Overview
Background
Dr Melanie Robitaille is a Senior Research Fellow working with the Calcium Signalling in Therapeutics Team (CaSTT) in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. This team specializes in the development and application of novel methodologies and cellular assays in drug discovery, including the use of genetically encoded indicator for high-content imaging in live cells.
Her interests are to elucidate how calcium signals are remodelled in disease states, to identify calcium transporters as new therapeutic targets and to develop molecular and cellular screening tools to be used in drug development programs. She has an established profile in cellular and molecular biology, with high expertise in plasmid cloning, lentiviral transduction and the use of CRISPR/Cas9 to modulate gene expression.
Availability
- Dr Melanie Robitaille is:
- Not available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, Université de Montréal
Works
Search Professor Melanie Robitaille’s works on UQ eSpace
2026
Conference Publication
Spatially organised, bioprinted 3D multicellular tumour microenvironment platforms for high-content live imaging and drug screening
Krolinski, Adrian, Morenc, Malgorzata, Robitaille, Melanie, Monteith, Gregory, Friedrich, Oliver, Hutmacher, Dietmar W. and Bock, Nathalie (2026). Spatially organised, bioprinted 3D multicellular tumour microenvironment platforms for high-content live imaging and drug screening. TERMIS-EU, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, 20-24 April 2026. New Rochelle, NY, United States: Mary Ann Liebert.
2026
Journal Article
Wnt-dependent Frizzled clustering is required for Dishevelled phosphorylation but insufficient for β-catenin stabilization
Moldaver, Sarah, Thibeault, Pierre E., Robitaille, Mélanie, Au, Aaron, Lin, Sichun, MacLeod, Graham, Junge, Harald J., Gammons, Melissa V., Yip, Christopher M. and Angers, Stephane (2026). Wnt-dependent Frizzled clustering is required for Dishevelled phosphorylation but insufficient for β-catenin stabilization. Science Signaling, 19 (932) eaec0204. doi: 10.1126/scisignal.aec0204
2026
Conference Publication
SPCA1-dependent golgi regulation controls coronavirus spike processing and fusion activity
Robitaille, Melanie, Forouz, Farzaneh, Bhavsar, Chintan, Roberts-Thomson, Sarah, Labzin, Larisa and Monteith, Gregory (2026). SPCA1-dependent golgi regulation controls coronavirus spike processing and fusion activity. 18th International Meeting of the European Calcium Society, Doha, Qatar, 1-4 February 2026.
2025
Conference Publication
Assessment of ORAI1 modulators on prostate cancer cells in 3D culture
Abourisha, Magda, Forouz, Farzaneh, Roberts-Thomson, Sarah, Monteith, Gregory R. and Robitaille, Melanie (2025). Assessment of ORAI1 modulators on prostate cancer cells in 3D culture. 2025 ASCEPT and Hypertension Australia Joint Scientific Meeting, Adelaide, SA, Australia, 9-12 December 2025.
2025
Conference Publication
Bivalent opioid peptides modulate peripheral mu and delta receptors for pain therapy
Zhang, Junkai, Robitaille, Melanie, Saifuddin, Danial, Ross, Benjamin P. and Cabot, Peter J. (2025). Bivalent opioid peptides modulate peripheral mu and delta receptors for pain therapy. 2025 ASCEPT and Hypertension Australia Joint Scientific Meeting, Adelaide, SA, Australia, 9-12 December 2025.
2025
Journal Article
Remodeling of calcium signaling and store operated calcium entry as a consequence of human neural progenitor cell differentiation
Chalmers, Silke B., Robitaille, Mélanie, Sadras, Francisco, Roberts-Thomson, Sarah J. and Monteith, Gregory R. (2025). Remodeling of calcium signaling and store operated calcium entry as a consequence of human neural progenitor cell differentiation. Scientific Reports, 15 (1) 38867, 1-12. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-22675-y
2025
Conference Publication
Bivalent peptide agonists targeting peripheral kappa and nociceptin opioid receptors for pain management
Habib, Muhaimin, Saifuddin, Danial, Robitaille, Mélanie and Cabot, Peter (2025). Bivalent peptide agonists targeting peripheral kappa and nociceptin opioid receptors for pain management. Society for Neuroscience (SFN) conference, San Diego, CA, United States, 15-19 November 2025.
2025
Conference Publication
Targeting peripheral mu and delta opioid receptors with bivalent opioid peptides for pain treatment
Zhang, Junkai, Saifuddin, Danial, Robitaille, Melanie, Ross, Benjamin and Cabot, Peter (2025). Targeting peripheral mu and delta opioid receptors with bivalent opioid peptides for pain treatment. Society for Neuroscience (SFN) conference, San Diego, CA, United States, 15-19 November 2025.
2025
Journal Article
Protein diversity in store-operated calcium entry components and their related variants
Robitaille, Mélanie (2025). Protein diversity in store-operated calcium entry components and their related variants. Cell Calcium, 131 103066, 1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ceca.2025.103066
2025
Journal Article
ORAI1α and ORAI1β have differential sensitivity to extracellular pH
Robitaille, Mélanie, McCullough, Michael H., So, Choon Leng, Roberts-Thomson, Sarah J. and Monteith, Gregory R. (2025). ORAI1α and ORAI1β have differential sensitivity to extracellular pH. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta. Molecular Cell Research, 1872 (7) 120010, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2025.120010
2025
Journal Article
Cancer Progression and the Calcium Signaling Toolkit: Expanding Dimensions and Perspectives
Robitaille, Mélanie and Monteith, Gregory R. (2025). Cancer Progression and the Calcium Signaling Toolkit: Expanding Dimensions and Perspectives. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology, 18 (1) a041767, 1-17. doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041767
2025
Other Outputs
FLIPR raw data
Robitaille, Melanie, Roberts-Thomson, Sarah and Monteith, Gregory (2025). FLIPR raw data. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/e3133eb
2024
Conference Publication
Targeting peripheral mu and delta heterodimer receptors with bivalent opioid peptides
Zhang, Junkai, Robitaille, Melanie, Saifuddin, Danial, Ross, Benjamin and Cabot, Peter (2024). Targeting peripheral mu and delta heterodimer receptors with bivalent opioid peptides. ASCEPT, APFP & APSA Joint Conference, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 1 - 4 December 2024.
2024
Conference Publication
The effect of enhanced Ca2+ influx by IA65 on ORAI1-mediated Interleukin-6 gene expression in breast cancer cells
Han, Jihye, Forouz, Farzaneh, Roberts-Thomson, Sarah J., Monteith, Gregory R., Bong, Alice H. L. and Robitaille, Melanie (2024). The effect of enhanced Ca2+ influx by IA65 on ORAI1-mediated Interleukin-6 gene expression in breast cancer cells. ASCEPT, APFP & APSA Joint Conference, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 1 - 4 December 2024.
2024
Conference Publication
Developing a cell-based model to assess the effect of intermittent dabrafenib exposure on melanoma cells
Nagarajan, Anika, Forouz, Farzaneh, Roberts-Thomson, Sarah J., Monteith, Gregory R., Schaider, Helmut and Robitaille, Melanie (2024). Developing a cell-based model to assess the effect of intermittent dabrafenib exposure on melanoma cells. ASCEPT, APFP & APSA Joint Conference, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 1 - 4 December 2024.
2024
Conference Publication
Bivalent peptide agonists targeting peripheral Kappa and Nociceptin heterodimer opioid receptors for the treatment of pain and opioid use disorder
Habib, Muhaimin, Saifuddin, Danial, Robitaille, Mélanie and Cabot, Peter (2024). Bivalent peptide agonists targeting peripheral Kappa and Nociceptin heterodimer opioid receptors for the treatment of pain and opioid use disorder. ASCEPT, APFP & APSA Joint Conference, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 1 - 4 December 2024.
2024
Journal Article
TMCO1 is upregulated in breast cancer and regulates the response to pro-apoptotic agents in breast cancer cells
Bong, Alice H. L., Robitaille, Mélanie, Lin, Sichun, McCart-Reed, Amy, Milevskiy, Michael, Angers, Stéphane, Roberts-Thomson, Sarah J. and Monteith, Gregory R. (2024). TMCO1 is upregulated in breast cancer and regulates the response to pro-apoptotic agents in breast cancer cells. Cell Death Discovery, 10 (1) 421, 1-12. doi: 10.1038/s41420-024-02183-0
2024
Conference Publication
Understanding changes in host cell calcium signalling during coronavirus infection
Chan, Shao Ming, Monteith, Gregory, Roberts-Thomson, Sarah, Labzin, Larisa and Robitaille, Mélanie (2024). Understanding changes in host cell calcium signalling during coronavirus infection. OPTIONS XII for the Control of Influenza, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 29 September - 2 October 2024.
2024
Conference Publication
Calcium signaling in the breast cancer microenvironment
Forouz, Farzaneh, Bong, Alice H., Robitaille, Melanie, Roberts-Thomson, Sarah and Monteith, Gregory (2024). Calcium signaling in the breast cancer microenvironment. BioMolecular Horizons 2024, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 22-26 September 2024.
2024
Conference Publication
ORAI1 isoforms have differential sensitivity to extracellular pH
Robitaille, Melanie, McCullough, Michael H., So, Choon Leng, Roberts-Thomson, Sarah J. and Monteith, Gregory R. (2024). ORAI1 isoforms have differential sensitivity to extracellular pH. BioMolecular Horizons 2024, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 22-26 September 2024.
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Melanie Robitaille is:
- Not available for supervision
Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
The intersection between calcium signaling and coronavirus infection
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Gregory Monteith, Dr Larisa Labzin
-
Doctor Philosophy
Synthesis and characterisation of dynorphin and hemopressin analogues within novel bivalent constructs to target both CB1 and KOP receptors
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Rink-Jan Lohman, Dr Danial Saifuddin, Professor Peter Cabot
-
Doctor Philosophy
Mutation Targeting Therapy for Cancer with dCas9
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Joy Wolfram
-
Doctor Philosophy
Targeting peripheral mu and delta opioid receptors with bivalent opioid peptides for pain treatment
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Ben Ross, Dr Danial Saifuddin, Professor Peter Cabot
-
Doctor Philosophy
Calcium-mediated Signaling Pathways in Breast Cancer
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Gregory Monteith
-
Doctor Philosophy
Development of novel methods to identify calcium channels and pumps as drug targets in diseases.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Gregory Monteith
-
Doctor Philosophy
Designing novel bivalent ligands that target the Kappa and nociceptin opioid receptors for reduced side effects
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Danial Saifuddin, Dr Rink-Jan Lohman, Professor Peter Cabot
Completed supervision
-
2025
Doctor Philosophy
Calcium signalling in the context of cell-in-cell structures in a model of entosis in breast cancer cells
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Gregory Monteith
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Shape- and matrix-density mediated changes in calcium signalling in breast cancer cells
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Gregory Monteith
Media
Enquiries
For media enquiries about Dr Melanie Robitaille's areas of expertise, story ideas and help finding experts, contact our Media team: