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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Melissa Reichelt is:
- Available for supervision
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Available projects
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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.
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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
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Doctor Philosophy
Understanding the role of HER2 in cardiac function.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Wally Thomas, Associate Professor Fiona Simpson
-
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding the role of WD40-Repeat Protein 62 (WDR62) in the regulation of heart function.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Wally Thomas, Associate Professor Dominic Ng
-
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding cardiomyocyte-endothelial cell interactions in regulating cardiac function
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Wally Thomas
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Doctor Philosophy
The role of neuregulin in cardiac function and failure
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Wally Thomas
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Doctor Philosophy
Epidermal growth factor receptors in cardiac function and disease
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Wally Thomas
Completed supervision
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding the role and regulation of the FBXL4-BNIP3/NIX pathway in mitophagy
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Kum Kum Khanna, Dr Mathew Jones, Dr Julia Pagan
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
Local regulation of cardiac pathophysiology
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Wally Thomas
Media
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