
Overview
Background
I completed my PhD in Neuroscience at UQ in 2009. After this, I undertook postdoctoral training in motor neuron disease/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (MND/ALS) under the mentorship of neurologists at Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital. In 2012, I received a MND Research Australia Bill Gole Fellowship to develop a research focus to study metabolic dysfunction in MND/ALS. I started my independent research group at UQ in 2015, after receiving the Scott Sullivan MND Research Fellowship to lead a translational program to define the contribution of altered metabolic homeostasis to MND/ALS pathophysiology. In 2017, I relocated my laboratory to the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology to introduce the use of human stem cells for disease modelling into my reserach program. In 2020, I was awarded a FightMND Mid-Career Research Fellowship to transition into clinical trials.
My current research integrates studies in MND/ALS patients with studies in human-derived cell models (stem cell-derived neurons, human primary myosatellite cells, human myotubes) and mouse models of MND/ALS. I have served as lead investigator or co-investigator on several projects aimed at defining the mechanisms that drive MND/ALS and identifying therapeutic strategies for the disease. Projects have led to the expediting of clinical trials (NCT03506425; NCT04788745, NCT05959850). In 2021, I established the MND at UQ Collective to enhance national and international collaboration, and to facilitate community consultation to drive scientific and clinical discoveries in ALS and FTD (www.uq.edu.au/mnd-collective).
I have received invitations to contribute to high impact review articles (i.e., Brain, Nat Rev Neurol), and have received >20 invitations to speak at conferences including: 33rd International ALS/MND Symposium (2022, Plenary), 64th Japanese Society of Neurology Meeting (2023, Tokyo; Plenary), 3rd International Pan-Asian Consortium for Treatment and Research in ALS (PACTALS) Congress (2023, Kuala Lumpur), 18th International Congress on Neuromuscular Diseases (2024, Perth).
Availability
- Associate Professor Shyuan Ngo is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Research interests
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Metabolic Dysfunction in Motor Neuron Disease/Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
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Biomarkers in Motor Neuron Disease/Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
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Neuromuscular Junction Formation, Maintenance and Stability
Works
Search Professor Shyuan Ngo’s works on UQ eSpace
2015
Conference Publication
Peripheral immune complement activation in neurodegenerative disease
Mantovani, S., Gordon, R., Ngo, S., Pfluger, C., O'Sullivan, J., Noakes, P., Henderson, R., McCombe, P. and Woodruff, T. (2015). Peripheral immune complement activation in neurodegenerative disease. 25th Biennial Meeting of the International-Society-for-Neurochemistry Jointly with the 13th Meeting of the Asian-Pacific-Society-for-Neurochemistry in Conjunction with the 35th Meeting of the Australasian-Neuroscience-Society, Cairns Australia, 23-27 August 2015. Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell. doi: 10.1111/jnc.13188
2015
Book Chapter
High Caloric diets for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Ngo, Shyuan T., Steyn, Frederik J., McCombe, Pamela A. and Borges, Karin (2015). High Caloric diets for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Bioactive nutraceuticals and dietary supplements in neurological and brain disease: prevention and therapy. (pp. 355-361) edited by Ronald Ross Watson and Victor R. Preedy. London, United Kingdom: Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-411462-3.00036-9
2014
Journal Article
Gender differences in autoimmune disease
Ngo, S. T., Steyn, F. J. and McCombe, P. A. (2014). Gender differences in autoimmune disease. Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, 35 (3), 347-369. doi: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2014.04.004
2014
Journal Article
Body mass index and dietary intervention: Implications for prognosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Ngo, S.T., Steyn, F.J. and McCombe, P.A. (2014). Body mass index and dietary intervention: Implications for prognosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 340 (1-2), 5-12. doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2014.02.035
2013
Journal Article
Growth hormone secretion is correlated with neuromuscular innervation rather than motor neuron number in early-symptomatic male amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mice
Steyn, F. J., Lee, Kevin, Fogarty, M. J., Veldhuis, J. D., McCombe, P. A,, Bellingham, M. C., Ngo, S. T. and Chen, C (2013). Growth hormone secretion is correlated with neuromuscular innervation rather than motor neuron number in early-symptomatic male amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mice. Endocrinology, 154 (12), 4695-4706. doi: 10.1210/en.2013-1570
2013
Journal Article
Increased adiposity and insulin correlates with the progressive suppression of pulsatile GH secretion during weight gain
Steyn, F. J., Xie, T. Y., Huang, L., Ngo, S. T., Veldhuis, J. D., Waters, M. J. and Chen, C. (2013). Increased adiposity and insulin correlates with the progressive suppression of pulsatile GH secretion during weight gain. Journal of Endocrinology, 218 (2), 233-244. doi: 10.1530/JOE-13-0084
2013
Book Chapter
Neurophysiological recording of the compound muscle action potential for motor unit number estimation in mice
Ngo, Shyuan T. and Bellingham, Mark C. (2013). Neurophysiological recording of the compound muscle action potential for motor unit number estimation in mice. Stimulation and inhibition of neurons. (pp. 225-235) edited by Pilowsky, Paul M., Farnham, Melissa M. J. and Fong, Angelina Y.. New York, NY United States: Humana Press. doi: 10.1007/978-1-62703-233-9_13
2012
Journal Article
The relationship between Bayesian motor unit number estimation and histological measurements of motor neurons in wild-type and SOD1(G93A) mice
Ngo, S. T., Baumann, F., Ridall, P. G., Pettitt, A. N., Henderson, R. D., Bellingham, M. C. and McCombe, P. A. (2012). The relationship between Bayesian motor unit number estimation and histological measurements of motor neurons in wild-type and SOD1(G93A) mice. Clinical Neurophysiology, 123 (10), 2080-2091. doi: 10.1016/j.clinph.2012.01.028
2012
Journal Article
The decline in pulsatile GH secretion throughout early adulthood in mice is exacerbated by dietary-induced weight gain
Huang, L., Steyn, F. J., Tan, H. Y., Xie, T. Y., Veldhuis, J. D., Ngo, S. T. and Chen, C. (2012). The decline in pulsatile GH secretion throughout early adulthood in mice is exacerbated by dietary-induced weight gain. Endocrinology, 153 (9), 4380-4388. doi: 10.1210/en.2012-1178
2012
Journal Article
Neuregulin-1 potentiates agrin-induced acetylcholine receptor clustering through muscle-specific kinase phosphorylation
Ngo, Shyuan T., Cole, Rebecca N., Sunn, Nana, Phillips, William D. and Noakes, Peter G. (2012). Neuregulin-1 potentiates agrin-induced acetylcholine receptor clustering through muscle-specific kinase phosphorylation. Journal of Cell Science, 125 (6), 1531-1543. doi: 10.1242/jcs.095109
2012
Journal Article
Impairments to the GH-IGF-I axis in hSOD1(G93A) mice give insight into possible mechanisms of GH dysregulation in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Steyn, F. J., Ngo, S. T, Lee, J. D., Leong, J. W., Buckley, A. J., Veldhuis, J. D., McCombe, P. A., Chen, C. and Bellingham, M. C. (2012). Impairments to the GH-IGF-I axis in hSOD1(G93A) mice give insight into possible mechanisms of GH dysregulation in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Endocrinology, 153 (8), 3735-3746. doi: 10.1210/en.2011-2171
2011
Journal Article
Development of a method for the determination of pulsatile growth hormone secretion in mice
Steyn, F. J., Huang, L., Ngo, S. T., Leong, J. W., Tan, H. Y., Xie, T. Y., Parlow, A. F., Veldhuis, J. D., Waters, M. J. and Chen, C. (2011). Development of a method for the determination of pulsatile growth hormone secretion in mice. Endocrinology, 152 (8), 3165-3171. doi: 10.1210/en.2011-0253
2011
Journal Article
Muscle Specific Kinase: Organiser of synaptic membrane domains
Ghazanfari, Nazanin, Fernandez, Kristine J., Murata, Yui, Morsch, Marco, Ngo, Shyuan T., Reddel, Stephen W., Noakes, Peter G. and Phillips, William D. (2011). Muscle Specific Kinase: Organiser of synaptic membrane domains. The International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, 43 (3), 295-298. doi: 10.1016/j.biocel.2010.10.008
2011
Conference Publication
Comparison of Motor Units Number Estimation by Bayesian Statistical MUNE with Histological Counting of Motor Unit Numbers: Validation of the Method
McCombe, Pamela, Ngo, Shuyan, Bellingham, Mark, Pettitt, Anthony and Henderson, Robert (2011). Comparison of Motor Units Number Estimation by Bayesian Statistical MUNE with Histological Counting of Motor Unit Numbers: Validation of the Method. 63rd Annual Meeting of the American-Academy-of-Neurology, Honolulu, HI, U.S.A., APR 09-16, 2011. Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
2011
Conference Publication
Estimation of Motor Unit Loss in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
Ngo, S. T., Baumann, F., Pettitt, A. N., Ridall, P. G., Henderson, R. D., McCombe, P. A. and Bellingham, M. C. (2011). Estimation of Motor Unit Loss in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Australian Neuroscience Society 31st Annual Meeting, Auckland, New Zealand, 31 January -3 February 2011.
2011
Conference Publication
Comparison of Motor Units Number Estimation by Bayesian Statistical MUNE with Histological Counting of Motor Unit Numbers: Validation of the Method
McCombe, P., Ngo, S., Bellingham, M., Pettitt, A. and Henderson, R. (2011). Comparison of Motor Units Number Estimation by Bayesian Statistical MUNE with Histological Counting of Motor Unit Numbers: Validation of the Method. 63rd AAN Annual Meeting, Honolulu, HI, United States, 9-16 April 2011.
2011
Conference Publication
Pulsatile Growth Hormone Secretion in the SOD1G93A Mouse Model of ALS
Steyn, F.J., Ngo, S.T., Buckley, A.J., Leong, J.W., Veldhuis, J.D., McCombe, P.A., Chen, C. and Bellingham, M.C. (2011). Pulsatile Growth Hormone Secretion in the SOD1G93A Mouse Model of ALS. Endocrine Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting, Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, Perth, Western Australia, 28-31 August.
2011
Conference Publication
Pulsatile growth hormone secretion in the SOD1G93A mouse model of ALS resembles growth hormone deficiency in ALS patients
Ngo, S. T., Steyn, F. J., Buckley, A. J., Leong, J. W., Veldhuis, J. D., Chen, C., McCombe, P. A. and Bellingham, M. C. (2011). Pulsatile growth hormone secretion in the SOD1G93A mouse model of ALS resembles growth hormone deficiency in ALS patients. 22nd International ALS/MND Symposium, Sydney, Australia, 30 November - 2 December 2011.
2011
Conference Publication
Comparison of motor unit number estimation by Bayesian statistical MUNE with histological counting of motor unit numbers
Ngo, S. T., Bellingham, M. C., Pettitt, A. N., Ridall, P. G., Henderson, R. D. and McCombe, P. A. (2011). Comparison of motor unit number estimation by Bayesian statistical MUNE with histological counting of motor unit numbers. 22nd International ALS/MND Symposium, Sydney, Australia, 30 November - 2 December 2011.
2010
Journal Article
Patient autoantibodies deplete postsynaptic muscle-specific kinase leading to disassembly of the ACh receptor scaffold and myasthenia gravis in mice
Cole, R. N., Ghazanfari, N., Ngo, S. T., Gervasio, O. L., Reddel, S. W. and Phillips, W. D. (2010). Patient autoantibodies deplete postsynaptic muscle-specific kinase leading to disassembly of the ACh receptor scaffold and myasthenia gravis in mice. Journal of Physiology, 588 (17), 3217-3229. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2010.190298
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Associate Professor Shyuan Ngo is:
- Available for supervision
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Available projects
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Metabolic dysfunction in Motor Neuron Disease/Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Motor Neuron Disease/Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (MND/ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that is characterised by the degeneration of both upper and lower alpha motor neurons. The irreversible loss of neurons in the brain and spinal cord results in progressive skeletal muscle paralysis and death within 2-5 years of diagnosis. There is no known cure for the disease, and treatments are of limited benefit. In the absence of a cure for MND/ALS, there is a pressing need to lessen the severity of symptoms associated with, and to slow the progression of disease, whilst enhancing quality of life.
While the fundamental mechanisms that underlie the development of MND/ALS remains unknown, recent studies suggest that defective regulation of energy homeostasis may exacerbate the degenerative process throughout the course of disease. In the last 7 years, our team has made novel observations of metabolic dysfunction and altered metabolic flexibility in mouse models of MND, and paradigm-shifting discoveries that for the first time, highlight the impact of increased energy use (hypermetabolism) in patients with MND on disease progression and prognosis. In this time, our team have also successfully generated induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived motor neurons (including CRISPR-Cas9 TDP-43 iPSCs with isogenic controls), and to our knowledge the only directly reprogrammed motor neurons from MMD patients in Australia.
All PhD projects fall under a broader research program that investigates how altered glucose and fatty acid metabolism contributes to the progression of MND/ALS. Projects span the clinical and basic research settings, and involve working with patients living with MND, or mouse and human-derived models of MND. Projects focus on identifying the mechanisms that cause metabolic dysfunction in MND, and identifying treatments to alleviate metabolic perturbations.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Fine tuning metabolic flux: Modulating substrate oxidation as a therapeutic strategy in motor neuron disease (MND)
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Peter Noakes, Associate Professor Frederik Steyn
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Doctor Philosophy
Fine tuning metabolic flux: Modulating substrate oxidation as a therapeutic strategy in motor neuron disease (MND)
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Peter Noakes, Associate Professor Frederik Steyn
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Doctor Philosophy
Fine tuning metabolic flux: Modulating substrate oxidation as a therapeutic strategy in motor neuron disease (MND)
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Peter Noakes, Associate Professor Frederik Steyn
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Doctor Philosophy
Targeting metabolic flexibility as a therapeutic approach for ALS (METALS)
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Robert Henderson, Associate Professor Frederik Steyn
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Doctor Philosophy
Non-traditional biomarkers for motor neuron disease
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Robert Henderson, Associate Professor Frederik Steyn
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Doctor Philosophy
Bio-inspired Nanoparticles for Mechano-Regulation of Stem Cell Fate
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Peter Noakes, Dr Ruirui Qiao
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Doctor Philosophy
Targeting metabolic flexibility as a therapeutic approach for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (METALS)
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Frederik Steyn, Associate Professor Adam Walker
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Doctor Philosophy
Deciphering the spatio-temporal landscape of cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous drivers of motor neuron death in MND
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Quan Nguyen, Associate Professor Frederik Steyn
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Doctor Philosophy
Targeting metabolic flexibility as a therapeutic approach for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (METALS)
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Frederik Steyn, Associate Professor Adam Walker
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Doctor Philosophy
Non-traditional biomarkers for motor neuron disease
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Robert Henderson, Associate Professor Frederik Steyn
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Doctor Philosophy
Redefining digital technology to provide patient centric platform to meet the need of patients with Motor Neuron Disease
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Rebecca Packer, Associate Professor Taylor Dick, Associate Professor Frederik Steyn
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Doctor Philosophy
Use of bioinformatics to decode disease heterogeneity in motor neuron disease
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Robert Henderson, Dr Thomas Shaw, Associate Professor Frederik Steyn
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Doctor Philosophy
NAT1 as a regulator of the metabolic response to disease
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Frederik Steyn
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Doctor Philosophy
MINDE: A patient-centred study on Metabolism, Individualised Nutrition & Daily Eating
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Frederik Steyn
Completed supervision
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2025
Doctor Philosophy
Non-traditional biomarkers for motor neuron disease
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Robert Henderson, Associate Professor Frederik Steyn
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Exploring the neurometabolic component of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis through the generation of human cell-derived in vitro models
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Ernst Wolvetang
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Stem Cell Derived Models to Investigate Age-Related Diseases
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Giovanni Pietrogrande, Professor Ernst Wolvetang
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Systems biology of motor neurone disease
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Naomi Wray, Dr Allan McRae
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2018
Doctor Philosophy
Protective effects of medium-chain triglycerides in neurological disorders: epilepsy and ischemic stroke
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Karin Borges
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2018
Doctor Philosophy
Energy metabolism in epilepsy: Biochemical changes in glucose metabolism and the effects of metabolic treatments in murine seizure models
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Karin Borges
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2018
Doctor Philosophy
Energy metabolism in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: characterization of metabolic impairments in the hSOD1G93A mouse model
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Karin Borges
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2017
Doctor Philosophy
The role of the Growth Hormone/Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 axis in Neuromuscular Degeneration in a mouse model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Frederik Steyn
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2017
Master Philosophy
Energy metabolism in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Assessment of body composition and energy expenditure
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Robert Henderson, Associate Professor Frederik Steyn, Professor Pamela McCombe
Media
Enquiries
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- Motor Neuron Disease
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