(MENAFN- The Conversation)

• Senior Lecturer in Pharmacology, University of Adelaide

Profile Articles Activity

I am a molecular pharmacologist who works at the University of Adelaide, Australia. I have a broad interest in the understanding of how surface receptors can modulate neuronal function and survival, as well as interests in natural product pharmacology and drug design. As well I am interested in evolutionary biology, science communication (committee member of SA Science Communicators) and am an avid amateur astronomer. My astronomy blog is astroblog.

I did postdoctoral work in the Institute of Pharmacology at the Free University of Berlin in 1991-1994, returning to Australia in 1994. I have collaborated with Professor John Carver, Dr. Scot Smid and Professor Colin Barrow on using natural products to attack the neurodegeneration process in Alzheimer's Disease. I was recently elected as convenor of the Toxicology Special Interest Group of the Australasian Society for Pharmacology and Toxicology. I am also collaborating with Professor Roger Byard on the forensic implications of herbal medicines. I have held NH&MRC funding and currently hold ARC funding.

Experience

• 2001–present Senior Lecturer, University of Adelaide

Education

• 1989 University of Melbourne, PhD (Pharmacology)

Publications

• 2016 Caffeine toxicity in forensic practice: possible effects and under-appreciated sources., Forensic Sci Med Pathol
• 2016 Evidence For and Against a Pathogenic Role of Reduced γ-Secretase Activity in Familial Alzheimer's Disease., J Alzheimers Dis.
• 2016 Bioactive polyphenol interactions with β amyloid: a comparison of binding modelling, effects on fibril and aggregate formation and neuroprotective capacity., Food Funct.
• 2016 The Amyloid Fibril-Forming Properties of the Amphibian Antimicrobial Peptide Uperin 3.5., Chembiochem.
• 2015 Alzheimer's disease-related peptide PS2V plays ancient, conserved roles in suppression of the unfolded protein response under hypoxia and stimulation of γ-secretase activity., Hum Mol Genet.
• 2015 A comparison of patterns of spontaneous adverse drug reaction reporting with St. John's Wort and fluoxetine during the period 2000-2013., Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol.
• 2015 Combined DNA, toxicological and heavy metal analyses provides an auditing toolkit to improve pharmacovigilance of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)., Sci Rep
• 2014 Forensic problems with the composition and content of herbal medicines., J Forensic Leg Med.
• 2014 Hemin as a generic and potent protein misfolding inhibitor., Biochem Biophys Res Commun.
• 2014 SEVI, the semen enhancer of HIV infection along with fragments from its central region, form amyloid fibrils that are toxic to neuronal cells., Biochim Biophys Acta.
• 2014 Lethal hepatocellular necrosis associated with herbal polypharmacy in a patient with chronic hepatitis B infection., Forensic Sci Int.
• 2010 alphaB-Crystallin inhibits the cell toxicity associated with amyloid fibril formation, Cell Stress Chaperones
• 2010 Herbal medicines and forensic investigations, Forensic Sci Med Pathol.
• 2009 (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) maintains kappa-casein in its pre-fibrillar state..., J Mol Biol

Grants and Contracts

• 2016 In vitro toxicology assessment of herbal medicines Role: Co-investigator Funding Source: Curtin University Small Grant
• 2014 New Models of Alzhemier's disease Role: Co-investigator Funding Source: University of Adelaide Internal Grant
• 2013 APP1061329 Development of 'omics-based approaches to investigate labelling accuracy and legality of herbal medicine in Australia Role: Co-investigator Funding Source: National Health and Medical Research Council
• 2010 Enzymatic synthesis, microencapsulation and biological evaluation of a new class of... Role: Co-investigator Funding Source: ARC

Professional Memberships

• Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists
• Australasian Neuroscience Society

Research Areas

• Food Engineering (090802)
• Biocatalysis And Enzyme Technology (100301)
• Basic Pharmacology (111501)
• Cell Neurochemistry (060105)
• Natural Products Chemistry (030502)

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