Find an expert

I am fascinated with how much we have learned about the function and architecture of inhibitory synapses at the molecular level and how much we still need to discover to understand how deficits in synaptic inhibition in our brain lead to neurological conditions.My research focuses on GABA-A and Glycine receptors, the major constituents of inhibitory synapses in the central nervous system. These receptors are pentameric ligand-gated ion channels that allow the passage of Cl- ions across the neuronal membrane. Their proper function is critical for the maintenance of appropriate neuronal excitability and consequently, changes in the inhibitory system are implicated in a range of neurological conditions including epilepsy, addiction, alcohol withdrawal syndrome, anxiety disorders, chronic pain, autism, spasticity, and autoimmune encephalitis. In most of these disorders we are only able to treat symptoms rather than the underlying cause of the disease and this is largely because we do not fully understand the relationship between inhibitory neuro-receptors and their interaction partners at inhibitory synapses.

Goals to achieve

I would like to better understand the molecular basis of neurological diseases by examining the relationships between function, cellular localisation and organisation of GABA-A and Glycine receptors, and how these properties change in neurological disorders. The overreaching aim is to better understand the underlying deficits at a molecular level to enable the identification of novel pharmacological targets for the development of clinically relevant strategies.

The approach

We use a combination of quantitative super-resolution microscopy and electrophysiology to gain a quantitative understanding of how molecules found in synapses drive neurological processes. The microscopy techniques include stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM), photoactivated localization microscopy (PALM), single particle tracking (SPT) and single step photobleaching. We also use various confocal microscopy approaches. With these methods, we can directly visualize proteins that are involved in different cellular processes, accurately measure the absolute number of molecules in protein clusters, follow molecular interactions on relevant time scales (10 ms to 1 s), and reconstruct synaptic architecture with localisation precision comparable to the size of a single inhibitory neuro-receptor (~ 10 nm). As new tools facilitate new biology, our efforts also go towards the development of new methods that aim to overcome the limitations of current techniques and help us visualize action of molecular complexes in the cell in real time.

GABA-A a Glycine receptors are targets of many clinically important drugs including neurosteroids, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and general anaesthetics. Electrophysiology allows us to test channel function and the effects of drugs. We are able to characterise inhibitory synaptic currents mediated by GABA-A and Glycine receptors with desired subunit composition using synapses formed between HEK293 cells and neuronal presynaptic terminals (“artificial synapses”). This system is particularly useful when testing the impact of genetic mutations on channel function as neuronal postsynaptic terminals contain many neuroreceptor subtypes and the properties of synaptic currents in neurons reflect that diversity. The “artificial synapse” system allows the recording of inhibitory synaptic currents mediated by the receptors containing disease-associated subunits in isolation from other subtypes. We routinely use this technique to understand the functional properties of Glycine and GABA-A receptor variants found in hereditary neurological disorders and to test how clinically relevant drugs modulate their properties.

Biography

Nela Durisic obtained a PhD degree from McGill University in Canada where she used quantum dots and fluorescence fluctuation techniques to show that the fluorescent emission of quantum dots can be used to measure intracellular oxygen content. Upon completion of her PhD, she joined the Laboratory of Melike Lakadamyali (currently University of Pennsylvania) where she developed a technique for direct counting of proteins in small clusters using quantitative PALM microscopy and used this technique to count the number of α1 and β subunits in Glycine receptors. For her second postdoctoral training, she joined the laboratory Joe Lynch (Emeritus Professor, Queensland Brain Institute) to study the functional properties of inhibitory neuro-receptors. Since June 2021, Dr Durisic is running an independent research program at Queensland Brain Institute.

Dr. Kate Dutton-Regester is a Lecturer at the University of Queensland's School of Veterinary Science with a strong interest in wildlife conservation. Specialising in Reproductive Biology, Physiology, Animal Behaviour, and Epidemiology, she has worked with diverse species, from livestock to Asian elephants and the short-beaked echidna.

Currently, Kate leads multiple research projects, including investigation into wildlife hospital admissions across Australia, the study of free-ranging cats and their impact on wildlife, and, the distribution and abundance of short-beaked echidnas. Her work aims to contribute valuable insights to wildlife conservation.

Please contact Kate if interested in research projects related to any of these topics.

Prof Paul E. Dux is a psychologist and neuroscientist who received his PhD from Macquarie University and then undertook a postdoctoral fellowship at Vanderbilt University. He has been faculty in the School of Psychology at The University of Queensland since 2009. Dux leads a group that uses cutting edge techniques to study the cognitive and neural underpinnings of human information-processing capacity limitations in health and disease. Specific interests are the mechanisms of attention and executive function and the efficacy of cognitive training and brain stimulation and how they change the brain to improve performance. Dux has published widely, received several research awards and attracted funding from both the ARC and NHMRC.

My research focuses on applied and theoretical questions in the fields of restoration, population and community ecology. In general, I use Australian plant communities, both human-impacted and natural, to provide empirical tests of ecological theory. I am particularly interested in the processes that maintain species diversity and ecosystem function, and how these processes may be altered by human activity and ongoing climate change. I am also interested in natural regrowth vegetation and how it can be used to sequester carbon and enhance biodiversity in fragmented landscapes. Overall, I aim to advance ecological knowledge and inform better management of our unique ecosystems and landscapes.

Dr Amalie Dyda is an infectious disease epidemiologist working as a teaching and research academic in the School of Public Health. In 2009 she completed a Master of Applied Epidemiology at the Australian National University, followed by a PhD investigating vaccine preventable diseases in adults at the University of New South Wales in 2017. She has experience working as a field epidemiologist in numerous health departments throughout Australia and has research experience in infectious diseases, data linkage and public health informatics. She is currently working on projects investigating the use of technology and machine learning methods to assist the public health response to infectious diseases, and links between social media use and health. Additionally, Amalie does a lot of work to improve gender equity in health and medical research, including working as part of the peer advisory committee for Franklin Women.

Before joining the School of Economics in 2001, Peter Earl had spent a decade as Professor of Economics at Lincoln University in New Zealand. He decided to move to UQ after spending a semester in the School of Economics as a Visiting Professor in 1999 and having been impressed by the Library, the quality of the students and the School's strength in evolutionary economics.

He specialises in business economics, consumer research and economic method, with an interest in the impact of psychological factors and problems of information and knowledge on decision-making. He is also interested in Post Keynesian approaches to macroeconomics and monetary theory.

His approach blends elements from Austrian Economics, Behavioral Economics, Evolutionary Economics, Institutional Economics and Post Keynesian Economics. He has served as co-editor of the Journal of Economic Psychology and is a founding member of the editorial boards of Review of Political Economy and Marketing Theory. He is the author or editor of eighteen books and numerous articles and book chapters.

Associate Professor Melissa Eastgate is the Operation Director of Cancer Care Services at the RBWH, acting stream lead Metro North HHS Cancer Care Services and has acted as the Executive Director of Cancer Care Services. Melissa is the current Chair of the Medical Oncology Group of Australia. Melissa completed her medical degree at the University of Queensland and gained her FRACP in Medical Onoclogy in 2004. Since then she has worked at the RBWH as a medical oncologist, with her main clinical interests being melanoma and gastrointestinal cancers, in which areas she is an active researcher. Melissa established the Melanoma MDT at the RBWH. Melissa supervises physician trainees throughout their training and is the previous Chair of the RACP Advanced Training Committee for Medical Oncology. Melissa has a strong interest in enabling access to care for patients, having provided outreach services to Bundaberg for nine years, and currently is the medical lead of the Telechemotherapy service in Longreach and Barcaldine.

Genetics of mental health (new research)

We are using the genetic model organism, C. elegans, do investigate the genetic basis of both normal and disordered behaviour. Our current interests are identifying the genes responsible for anxiety and depression as well as the genes for eating disoders and addiction. Using C. elegans as a model organism will also allow us to study gene function as it relates to behaviour.

Molecular mechanisms of phosphine resistance (other research)

Genetic mapping of oxidative stress resistance genes. The fumigant phosphine disrupts oxidative metabolism, resulting in the production of reactive oxygen intermediates. This causes the premature ageing and death of targeted pests. Insect pests of stored grain in Australia now exhibit resistance to phosphine at levels more than 200 times the normal lethal dose.

We have genetically mappedf and identified the genes responsible for phosphine resistance in tall major insect pests of stored grain. We are using a systems biology approach in the model organism C. elegans to understand the molecular basis of phosphine action. Our genetic studies have recently shown that resistance to phosphine is associated with an extension of lifespan

Birgitta Ebert’s research focuses on developing biotechnology concepts to address critical challenges such as pollution, climate change and overexploitation of natural resources.

She specializes in improving microbial catalysts for eco-friendly chemical and material production by leveraging metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, systems analysis, and modelling. Her goal is to create microbial cell factories that convert renewable resources and waste into valuable products, reducing reliance on petrochemicals. She collaborates closely with chemists and chemical engineers to enhance the integration of chemical and biological processes for improved efficiency and sustainability.

Birgitta has a background in Chemical Engineering and a PhD in Systems Biotechnology from TU Dortmund University (Germany). She led a research group in Systems Metabolic Engineering at the Institute of Applied Microbiology at RWTH Aachen University (Germany) from 2012 to 2019. In 2016, she expanded her expertise in Synthetic Biology by joining the Keasling lab at the University of California in Berkeley and the Joint BioEnergy Institute in Emeryville (USA).

Since April 2019, she has been at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology at the University of Queensland, applying her expertise to engineer microbial cell factories for fermentation-based manufacturing.

Rebekah completed her PhD in 2017 and investigated the complex interplay between the users, effective use, and impacts of organizational-wide information systems. In 2017, Rebekah also served as a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of Queensland and extended her theoretical and methodological expertise to the healthcare context. She continued to deepen her expertise in the health domain as a senior lecturer at the Queensland University of Technology between 2018-2022 and integrated this knowledge into authentic teaching cases in enterprise systems management subjects. In 2023, Rebekah became a senior research fellow at the within the UQ Business School as part of the Health Research Accelerator Initiative. She is also an active member of the UQ Business School's Future of Health Research Hub (https://business.uq.edu.au/research/research-hubs/future-health)

Rebekah’s research centres on the digital transformation of healthcare, including the impacts of the transformation, how effectively health information systems and their data are used, and areas critical to the success of the transformation such as governance and culture. To provide insights into this phenomenon, Rebekah adopts a mixed methods approach involving qualitative case studies, interviews, and focus groups, and quantitative survey-based techniques. Rebekah has published her work in a variety of forums, including MIS Quarterly Executive, Journal of Medical Internet Research, Medical Journal of Australia, Communications of the AIS, Australian Health Review, and the International Conference of Information Systems. She serves on the editorial of the Communications of the AIS and has been a guest editor at several journals and conferences.

Dr Daniel Edge-Garza is a horticulture and crop geneticist at the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation at the University of Queensland, Australia. His research interests are to develop and translate tools using genome-wide DNA information for breeders and growers to make meaningful decisions. Daniel’s PhD awarded by the University of Queensland in 2024 focused on identifying global G x E patterns to assist with improved germplasm-environment matching for commercial deployment. Before joining QAAFI, he obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Biological Sciences in 2005 and Master's Degree in Biotechnology in 2009 both at California State University, Fresno. From 2008, he worked as a faculty associate in research for tree fruit breeding at Washington State University becoming recognized worldwide for his efforts to streamline the deployment of DNA tests for pome and stone fruit breeding programs. He has also collaborated with the Genome Database for Rosaceae since 2018 to curate genomics data and train breeders on how to upload and access their data on the Breeding Information Management System.

Shannon Edmed is a Research Fellow at the Child Health Research Centre and ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families Over the Life Course (Life Course Centre). She has an interest in environmental effects on sleep (including household and neighbourhood characteristics), and mental health and wellbeing.