate heart enlargement

    Cardiac enlargement is essential for normal maturation, and adaptation to exercise. It also occurs in pathological settings such as chronic hypertension. We are interested in the role that two receptors play in this response; ErbB1 also known as the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) and it’s sibling ErbB4. We use adeno-associated viruses (AAV) in animals with floxed animals to delete our receptors of interest in a time and cell subtype specific manner and examine the impact on heart enlargement.

    Multiple research projects are available for this large project which would involve some small animal work, immunohistochemistry, qPCR, western blot, isolated heart experiments (langendorff), cell culture and in vivo assessment of heat function (echocardiography) depending on student preferences.

  • Understanding the mechanisms underlying diastolic dysfunction in hearts

    The ability of the ventricle relax and expand to fill with blood in diastole is essential to normal heart function. Diastolic dysfunction, where cardiac filling is impaired, occurs in a number of clinical pathologies including heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and diabetes. We recently published the first evidence that a membrane protein essential to sensing stretch, called cavin is essential to normal diastolic tone. Hearts from Cavin knockout animals are stiff and unable to detect stretch, and we were able to demonstrate that this was due to elevation of nitric oxide. We are now looking to translate this finding in animals into human heart tissues, through a collaboration with the Prince Charles Hospital. We are also intested in seeing if stiffness is also present mice lacking another membrane protein, Caveolin, and what heart cell-subtypes are the most important.

    This project could involve work at Prince Chales Hospital on fresh human heart tissue (tranbeculae that are removed as a part of some surgical procedures), or could involve isolated heart experiments in Caveolin 1 and 3 knockout mice. Both projects would also involve real time PCR of RNA isolated from tissues, western blot, immunohistochemistry and nitric oxide and nitrosylation assays.

Supervision history

Current supervision

Completed supervision

Media

Enquiries

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communications@uq.edu.au