
Overview
Background
Neurologist
Dr McCombe graduated in Medicine from UQ and completed a Science degree for medical students. She then trained as a neurologist in Sydney, at Prince Henry and Prince of Wales Hospitals. She obtained a PhD from the University of Sydney. She obtained experience in Neurophysiology in Cleveland and then returned to UQ as a post-doctoral fellow. She worked for some years as a research fellow in Neuroimmunology and was an NHMRc SRF. Later she resumed clinical practice as a neurologist, and contimued her research as an NHMRC Practitioner Fellow. She is currentlyProfessor and Head of the Royal Brisbane Clinical school in the School of Medicine and Co-head of the Brain and Mental Health Theme at the UQ Centre for Clinical Research.
Availability
- Professor Pamela McCombe is:
- Available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science, The University of Queensland
- Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery and Medical Science, The University of Queensland
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Sydney
- Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Royal Australasian College of Physicians
Research interests
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Biomarkers and heterogeneity in ALS
One of the challenges of ALS is understanding disease heterogeneity. Our work studies the variability of patients by detailed clinical, laboratory and genetic studies, and by identifying biomarkers that are associated with disease. We use a range of techniques including neurophysiology, MRI, metabolic studies, genetic studies, immune markers and biochemical studies including proteomics. We are using this information to analyse whether patients can be assigned into subgroups and to correlated with survival.
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Inflammatory neuropathy studies
This is an ongoing study of the immunological basis and genetic basis of acute and chronic inflammatory neuropathy
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Pregnancy and MS
This study is exploring the short and long term effects of pregnancy in multiple sclerosis. This includes the clinical effects of pregnancy and the effects on gene expression and methylation
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Immunology of stroke
This study involves documenting the immune responses after human stroke and determining the significance of these responses.
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Neuromuscular disease
This work is based at the Neuromuscular clinic at Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, and involves correlation of genotype and phenotype of inherited neuromuscular disease
Works
Search Professor Pamela McCombe’s works on UQ eSpace
2017
Journal Article
Cladribine versus fingolimod, natalizumab and interferon β for multiple sclerosis
Kalincik, Tomas, Jokubaitis, Vilija, Spelman, Tim, Horakova, Dana, Havrdova, Eva, Trojano, Maria, Lechner-Scott, Jeannette, Lugaresi, Alessandra, Prat, Alexandre, Girard, Marc, Duquette, Pierre, Grammond, Pierre, Solaro, Claudio, Grand'Maison, Francois, Hupperts, Raymond, Prevost, Julie, Sola, Patrizia, Ferraro, Diana, Terzi, Murat, Butler, Ernest, Slee, Mark, Kermode, Allan, Fabis-Pedrini, Marzena, McCombe, Pamela, Barnett, Michael, Shaw, Cameron, Hodgkinson, Suzanne, Butzkueven, Helmut and MSBase Study Group (2017). Cladribine versus fingolimod, natalizumab and interferon β for multiple sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England), 24 (12), 1352458517728812-1626. doi: 10.1177/1352458517728812
2017
Journal Article
Incidence and prevalence of NMOSD in Australia and New Zealand
Bukhari, Wajih, Prain, Kerri M., Waters, Patrick, Woodhall, Mark, O'Gorman, Cullen M., Clarke, Laura, Silvestrini, Roger A., Bundell, Christine S., Abernethy, David, Bhuta, Sandeep, Blum, Stefan, Boggild, Mike, Boundy, Karyn, Brew, Bruce J., Brown, Matthew, Brownlee, Wallace J., Butzkueven, Helmut, Carroll, William M., Chen, Celia, Coulthard, Alan, Dale, Russell C., Das, Chandi, Dear, Keith, Fabis-Pedrini, Marzena J., Fulcher, David, Gillis, David, Hawke, Simon, Heard, Robert, Henderson, Andrew P. D. ... Broadley, Simon A. (2017). Incidence and prevalence of NMOSD in Australia and New Zealand. Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 88 (8), 632-638. doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2016-314839
2017
Journal Article
Exploring targets and therapies for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: current insights into dietary interventions
Ngo, Shyuan T., Mi, Jia D., Henderson, Robert D., McCombe, Pamela A. and Steyn, Frederik J. (2017). Exploring targets and therapies for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: current insights into dietary interventions. Degenerative Neurological and Neuromuscular Disease, 7, 95-108. doi: 10.2147/DNND.S120607
2017
Journal Article
Whole exome sequencing and DNA methylation analysis in a clinical amyotrophic lateral sclerosis cohort
Garton, Fleur C., Benyamin, Beben, Zhao, Qiongyi, Liu, Zhijun, Gratten, Jacob, Henders, Anjali K., Zhang, Zong-Hong, Edson, Janette, Furlong, Sarah, Morgan, Sarah, Heggie, Susan, Thorpe, Kathryn, Pfluger, Casey, Mather, Karen A., Sachdev, Perminder S., McRae, Allan F., Robinson, Matthew R., Shah, Sonia, Visscher, Peter M., Mangelsdorf, Marie, Henderson, Robert D., Wray, Naomi R. and McCombe, Pamela A. (2017). Whole exome sequencing and DNA methylation analysis in a clinical amyotrophic lateral sclerosis cohort. Molecular Genetics and Genomic Medicine, 5 (4), 418-428. doi: 10.1002/mgg3.302
2017
Journal Article
Predictions of resting energy expenditure in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are greatly impacted by reductions in fat free mass
Ioannides, Z. A., Steyn, F. J., Henderson, R. D., McCombe, P. A. and Ngo, S. T. (2017). Predictions of resting energy expenditure in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are greatly impacted by reductions in fat free mass. Cogent Medicine, 4 (1), 1343000. doi: 10.1080/2331205X.2017.1343000
2017
Journal Article
Extra-motor abnormalities in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: another layer of heterogeneity
McCombe, P. A., Wray, N. R. and Henderson, R. D. (2017). Extra-motor abnormalities in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: another layer of heterogeneity. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 17 (6), 561-577. doi: 10.1080/14737175.2017.1273772
2017
Journal Article
Screening for cognitive and behavioural impairment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: frequency of abnormality and effect on survival
Xu, Zhouwei, Alruwaili, Ashwag Rafea S., Henderson, Robert David and McCombe, Pamela Ann (2017). Screening for cognitive and behavioural impairment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: frequency of abnormality and effect on survival. Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 376, 16-23. doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2017.02.061
2017
Conference Publication
Improvements in Clinical Outcomes With Alemtuzumab in Treatment-Naive Patients With Active Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis Are Durable Over 6 Years in the Absence of Continuous Treatment (CARE-MS I)
Singer, Barry, Coles, Alasdair J., Boyko, Alexey N., Cohen, Jeffrey A., De Seze, Jérôme, Fox, Edward J., Havrdova, Eva, Hartung, Hans-Peter, Inshasi, Jihad Said, McCombe, Pamela, Selmaj, Krzysztof W., Vermersch, Patrick, Van Wijmeersch, Bart, Margolin, David H., Thangavelu, Karthinathan, Rodriguez, Claudio and Montalban, Xavier (2017). Improvements in Clinical Outcomes With Alemtuzumab in Treatment-Naive Patients With Active Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis Are Durable Over 6 Years in the Absence of Continuous Treatment (CARE-MS I). AAN 69th Annual Meeting, Boston, MA United States, 22-28 April 2017. Philadelphia, PA United States: Wolters Kluwer. doi: 10.1212/wnl.88.16_supplement.s24.005
2017
Conference Publication
Durable Improvement in Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis Who Discontinued SC IFNB-1a and Initiated Alemtuzumab: CARE-MS I Extension Study 4-Year Follow-up
Oreja-Guevara, Celia, Alroughani, Raed, Brassat, David, Boyko, Alexey N., McCombe, Pamela, Steingo, Brian, Van Wijmeersch, Bart, Margolin, David H., Thangavelu, Karthinathan, Rodriguez, Claudio E., Vermersch, Patrick and on behalf of the CARE-MS I and CAMMS03409 Investigators (2017). Durable Improvement in Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis Who Discontinued SC IFNB-1a and Initiated Alemtuzumab: CARE-MS I Extension Study 4-Year Follow-up. AAN 69th Annual Meeting, Boston, MA United States, 22-28 April 2017. Philadelphia, PA United States: Wolters Kluwer. doi: 10.1212/wnl.88.16_supplement.p5.360
2017
Journal Article
Treatment effectiveness of alemtuzumab compared with natalizumab, fingolimod, and interferon beta in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: a cohort study
Kalincik, Tomas, Brown, J. William L., Robertson, Neil, Willis, Mark, Scolding, Neil, Rice, Claire M., Wilkins, Alastair, Pearson, Owen, Ziemssen, Tjalf, Hutchinson, Michael, McGuigan, Christopher, Jokubaitis, Vilija, Spelman, Tim, Horakova, Dana, Havrdova, Eva, Trojano, Maria, Izquierdo, Guillermo, Lugaresi, Alessandra, Prat, Alexandre, Girard, Marc, Duquette, Pierre, Grammond, Pierre, Alroughani, Raed, Pucci, Eugenio, Sola, Patrizia, Hupperts, Raymond, Lechner-Scott, Jeannette, Terzi, Murat, Van Pesch, Vincent ... Grp, MSBase Study (2017). Treatment effectiveness of alemtuzumab compared with natalizumab, fingolimod, and interferon beta in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: a cohort study. Lancet Neurology, 16 (4), 271-281. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(17)30007-8
2017
Journal Article
Anthropometric measures are not accurate predictors of fat mass in ALS
Ioannides, Zara A., Steyn, Frederik J., Henderson, Robert D., Mccombe, Pamela A. and Ngo, Shyuan T. (2017). Anthropometric measures are not accurate predictors of fat mass in ALS. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration, 18 (7-8), 486-491. doi: 10.1080/21678421.2017.1317811
2017
Conference Publication
Timing of high-efficacy disease modifying therapies for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis
Merkel, B., Jokubaitis, V., Spelman, T., Horakova, D., Havrdova, E., Trojano, M., Izquierdo, G., Lugaresi, A., Prat, A., Girard, M., Duquette, P., Sola, P., Ferraro, D., Grammond, P., Hupperts, R., Bergamaschi, R., Alroughani, R., Boz, C., Terzi, M., Pucci, E., Van Pesch, V., Grand'Maison, F., Fernandez-Bolanos, R., Lechner-Scott, J., Spitaleri, D., Shaygannejad, V., Iuliano, G., Granella, F., Solaro, C. ... Kalincik, T. (2017). Timing of high-efficacy disease modifying therapies for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. 7th Joint European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS), Paris, France, 25-28 October 2017. London, United Kingdom: Sage Publications. doi: 10.1177/1352458517731283
2017
Conference Publication
Gelsolin, clusterin and Cd5L are the potential plasma biomarkers of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with and without cognitive impairment
Xu, Zhouwei, Lee, Aven, Henderson, Robert and McCombe, Pamela (2017). Gelsolin, clusterin and Cd5L are the potential plasma biomarkers of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with and without cognitive impairment. Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian-and-New-Zealand-Association-of-Neurologists (ANZAN), Gold Coast, Australia, 9-12 May 2017. London, United Kingdom: B M J Group. doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2017-316074.34
2017
Conference Publication
Screening for cognitive and behavioural impairment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: frequency of abnormality and effect on survival
Xu, Zhouwei, Alruwaili, Ashwag, Henderson, Robert and McCombe, Pamela (2017). Screening for cognitive and behavioural impairment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: frequency of abnormality and effect on survival. Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian-and-New-Zealand-Association-of-Neurologists (ANZAN), Gold Coast, QLD, Australia, 9-12 May 2017. London, United Kingdom: BMJ Group. doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2017-316074.29
2017
Conference Publication
Pregnancy incidence and therapy exposure in relapsing forms of MS: a 12-year retrospective multicentre analysis
Jokubaitis, V. G., Havrdova, E., Horakova, D., Izquierdo, G., Kalincik, T., van der Walt, A., Nguyen, A. -L., Terzi, M., Alroughani, R., Duquette, P., Girard, M., Prat, A., Boz, C., Sola, P., Lugaresi, A., Lechner-Scott, J., Barnett, M., Grand'Maison, F., Grammond, P., Ramo, C., Turkoglu, R., McCombe, P., Hupperts, R., Bolanos, R. Fernandez, Pucci, E., Trojano, M., Granella, F., Spitaleri, D., Van Pesch, V. ... Butzkueven, H. (2017). Pregnancy incidence and therapy exposure in relapsing forms of MS: a 12-year retrospective multicentre analysis. 7th Joint European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS), Paris, France, 25-28 October 2017. London, United Kingdom: Sage Publications. doi: 10.1177/1352458517731404
2017
Conference Publication
The risk of relapse following on-treatment clinically silent lesions in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis
Brown, J. W. L., Lugaresi, A., Horakova, D., Havrdova, E., Jokubaitis, V., Lechner-Scott, J., Trojano, M., Min, M., Shaw, C., Shuey, N., Slee, M., Mccombe, P., Van Pesch, V., Van Wijmeersch, B., Prevost, J., Moore, F., Prat, A., Girard, M., Duquette, P., Ayrignac, X., Sempere, A. Perez, Sanchez-Menoyo, J. L., Ramo-Tello, C., Csepany, T., Hutchinson, M., De Luca, G., Bergamaschi, R., Granella, F., Curti, E. ... Kalincik, T. (2017). The risk of relapse following on-treatment clinically silent lesions in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. 7th Joint European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS), Paris, France, 25-28 October 2017. London, United Kingdom: Sage Publications. doi: 10.1177/1352458517733228
2017
Conference Publication
Hypermetabolism in Motor Neurone Disease Is Associated with a Greater Functional Decline But Not Weight Loss
Ioannides, Zara A., Ngo, Shyuan T., Henderson, Robert D., McCombe, Pamela A. and Steyn, Frederik J. (2017). Hypermetabolism in Motor Neurone Disease Is Associated with a Greater Functional Decline But Not Weight Loss. Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian-and-New-Zealand-Association-of-Neurologists (ANZAN), Gold Coast, Australia, May 09-12, 2017. LONDON: BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP. doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2017-316074.18
2017
Conference Publication
Alemtuzumab demonstrated durable efficacy and safety in CARE-MS I patients switching from SC IFNB-1a: 5-year follow-up after alemtuzumab (TOPAZ study)
Oreja-Guevara, C., Alroughani, R., Brassat, D., Boyko, A. N., McCombe, P., Steingo, B., Van Wijmeersch, B., Margolin, D. H., Daizadeh, N., Rodriguez, C. E. and Vermersch, P. (2017). Alemtuzumab demonstrated durable efficacy and safety in CARE-MS I patients switching from SC IFNB-1a: 5-year follow-up after alemtuzumab (TOPAZ study). 7th Joint European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS), Paris, France, 25-28 October 2017. London, United Kingdom: Sage Publications. doi: 10.1177/1352458517731406
2017
Conference Publication
Pregnancy incidence, therapy exposure and post-partum relapse risk: a 12-year retrospective multicentre analysis
Jokubaitis, Vilija, Ai-Lan Nguyen,, Kalincik, Tomas, van der Walt, Anneke, Lechner-Scott, Jeannette, Barnett, Michael, McCombe, Pamela, Vucic, Steve, Hodgkinson, Suzanne, Slee, Mark, Skibina, Olga, Shaw, Cameron and Butzkueven, Helmut (2017). Pregnancy incidence, therapy exposure and post-partum relapse risk: a 12-year retrospective multicentre analysis. Progress in MS Research Conference, Sydney, Australia, 11-13 October 2017. London, United Kingdom: Sage Publications. doi: 10.1177/1352458517734699
2017
Journal Article
Assessment of motor units in neuromuscular disease
Henderson, Robert D. and McCombe, Pamela A. (2017). Assessment of motor units in neuromuscular disease. Neurotherapeutics, 14 (1), 69-77. doi: 10.1007/s13311-016-0473-z
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Pamela McCombe is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Survival and heterogeneity in Motor Neurone Disease
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Robert Henderson
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Doctor Philosophy
Studies of neurophysiology of motor neurone disease
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Robert Henderson
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Master Philosophy
Neurophysiology of Motor Neurone disease
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Robert Henderson
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Doctor Philosophy
Survival and heterogeneity in Motor Neurone Disease
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Robert Henderson
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Doctor Philosophy
Studies of myasthenia gravis using MGBase.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Stefan Blum
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Doctor Philosophy
The potential role of CXCR2 activation in motor neuron disease
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Trent Woodruff, Dr Jenny Fung, Dr John Lee
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Doctor Philosophy
The role of Epstein-Barr virus infection in multiple sclerosis
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Judith Greer
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Doctor Philosophy
The potential role of CXCR2 activation in motor neuron disease
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Trent Woodruff, Dr Jenny Fung, Dr John Lee
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Doctor Philosophy
The Role of Neutrophils in Motor Neuron Disease
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Trent Woodruff, Dr Jenny Fung, Dr John Lee, Dr Cedric Cui
Completed supervision
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
Defining the Clinical Phenotype of Autoantibody Associated Epilepsy
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Kristen Radford
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2022
Master Philosophy
Studies of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Robert Henderson
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2018
Doctor Philosophy
Clinical and laboratory features of ALS
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Robert Henderson, Dr Aven Lee
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2017
Master Philosophy
Energy metabolism in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Assessment of body composition and energy expenditure
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Robert Henderson, Associate Professor Shyuan Ngo, Associate Professor Frederik Steyn
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2017
Doctor Philosophy
Measuring the progression of upper motor neuron disease using diffusion MRI and its correlation with Clinical phenotype
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Robert Henderson, Dr Nyoman Kurniawan, Dr Kerstin Pannek
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2014
Doctor Philosophy
Pathogenesis of Guillain-Barre syndrome and chronic inflammatory polyradiculoneuropathy
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Judith Greer
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2012
Doctor Philosophy
Biomarkers of Motor Neurone Disease : Neurophysiological studies of lower motor degeneration
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Robert Henderson
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2007
Doctor Philosophy
EXAMINATION OF SURFACE-RECORDED MOTOR UNITS AND A NEW APPROACH TO MOTOR UNIT NUMBER ESTIMATES
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Judith Greer
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2003
Doctor Philosophy
IMMUNOSUPPRESSION IN EXPERIMENTAL AUTOIMMUNE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS
Principal Advisor
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Multimodal evaluation of autoimmune encephalitis in Queensland
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Stefan Blum
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
Asymmetry and Vulnerability in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Robert Henderson
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2013
Doctor Philosophy
Molecular analysis of the motor neuron disease-associated protein, TDP-43
Associate Advisor
Media
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