![Dr Mitchell Sullivan](/sites/default/files/profiles/12236.png)
Overview
Background
Dr Mitchell Anthony Sullivan is a CJ Martin Early Career Research Fellow, funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). Mitchell has a postdoctoral position in Professor Josephine Forbes’ Glycation and Diabetes research group at the Translational Research Institute. With a keen interest in the role of the blood-sugar storage molecule glycogen in health and disease, Mitchell has used the techniques he developed in his PhD, supervised by Prof. Robert Gilbert, to examine the important role this molecule has in diseases such as diabetes, Lafora disease and Adult Polyglucosan Body Disease. Currently he is extending this research into the field of diabetic kidney disease, combining the skills and knowledge he obtained in a 2-year postdoctoral position in Toronto with Prof. Berge Minassian, with the kidney expertise of Prof. Forbes. Awards received by Mitchell include the Biochemistry Alumni Prize (2008), awarded to the top ranked student at UQ in 3 biology/biochemistry course and the Chemistry Honours Research Prize (2010), awarded to “the student who, in completing a BSc (Honours) in the field of Chemistry, demonstrated a high level of achievement in the research component of the program and a high potential for independent research.” Mitchell was an organizing committee member for the Annual RACI Polymer Student Symposium (2013) and is currently a member of the Translation Research Institute Mentoring Committee. While less than 3 years from completing his PhD, Mitchell has 23 publication involving collaboration in China, Sweden, Canada, USA and Spain.
Personal statement: “Ever since beginning my research career as an undergraduate, I have thoroughly enjoyed the privilege of being able to pursue research questions I am passionate about. The opportunity to add new information and insights into the shared knowledge pool of the global scientific community is greatly appreciated. I will continue to relish these opportunities and strive to perform research to the best of my ability, with the goal of maximising a beneficial impact. As I advance through my career I will also endeavour to encourage and support my colleagues, helping foster a collaborative and fruitful environment to perform research.”
Availability
- Dr Mitchell Sullivan is:
- Available for supervision
Research impacts
Dr Mitchell Sullivan's PhD developed a number of techniques that allowed him to analyse the key structural features of glycogen, a highly branched macromolecule of ~50,000 glucose units. These techniques enabled his collaborative discovery that the diabetic liver contains fragile glycogen molecules, making them susceptible to uncontrolled degradation into glucose. The award of an NHMRC CJ Martin Fellowship allowed him to further his research in Toronto. The techniques Dr Sullivan developed in his PhD allowed him to analyse glycogen from various glycogen storage diseases (GSDs), leading to key breakthroughs in our understanding on the formation of the pathological glycogen accumulations characteristic of these diseases. In Toronto he continued to acquire and develop new methods that are essential in understanding the malformed glycogen present in these various GSDs. He is now using these skills to analyse the role of glycogen in diabetic kidney disease.
Works
Search Professor Mitchell Sullivan’s works on UQ eSpace
2024
Journal Article
Liver glycogen fragility in the presence of hydrogen-bond breakers
Tan, Xinle, Wang, Ziyi, Cheung, Ut, Hu, Zhenxia, Liu, Qinghua, Wang, Liang, Sullivan, Mitchell A., Cozzolino, Daniel and Gilbert, Robert G. (2024). Liver glycogen fragility in the presence of hydrogen-bond breakers. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 268 131741, 131741. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131741
2024
Journal Article
Reversible expansion of tissue macrophages in response to macrophage colony-stimulating factor (CSF1) transforms systemic lipid and carbohydrate metabolism
Keshvari, Sahar, Masson, Jesse J.R., Ferrari-Cestari, Michelle, Bodea, Liviu-Gabriel, Nooru-Mohamed, Fathima, Tse, Brian W.C., Sokolowski, Kamil A., Batoon, Lena, Patkar, Omkar L., Sullivan, Mitchell A., Ebersbach, Hilmar, Stutz, Cian, Parton, Robert G., Summers, Kim M., Pettit, Allison R., Hume, David A. and Irvine, Katharine M. (2024). Reversible expansion of tissue macrophages in response to macrophage colony-stimulating factor (CSF1) transforms systemic lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism, 326 (2), E149-E165. doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.00347.2023
2023
Journal Article
Comparing different techniques for obtaining molecular size distributions of glycogen
Wan, Yujun, Chua, Sheena M. H., Yao, Yin, Adler, Lewis, Navarro, Marta, Roura, Eugeni, Tilley, Richard D., Li, Changfeng, Nilsson, Lars, Gilbert, Robert G. and Sullivan, Mitchell A. (2023). Comparing different techniques for obtaining molecular size distributions of glycogen. European Polymer Journal, 201 112518, 1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2023.112518
2023
Journal Article
Is glycogen an important constituent of human milk?
Mou, Jing-Yi, Wang, Zi-Yi, Ma, Zhang-Wen, Liu, Qing-Hua, Sullivan, Mitchell A., Liu, Zhao and Wang, Liang (2023). Is glycogen an important constituent of human milk?. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 124 105719, 1. doi: 10.1016/j.jfca.2023.105719
2023
Journal Article
Naringenin prevents non-alcoholic steatohepatitis by modulating the host metabolome and intestinal microbiome in MCD diet-fed mice
Cao, Peng, Yue, Ming, Cheng, Yuanlei, Sullivan, Mitchell A., Chen, Wen, Yu, Huifan, Li, Fei, Wu, Sanlan, Lv, Yongning, Zhai, Xuejia and Zhang, Yu (2023). Naringenin prevents non-alcoholic steatohepatitis by modulating the host metabolome and intestinal microbiome in MCD diet-fed mice. Food Science and Nutrition, 11 (12), 7826-7840. doi: 10.1002/fsn3.3700
2023
Journal Article
Quercetin ameliorates non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) via the promotion of AMPK-mediated hepatic mitophagy
Cao, Peng, Wang, Yi, Zhang, Cong, Sullivan, Mitchell A., Chen, Wen, Jing, Xiang, Yu, Huifan, Li, Fei, Wang, Qu, Zhou, Zhongshi, Wang, Qi, Tian, Wen, Qiu, Zhenpeng and Luo, Lianxiang (2023). Quercetin ameliorates non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) via the promotion of AMPK-mediated hepatic mitophagy. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 120 109414, 109414. doi: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2023.109414
2023
Journal Article
Baseline differences in metabolic profiles of patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma responding or not responding to treatment with nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel)
Cao, Peng, Zhang, Qilin, Wu, Sanlan, Sullivan, Mitchell A., Huang, Yifei, Gong, Weijing, Lv, Yongning, Zhai, Xuejia and Zhang, Yu (2023). Baseline differences in metabolic profiles of patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma responding or not responding to treatment with nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel). Acta Materia Medica, 2 (3), 347-356. doi: 10.15212/amm-2023-0027
2023
Journal Article
Pharmacoeconomic evaluation of original and generic temozolomide capsules in the treatment of glioma
Gu, Ming, Diao, Changdong, Sullivan, Mitchell A., Zhu, Haixia, Yuan, Qi, Liu, Jinmei, Li, Shijun, Zhang, Yu, Deng, Bin and Shi, Chen (2023). Pharmacoeconomic evaluation of original and generic temozolomide capsules in the treatment of glioma. Intelligent Pharmacy, 1 (1), 26-31. doi: 10.1016/j.ipha.2023.04.006
2022
Journal Article
The fragility of liver glycogen from humans with type 2 diabetes: A pilot study
Wang, Ziyi, Min, Xiaobo, Hu, Zhenxia, Sullivan, Mitchell A., Tang, Yong, Wang, Liang, Gilbert, Robert G., Shi, Chen and Deng, Bin (2022). The fragility of liver glycogen from humans with type 2 diabetes: A pilot study. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 221, 83-90. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.08.212
2022
Journal Article
Glycogen synthase downregulation rescues the amylopectinosis of murine RBCK1 deficiency
Nitschke, Silvia, Sullivan, Mitchell A., Mitra, Sharmistha, Marchioni, Charlotte R., Lee, Jennifer P. Y., Smith, Brandon H., Ahonen, Saija, Wu, Jun, Chown, Erin E., Wang, Peixiang, Petković, Sara, Zhao, Xiaochu, DiGiovanni, Laura F., Perri, Ami M., Israelian, Lori, Grossman, Tamar R., Kordasiewicz, Holly, Vilaplana, Francisco, Iwai, Kazuhiro, Nitschke, Felix and Minassian, Berge A. (2022). Glycogen synthase downregulation rescues the amylopectinosis of murine RBCK1 deficiency. Brain, 145 (7), 2361-2377. doi: 10.1093/brain/awac017
2022
Journal Article
Antidepressant Shugan Jieyu Capsule alters gut microbiota and intestinal microbiome function in rats with chronic unpredictable mild stress -induced depression
Tan, Jingxuan, Li, Xixuan, Zhu, Ying, Sullivan, Mitchell A., Deng, Bin, Zhai, Xuejia and Lu, Yongning (2022). Antidepressant Shugan Jieyu Capsule alters gut microbiota and intestinal microbiome function in rats with chronic unpredictable mild stress -induced depression. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 13 828595, 1-17. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2022.828595
2022
Journal Article
Brain glycogen content is increased in the acute and interictal chronic stages of the mouse pilocarpine model of epilepsy
Young Seo, Gi, Neal, Elliott S., Han, Felicity, Vidovic, Diana, Nooru‐Mohamed, Fathima, Dienel, Gerald A., Sullivan, Mitchell A. and Borges, Karin (2022). Brain glycogen content is increased in the acute and interictal chronic stages of the mouse pilocarpine model of epilepsy. Epilepsia Open, 7 (2), 361-367. doi: 10.1002/epi4.12599
2022
Journal Article
The effect of high-amylose resistant starch on the glycogen structure of diabetic mice
Wang, Ziyi, Hu, Zhenxia, Deng, Bin, Gilbert, Robert G. and Sullivan, Mitchell A. (2022). The effect of high-amylose resistant starch on the glycogen structure of diabetic mice. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 200, 124-131. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.12.071
2022
Journal Article
Liver fibrosis alters the molecular structures of hepatic glycogen
Wan, Yujun, Hu, Zhenxia, Liu, Qinghua, Wang, Liang, Sullivan, Mitchell A. and Gilbert, Robert G. (2022). Liver fibrosis alters the molecular structures of hepatic glycogen. Carbohydrate Polymers, 278 118991, 118991. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.118991
2022
Journal Article
The Extraction of Liver Glycogen Molecules for Glycogen Structure Determination
Wang, Ziyi, Liu, Qinghua, Wang, Liang, Gilbert, Robert G. and Sullivan, Mitchell A. (2022). The Extraction of Liver Glycogen Molecules for Glycogen Structure Determination. Journal of Visualized Experiments, 2022 (180) e63088. doi: 10.3791/63088
2022
Journal Article
Efficacy and safety of thalidomide as a pre-medication of Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting (CINV) following Highly Emetogenic Chemotherapy (HEC): a systematic review and meta-analysis
Xie, Jiyi, Zhang, Cong, Li, Shijun, Dai, Rong, Sullivan, Mitchell A., Deng, Bin, Xu, Qiling, Wang, Jinglin, Shi, Chen and Zhang, Yu (2022). Efficacy and safety of thalidomide as a pre-medication of Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting (CINV) following Highly Emetogenic Chemotherapy (HEC): a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Oncology, 11 818839. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2021.818839
2021
Journal Article
A review on the structure and anti-diabetic (type 2) functions of β-glucans
Wan, Yujun, Xu, Xiaojuan, Gilbert, Robert G. and Sullivan, Mitchell A. (2021). A review on the structure and anti-diabetic (type 2) functions of β-glucans. Foods, 11 (1) 57, 57. doi: 10.3390/foods11010057
2021
Journal Article
Kidney disease risk factors do not explain impacts of low dietary protein on kidney function and structure
Fotheringham, Amelia K., Solon-Biet, Samantha M., Bielefeldt-Ohmann, Helle, McCarthy, Domenica A., McMahon, Aisling C., Ruohonen, Kari, Li, Isaac, Sullivan, Mitchell A., Whiddett, Rani O., Borg, Danielle J., Cogger, Victoria C., Ballard, William O., Turner, Nigel, Melvin, Richard G., Raubenheimer, David, Le Couteur, David G., Simpson, Stephen J. and Forbes, Josephine M. (2021). Kidney disease risk factors do not explain impacts of low dietary protein on kidney function and structure. iScience, 24 (11) 103308, 103308. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103308
2021
Journal Article
Maternal choline supplementation in a rat model of periconceptional alcohol exposure: Impacts on the fetus and placenta
Steane, Sarah E., Fielding, Arree M., Kent, Nykola L., Andersen, Isabella, Browne, Daniel J., Tejo, Ellen N., Gårdebjer, Emelie M., Kalisch‐Smith, Jacinta I., Sullivan, Mitchell A., Moritz, Karen M. and Akison, Lisa K. (2021). Maternal choline supplementation in a rat model of periconceptional alcohol exposure: Impacts on the fetus and placenta. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 45 (10) acer.14685, 2130-2146. doi: 10.1111/acer.14685
2021
Journal Article
T cell expression and release of kidney injury molecule-1 in response to glucose variations initiates kidney injury in early diabetes
Forbes, Josephine M., McCarthy, Domenica A., Kassianos, Andrew J., Baskerville, Tracey, Fotheringham, Amelia J., Giuliani, Kurt T. K., Grivei, Anca, Murphy, Andrew J., Flynn, Michelle C., Sullivan, Mitchell A., Chandrashekar, Preeti, Whiddett, Rani, Radford, Kristen J., Flemming, Nicole, Beard, Sam S., D’Silva, Neisha, Nisbet, Janelle, Morton, Adam, Teasdale, Stephanie, Russell, Anthony, Isbel, Nicole, Jones, Timothy, Couper, Jennifer, Healy, Helen, Harris, Mark, Donaghue, Kim, Johnson, David W., Cotterill, Andrew, Barrett, Helen L. and O’Moore-Sullivan, Trisha (2021). T cell expression and release of kidney injury molecule-1 in response to glucose variations initiates kidney injury in early diabetes. Diabetes, 70 (8), 1754-1766. doi: 10.2337/db20-1081
Funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Mitchell Sullivan is:
- Available for supervision
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Available projects
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Unravelling the role of glycogen in diabetic kidney disease
Type 2 diabetes is Australia’s largest healthcare burden, with almost 2 million people suffering from the disease and ˜30% developing diabetic kidney disease. This study will characterise kidney glycogen accumulation, relating it to glycaemic control and kidney function over a time course of type 2 diabetes. This research will provide novel insight into how abnormalities in renal glucose handling and storage may contribute to kidney damage in type 2 diabetes, potentially leading to new therapies that mitigate diabetic kidney disease.
Hypothesis: Renal glycogen accumulation occurs in type 2 diabetes contributing to kidney damage.
Aims:
- To relate changes in renal glycogen accumulation to glycaemic control and kidney damage over a time course of diabetes.
- To analyse the structure of diabetic kidney glycogen and determine if it accumulates into insoluble polyglucosan bodies.
- To determine the effects of glucose and insulin on glycogen accumulation in the kidney, including the effect of the kidney-targeted glucose lowering SGLT2 inhibitor, empagliflozin.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Unravelling the role of abnormal glycogen accumulation in diabetic kidney disease
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Josephine Forbes
-
Doctor Philosophy
A new treatment for viral disease: Modulators of the renin angiotension system
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Kirsty Short
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Doctor Philosophy
The effect of high-amylose resistant starch on the glycogen structure of diabetic mice
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Bob Gilbert
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Doctor Philosophy
Study of the structure of glycogen and potential drug target for diabetes
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Bob Gilbert
Completed supervision
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
The Analysis of Liver Glycogen Structure and its Implication in Various Diseases
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Bob Gilbert
Media
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