Honorary Research Fellow
Overview
Dr Nigel Kee's research combines classic developmental biology approaches with in vitro human stem cell technologies to model and test how stem cells can be instructed to build the different tissues of our bodies. These stem-cell based models can be used to (a) understand and model basic principles of how stem cells make lineage specification decisions, and to (b) serve as in vitro platforms for the modelling of human diseases. Dr Kee completed his doctorate from the department of Cell and Molecular Biology at Karolinska Institutet in 2017. Here, he trained in the then-emerging technology of single-cell RNA-sequencing to guide the refinement of stem cell protocols targeting Parkinson’s Disease. Following this, Dr Kee secured two back-to-back Fellowships from the Swedish Brain Foundation and the Swedish Society for Medical Research, which funded a 5-year post-doctoral appointment at both Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University. During this period, Dr Kee also secured CIA project funding to support his development of human stem cell 2.5D assembloid models of posterior body axis development. These human assembloid models are comprised of a complex mix of nerve and muscle cell types, that are designed to assist future modelling of neuromuscular conditions such as muscular dystrophies, peripheral neuropathies, and motor neuron disease. Dr Kee returned to Australia in 2022, where he has been appointed as a visiting postdoctoral researcher to SBMS. Here, Dr Kee will continue his research on human stem cell models of development, with a focus on neuromuscular tissue engineering and disease modelling.
Publications
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Journal Article: Spatial RNA sequencing identifies robust markers of vulnerable and resistant human midbrain dopamine neurons and their expression in Parkinson's Disease
Aguila, Julio, Cheng, Shangli, Kee, Nigel, Cao, Ming, Wang, Menghan, Deng, Qiaolin and Hedlund, Eva (2021). Spatial RNA sequencing identifies robust markers of vulnerable and resistant human midbrain dopamine neurons and their expression in Parkinson's Disease. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 14 699562. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.699562
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Book Chapter: Single-cell technologies in Parkinson׳s disease
Kee, Nigel and Papathanou, Maria (2021). Single-cell technologies in Parkinson׳s disease. Systems medicine: integrative, qualitative and computational approaches. (pp. 15-30) edited by Olaf Wolkenhauer. Kidlington, Oxford, United Kingdom: Elsevier/Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-12-801238-3.11613-7
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Journal Article: CYCLIN-B1/2 and-D1 act in opposition to coordinate cortical progenitor self-renewal and lineage commitment
Hagey, Daniel W., Topcic, Danijal, Kee, Nigel, Reynaud, Florie, Bergsland, Maria, Perlmann, Thomas and Muhr, Jonas (2020). CYCLIN-B1/2 and-D1 act in opposition to coordinate cortical progenitor self-renewal and lineage commitment. Nature Communications, 11 (1) 2898, 2898. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-16597-8
Publications
Book Chapter
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Single-cell technologies in Parkinson׳s disease
Kee, Nigel and Papathanou, Maria (2021). Single-cell technologies in Parkinson׳s disease. Systems medicine: integrative, qualitative and computational approaches. (pp. 15-30) edited by Olaf Wolkenhauer. Kidlington, Oxford, United Kingdom: Elsevier/Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-12-801238-3.11613-7
Journal Article
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Aguila, Julio, Cheng, Shangli, Kee, Nigel, Cao, Ming, Wang, Menghan, Deng, Qiaolin and Hedlund, Eva (2021). Spatial RNA sequencing identifies robust markers of vulnerable and resistant human midbrain dopamine neurons and their expression in Parkinson's Disease. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 14 699562. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.699562
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Hagey, Daniel W., Topcic, Danijal, Kee, Nigel, Reynaud, Florie, Bergsland, Maria, Perlmann, Thomas and Muhr, Jonas (2020). CYCLIN-B1/2 and-D1 act in opposition to coordinate cortical progenitor self-renewal and lineage commitment. Nature Communications, 11 (1) 2898, 2898. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-16597-8
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Radiation triggers a dynamic sequence of transient microglial alterations in juvenile brain
Osman, Ahmed M., Sun, Ying, Burns, Terry C., He, Liqun, Kee, Nigel, Oliva-Vilarnau, Nuria, Alevyzaki, Androniki, Zhou, Kai, Louhivuori, Lauri, Uhlen, Per, Hedlund, Eva, Betsholtz, Christer, Lauschke, Volker M., Kele, Julianna and Blomgren, Klas (2020). Radiation triggers a dynamic sequence of transient microglial alterations in juvenile brain. Cell Reports, 31 (9) 107699, 107699. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107699
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Axon-seq decodes the motor axon transcriptome and its modulation in response to ALS
Nijssen, Jik, Aguila, Julio, Hoogstraaten, Rein, Kee, Nigel and Hedlund, Eva (2018). Axon-seq decodes the motor axon transcriptome and its modulation in response to ALS. Stem Cell Reports, 11 (6), 1565-1578. doi: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2018.11.005
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Kirkeby, Agnete, Nolbrant, Sara, Tiklova, Katarina, Heuer, Andreas, Kee, Nigel, Cardoso, Tiago, Ottosson, Daniella Rylander, Lelos, Mariah J., Rifes, Pedro, Dunnett, Stephen B., Grealish, Shane, Perlmann, Thomas and Parmar, Malin (2017). Predictive markers guide differentiation to improve graft outcome in clinical translation of hESC-based therapy for Parkinson's disease. Cell Stem Cell, 20 (1), 135-148. doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2016.09.004
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Kee, Nigel, Volakakis, Nikolaos, Kirkeby, Agnete, Dahl, Lina, Storvall, Helena, Nolbrant, Sara, Lahti, Laura, Bjorklund, Asa K., Gillberg, Linda, Joodmardi, Eliza, Sandberg, Rickard, Parmar, Malin and Perlmann, Thomas (2017). Single-cell analysis reveals a close relationship between differentiating dopamine and subthalamic nucleus neuronal lineages. Cell Stem Cell, 20 (1), 29-40. doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2016.10.003
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Mong, Jamie, Panman, Lia, Alekseenko, Zhanna, Kee, Nigel, Stanton, Lawrence W., Ericson, Johan and Perlmann, Thomas (2014). Transcription factor-induced lineage programming of noradrenaline and motor neurons from embryonic stem cells. Stem Cells, 32 (3), 609-622. doi: 10.1002/stem.1585
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Netrin-1 is required for efficient neural tube closure
Kee, Nigel, Wilson, Nicole, Key, Brian and Cooper, Helen (2013). Netrin-1 is required for efficient neural tube closure. Developmental Neurobiology, 73 (2), 176-187. doi: 10.1002/dneu.22051
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Malewicz, Michal, Kadkhodaei, Banafsheh, Kee, Nigel, Volakakis, Nikolaos, Hellman, Ulf, Viktorsson, Kristina, Leung, Chuen Yan, Chen, Benjamin, Lewensohn, Rolf, van Gent, Dik C., Chen, David J. and Perlmann, Thomas (2011). Essential role for DNA-PK-mediated phosphorylation of NR4A nuclear orphan receptors in DNA double-strand break repair. Genes and Development, 25 (19), 2031-2040. doi: 10.1101/gad.16872411
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Transcription factor-induced lineage selection of stem-cell-derived neural progenitor cells
Panman, Lia, Andersson, Elisabet, Alekseenko, Zhanna, Hedlund, Eva, Kee, Nigel, Mong, Jamie, Uhde, Christopher W., Deng, Qiaolin, Sandberg, Rickard, Stanton, Lawrence W., Ericson, Johan and Perlmann, Thomas (2011). Transcription factor-induced lineage selection of stem-cell-derived neural progenitor cells. Cell Stem Cell, 8 (6), 663-675. doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2011.04.001
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Kee, Nigel, Wilson, Nicole, De Vries, Melissa, Bradford, DanaKai, Key, Brian and Cooper, Helen M. (2008). Neogenin and RGMa control neural tube closure and neuroepithelial morphology by regulating cell polarity. The Journal of Neuroscience, 28 (48), 12643-12653. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4265-08.2008
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Keeble, T. R., Halford, M., Seaman, C., Kee, N., Macheda, M., Andersen, R. B., Stacker, S. A. and Cooper, H. M. (2006). The Wnt receptor Ryk is required for Wnt5a-mediated axon guidance on the contralateral side of the corpus callosum. Journal of Neuroscience, 26 (21), 5840-5848. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1175-06.2006
Grants (Administered at UQ)
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Developing an in vitro human sleep system
(2023–2025) NHMRC IDEAS Grants
