Jacqueline Phillips BVSc (Hons; Uni. of Syd.) PhD (ANU, Canberra ACT).

While my career in science began as a veterinarian, my interest in research grew after receiving research scholarships to work at the CSIRO in Sydney Australia and also Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, USA. After 2 years in clinical practice I started my PhD with Professor Caryl Hill at the John Curtin School of Medical Research (Australian National University), looking at the way nerves and receptors control blood flow to the liver and the gut. I then worked at the University of Auckland with Professor Janusz Lipski.

I now have a great team of staff and students and a really exciting research program. As well as research, I am working as Director of the new Health Research Institute at Murdoch University and am actively involved in the Australian Neuroscience Society http://www.ans.org.au/ and Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR) http://www.asmr.org.au/

j.k.phillips@murdoch.edu.au

Dr Joanne Harrison BSc Hons (Imperial, London). MSc (University of Aberdeen and Scottish Agricultural College). PhD (University of Aberdeen and Rowett Research Institute).

I have been a postdoctoral research fellow at Murdoch University since 2006.

I completed my undergraduate degree in animal science at Imperial (formerly Wye College, Ashford, Kent) and at Massey University (Palmerston North, New Zealand). After graduation I moved to Aberdeen to undertake an MSc in mammalian reproduction and fertility at the University of Aberdeen and Scottish Agricultural College. My MSc thesis encouraged me to move on in research. My PhD was completed in March 2006 under the excellent guidance of Dr David Miller at the University of Aberdeen (now at Murdoch University) and Dr Clare Adam at the Rowett Research Institute. My thesis looked at the role ghrelin, a stomach derived orexigenic hormone, plays in the regulation of both appetite and reproduction in the sheep.

My work at Murdoch is examining the relative role of the sensory nerves and the hormone angiotensin II in driving the sympathetic nervous system to increase blood pressure. We want to determine what parts of the brain are important in the pathway, and will also test treatments that block the two different pathways (nerves vs. hormones) to see what is the most effective way of controlling not only blood pressure but also slowing down the progression of kidney and cardiovascular disease.

Joanne.Harrison@murdoch.edu.au

Dr Linda Dawson

I started my career in science in 1999 as a mature age student undertaking a BSc at Murdoch in Biomedical Science and Molecular Biology with a minor in Biological Psychology.  My honours and PhD were completed at Royal Perth Hospital where I looked at the expression of a novel protein in prostate cancer cells before joining Jacqueline’s group in 2007 as a postdoctoral research fellow. I am now researching Alpha 1-receptor expression and cutaneous innervation in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, a completely new area of research, and am thoroughly enjoying the change and challenge.

Steve Callahan.

Steve is a technologist with the Department of Physiology. His primary duties include managing the School's IT system and running the Physiology Practical class series.

callahan@murdoch.edu.au

I returned to Murdoch University in 2007 after finishing my undergraduate and honours study here in 2002. After graduating I worked at CSIRO in Perth within the Division of Livestock Industries. I worked on many projects including salinity and pasture analysis as well as the reduction or methane production in sheep. I left CSIRO to travel and whilst living in London worked at the Institute for Cancer research, in the Breakthrough Generations Study. I have returned to Perth and Murdoch and I am the Physiology Technician\Research assistant.

C.auckland@murdoch.edu.au

Paula Fuller

In 1999 I began a BSc in Molecular Biology at Murdoch University and two years later added Biomedical Science as a double major. This turned out to be a great move, as it exposed me to the wide world of biomedical research and after completing my degree I enrolled in honours. My project examined the NMDA receptor subtype population of two neuron pools (in the rat brain) that are oppositely affected by a particular motor neuron degenerative disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). I'm now completing my PhD, though my project is very different from that of my honours! It involves determining the interaction between new generation post slaughter technologies, skeletal neuromuscular transmission and carcass quality in sheep.

p.fuller@murdoch.edu.au

Jada Yengkopiong

Jada is writing up his thesis on the Mendelian genetics of inheritance of a recessive gene that causes this disease in a new rat model.

J.Yengkopiong@murdoch.edu.au

Ben Wyse

In 2006 I completed my BSc Biomedical Science and Molecular Biology with Honours.  I was very keen to pursue a career in research particularly in this new and exciting field that the Phillips group is studying - Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD). My project is examining the effect of the Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System in the establishment and maintenance of hypertension in Polycystic Kidney Disease.  The molecular techniques I am using include Quantitative PCR, immunohistochemistry, and ELISAs.  As this is novel research, I am very enthusiastic about the results this project will yield and the possible implications for PKD. 

Tamara Alexander

I am Tammi and I completed my Bachelor of Science, Medical Science at Curtin University, and then chose to do my honours at Murdoch.  For my honours I am studying the ultrastructure of polycystic kidney disease using electron microscopy. 

Niloufer Johansen, BSc Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University

After having completed my undergraduate degree in Biomedical Science at Murdoch University, I was determined to research on a relatively unknown human disease for my Honours year – something that involved both neuroscience and immunology. I am lucky to be a part of a research group working on elucidating the pathophysiology of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) – a disease characterized by an excessive neuropathic-type pain which is far greater than what is predicted for a given stimulus. My component of the project looks at the role of the immune system, if any, in CRPS, thus combining both fields of neuroscience and immunology. I will be using immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy and light microscopy to help shed some light on the nature of the immune system in CRPS-afflicted patients. Previously I have been privileged to have participated in the Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease project via the Murdoch Summer Scholarship Program 2006-7 and an independent study contract (research-based undergraduate unit) in 2007. Thanks to these experiences, some of the technical skills I have learnt include DNA isolation and extraction from the ARPKD rat model as well as quantifying cyst sizes in order to assess its ability to be a potential predictor of ARPKD prognosis.

Kellysan Powers-Martin

Kelly began as a research assistant in 2001 and then moved to a PhD programme, submitting her thesis in 2008. Kelly's work examined blood pressure effects of nitric oxide in the brain and spinal cord.  Kelly is taking a well earned break from her studies.

K.Powers-Martin@murdoch.edu.au

Su Ann Ang

I came over to Murdoch University to pursue a BSc. in Molecular Biology with a double major in Biomedical Science, followed by an honours program under my supervisor, Dr Jacqueline Philips. My honours project was on the “Neural versus humoral activation of the sympathetic nervous system in renal disease.”

Rhonda Loxley

Laboratory Technician for Department of Physiology 2002 - 2006.
Rhonda now works for the Division of Science at Murdoch University.

r.loxley@murdoch.edu.au

Mark Edwards

Honours 2003-2004

Mark has left Perth to undertake his PhD within the Grain Foods CRC at Southern Cross University (SCU), Lismore.

mark2000@globaldial.com

Anna Barron

Research Assistant September 2003-Jan. 2005.

Anna is now doing her PhD at the University of Western Australia with Professor Ralph Martins. Her work is examining the impact of sex hormones in risk and progression of Alzheimer's disease.

abarron@cyllene.uwa.edu.au

Susannah Cleary  

Susannah did her  PhD with our collaborators Dr Graeme Eisenhoffer and Dr Karel Pacak at NIH Washington DC. She is now back in the US undertaking a postdoctoral research project, again at NIH.

clearys@ninds.nih.gov 

Andrew Williams BSc (Chemistry and Biochemistry) UWA

Andrew worked with us on an MLA post slaughter processing project. He now works within the School with Dr Graham Gardner.

 Andrew.Williams@murdoch.edu.au

Gael Gibbs

Gale finished Honours in 2006 and is now the Disability Support Officer for Central Student Administration, Equity, Health and Counselling .

g.gibbs@murdoch.edu.au