I am interested in ion channels in health and disease. Improved technologies for genetic screening is revealing an expanding catalogue of genetic variants to ion channels that give rise neurological disorders, such as epilespy syndromes, autism spectrum disorder and other neurodevelopmental disorders. My main research focus is on neurotransmitter-activated receptor ion channels that are found at neuronal synapses. These include GABA-A, glycine and glutamate (NMDA) receptors. I also work on other ion channesl such as voltage-gated sodium channels and synaptic receptors expressed in invertebrate nervous systems.
I am an expert at recording single ion channel, synaptic and conventional whole-cell currents for functional and pharmacological analyisis.
I collaborate with biophysicists, molecular biologists, geneticists, electrophysiologists and clinicians that specialise in genetic neurological disorders. I have active projects in collaboration with research groups in Australia, USA and Europe.
I am collaborating with basic and clinical research groups that bring together a great diversity of research techniques with the common aim of developing personalised medicine for affected individuals with neurological disorders.
Journal Article: Correlations of receptor desensitization of gain-of-function <i>GABRB3</i> variants with clinical severity
Lin, Susan X N, Ahring, Philip K, Keramidas, Angelo, Liao, Vivian W Y, Møller, Rikke S, Chebib, Mary and Absalom, Nathan L (2023). Correlations of receptor desensitization of gain-of-function GABRB3 variants with clinical severity. Brain. doi: 10.1093/brain/awad285
Journal Article: Ant venoms contain vertebrate-selective pain-causing sodium channel toxins
Robinson, Samuel D., Deuis, Jennifer R., Touchard, Axel, Keramidas, Angelo, Mueller, Alexander, Schroeder, Christina I., Barassé, Valentine, Walker, Andrew A., Brinkwirth, Nina, Jami, Sina, Bonnafé, Elsa, Treilhou, Michel, Undheim, Eivind A. B., Schmidt, Justin O., King, Glenn F. and Vetter, Irina (2023). Ant venoms contain vertebrate-selective pain-causing sodium channel toxins. Nature Communications, 14 (1) 2977, 1-11. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-38839-1
Journal Article: Anti-seizure mechanisms of midazolam and valproate at the β2(L51M) variant of the GABAA receptor
Kuanyshbek, Alibek, Wang, Meng, Andersson, Åsa, Tuifua, Marie, Palmer, Elizabeth E., Sachdev, Rani K., Mu, Ting-Wei, Vetter, Irina and Keramidas, Angelo (2022). Anti-seizure mechanisms of midazolam and valproate at the β2(L51M) variant of the GABAA receptor. Neuropharmacology, 221 109295, 109295. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109295
Tuning the activating stimulus of voltage-gated sodium channels
(2023–2026) ARC Discovery Projects
(2023–2024) Vestaron Corporation
(2019–2022) University of the Sunshine Coast
Probing ion channel function using venom peptides
Doctor Philosophy
Glutamate-gated chloride channel receptors and mechanisms of drug resistance in pathogenic species
(2019) Doctor Philosophy
(2022) Master Philosophy
GABA-A and glycine receptor variants in epilepsy and autism
New gene variants identified by our clinical collaborators to receptors that mediate neuronal inhibition. These variants lead to receptor functional deficits that manifest as neurological syndromes in young affected individuals.
We aim to characterise the functional deficists in these receptors and explore personalised treatment options that are tailored to each receptor variant.
Glutamate (NMDA) receptors in develpmental delay
Genetic variants to glutamate receptors have been discovered by our clinical geneticists. We aim the understand how these variants lead to developmental delay and co-morbid disorders in affected individuals and explore pharmacotherapies that correct the functional deficits in these important receptors.
Tuning the activating stimulus of voltage-gated sodium channels
This project will use natural and modified peptides that are derived from venoms of different species, such as spiders and ants to probe and manipulate the functional properties of voltage-gated ion channels, which are critically important to the function of the nervous system.
You will learn patch-clamp electrophysiology (whole-cell and single channels) and how to isolate, synthesise and determine the structure of venom peptides and their mechanisms of action at ion channels.
Lin, Susan X N, Ahring, Philip K, Keramidas, Angelo, Liao, Vivian W Y, Møller, Rikke S, Chebib, Mary and Absalom, Nathan L (2023). Correlations of receptor desensitization of gain-of-function GABRB3 variants with clinical severity. Brain. doi: 10.1093/brain/awad285
Ant venoms contain vertebrate-selective pain-causing sodium channel toxins
Robinson, Samuel D., Deuis, Jennifer R., Touchard, Axel, Keramidas, Angelo, Mueller, Alexander, Schroeder, Christina I., Barassé, Valentine, Walker, Andrew A., Brinkwirth, Nina, Jami, Sina, Bonnafé, Elsa, Treilhou, Michel, Undheim, Eivind A. B., Schmidt, Justin O., King, Glenn F. and Vetter, Irina (2023). Ant venoms contain vertebrate-selective pain-causing sodium channel toxins. Nature Communications, 14 (1) 2977, 1-11. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-38839-1
Anti-seizure mechanisms of midazolam and valproate at the β2(L51M) variant of the GABAA receptor
Kuanyshbek, Alibek, Wang, Meng, Andersson, Åsa, Tuifua, Marie, Palmer, Elizabeth E., Sachdev, Rani K., Mu, Ting-Wei, Vetter, Irina and Keramidas, Angelo (2022). Anti-seizure mechanisms of midazolam and valproate at the β2(L51M) variant of the GABAA receptor. Neuropharmacology, 221 109295, 109295. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109295
Wang, Meng, Cotter, Edmund, Wang, Ya-Juan, Fu, Xu, Whittsette, Angela L., Lynch, Joseph W., Wiseman, R. Luke, Kelly, Jeffery W., Keramidas, Angelo and Mu, Ting-Wei (2022). Pharmacological activation of ATF6 remodels the proteostasis network to rescue pathogenic GABAA receptors. Cell and Bioscience, 12 (1) 48, 1-20. doi: 10.1186/s13578-022-00783-w
Shisa7-Dependent Regulation of GABAA Receptor Single-Channel Gating Kinetics
Castellano, David, Wu, Kunwei, Keramidas, Angelo and Lu, Wei (2022). Shisa7-Dependent Regulation of GABAA Receptor Single-Channel Gating Kinetics. Journal of Neuroscience, 42 (47), 8758-8766. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0510-22.2022
A pain-causing and paralytic ant venom glycopeptide
Robinson, Samuel D., Kambanis, Lucas, Clayton, Daniel, Hinneburg, Hannes, Corcilius, Leo, Mueller, Alexander, Walker, Andrew A., Keramidas, Angelo, Kulkarni, Sameer S., Jones, Alun, Vetter, Irina, Thaysen-Andersen, Morten, Payne, Richard J., King, Glenn F. and Undheim, Eivind A.B. (2021). A pain-causing and paralytic ant venom glycopeptide. iScience, 24 (10) 103175, 1-21. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103175
Yong, Xuan Ling Hilary, Zhang, Lingrui, Yang, Liming, Chen, Xiumin, Tan, Jing Zhi Anson, Yu, Xiaojun, Chandra, Mintu, Livingstone, Emma, Widagdo, Jocelyn, Vieira, Marta M., Roche, Katherine W., Lynch, Joseph W., Keramidas, Angelo, Collins, Brett M. and Anggono, Victor (2021). Regulation of NMDA receptor trafficking and gating by activity-dependent CaMKIIα phosphorylation of the GluN2A subunit. Cell Reports, 36 (1) 109338, 1-21. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109338
Proteostasis regulators restore function of epilepsy-associated GABAA receptors
Di, Xiao-Jing, Wang, Ya-Juan, Cotter, Edmund, Wang, Meng, Whittsette, Angela L., Han, Dong-Yun, Sangwung, Panjamaporn, Brown, Renae, Lynch, Joseph W., Keramidas, Angelo and Mu, Ting-Wei (2020). Proteostasis regulators restore function of epilepsy-associated GABAA receptors. Cell Chemical Biology, 27 (1), 1-e7. doi: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2020.08.012
Chen, Xiumin, Keramidas, Angelo, Harvey, Robert J. and Lynch, Joseph W. (2020). Effects of GluN2A and GluN2B gain-of-function epilepsy mutations on synaptic currents mediated by diheteromeric and triheteromeric NMDA receptors. Neurobiology of Disease, 140 104850, 104850. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.104850
A novel glycine receptor variant with startle disease affects syndapin I and glycinergic inhibition
Langlhofer, Georg, Schaefer, Natascha, Maric, Hans M., Keramidas, Angelo, Zhang, Yan, Baumann, Peter, Blum, Robert, Breitinger, Ulrike, Strømgaard, Kristian, Schlosser, Andreas, Kessels, Michael M., Koch, Dennis, Qualmann, Britta, Breitinger, Hans-Georg, Lynch, Joseph W. and Villmann, Carmen (2020). A novel glycine receptor variant with startle disease affects syndapin I and glycinergic inhibition. Journal of Neuroscience, 40 (25), JN-RM. doi: 10.1523/jneurosci.2490-19.2020
Atif, Mohammed, Lynch, Joseph W. and Keramidas, Angelo (2019). The effects of insecticides on two splice variants of the glutamate-gated chloride channel receptor of the major malaria vector, Anopheles gambiae. British Journal of Pharmacology, 177 (1) bph.14855, 175-187. doi: 10.1111/bph.14855
Atif, Mohammed, Smith, Jennifer J., Estrada-Mondragon, Argel, Xiao, Xue, Salim, Angela A., Capon, Robert J., Lynch, Joseph W. and Keramidas, Angelo (2019). GluClR-mediated inhibitory postsynaptic currents reveal targets for ivermectin and potential mechanisms of ivermectin resistance. PLOS Pathogens, 15 (1) e1007570, e1007570. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007570
Durisic, Nela, Keramidas, Angelo, Dixon, Christine L. and Lynch, Joseph W. (2018). SAHA (Vorinostat) corrects inhibitory synaptic deficits caused by missense epilepsy mutations to the GABA(A) receptor gamma 2 subunit. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 11 89, 89. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00089
Leacock, Sophie, Syed, Parnayan, James, Victoria M., Bode, Anna, Kawakami, Koichi, Keramidas, Angelo, Suster, Maximiliano, Lynch, Joseph W. and Harvey, Robert J. (2018). Structure/Function Studies of the alpha 4 Subunit Reveal Evolutionary Loss of a GlyR Subtype Involved in Startle and Escape Responses. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 11 23, 23. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00023
Inhibitory synapse deficits caused by familial α1 GABAA receptor mutations in epilepsy
Chen, Xiumin, Durisic, Nela, Lynch, Joseph W. and Keramidas, Angelo (2017). Inhibitory synapse deficits caused by familial α1 GABAA receptor mutations in epilepsy. Neurobiology of Disease, 108, 213-224. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2017.08.020
Atif, Mohammed, Estrada-Mondragon, Argel, Nguyen, Bindi, Lynch, Joseph W. and Keramidas, Angelo (2017). Effects of glutamate and ivermectin on single glutamate-gated chloride channels of the parasitic nematode H. contortus. PLoS Pathogens, 13 (10) e1006663, e1006663. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006663
Chen, Xiumin, Keramidas, Angelo and Lynch, Joseph W. (2017). Physiological and pharmacological properties of inhibitory postsynaptic currents mediated by α5β1γ2, α5β2γ2 and α5β3γ2 GABAA receptors. Neuropharmacology, 125, 243-253. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.07.027
Dixon, Christine L., Sah, Pankaj, Keramidas, Angelo, Lynch, Joseph W. and Durisic, Nela (2017). Gamma 1-containing GABA-A receptors cluster at synapses where they mediate slower synaptic currents than gamma 2-containing GABA-A receptors. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 10 178, 178. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2017.00178
Zhang, Yan, Ho, Thi Nhu Thao, Harvey, Robert J., Lynch, Joseph W. and Keramidas, Angelo (2017). Structure-function analysis of the GlyR alpha 2 subunit autism mutation p.R323L reveals a gain-of-function. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 10 158, 158. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2017.00158
Soh, Ming S., Estrada-Mondragon, Argel, Durisic, Nela, Keramidas, Angelo and Lynch, Joseph W. (2017). Probing the structural mechanism of partial agonism in glycine receptors using the fluorescent artificial amino acid, ANAP. ACS Chemical Biology, 12 (3), 805-813. doi: 10.1021/acschembio.6b00926
Chassagnon, Irene R., McCarthy, Claudia A., Chin, Yanni K.-Y., Pineda, Sandy S., Keramidas, Angelo, Mobli, Mehdi, Pham, Vi, De Silva, T. Michael, Lynch, Joseph W., Widdop, Robert E., Rash, Lachlan D. and King, Glenn F. (2017). Potent neuroprotection after stroke afforded by a double-knot spider-venom peptide that inhibits acid-sensing ion channel 1a. Proceedings from the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 114 (14), 3750-3755. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1614728114
Multiple sodium channel isoforms mediate the pathological effects of Pacific ciguatoxin-1
Inserra, Marco C., Isreal, Mathilde, Caldwell, Ashlee, Castro, Joel, Deuis, Jennifer R., Harrington, Andrea M., Keramidas, Angelo, Garcia-Caraballo, Sonia, Maddern, Jessica, Erickson, Andelain, Grundy, Luke, Rychkov, Grigori Y., Zimmerman, Katharina, Lewis, Richard J., Brierley, Stuart M. and Vetter, Irina (2017). Multiple sodium channel isoforms mediate the pathological effects of Pacific ciguatoxin-1. Scientific Reports, 7 (1) 42810, 42810. doi: 10.1038/srep42810
Islam, Robiul, Keramidas, Angelo, Xu, Li, Durisic, Nela, Sah, Pankaj and Lynch, Joseph W. (2016). Ivermectin-activated, cation-permeable glycine receptors for the chemogenetic control of neuronal excitation. ACS Chemical Neuroscience, 7 (12), 1647-1657. doi: 10.1021/acschemneuro.6b00168
Zhang, Yan, Keramidas, Angelo and Lynch, Joseph W. (2016). The free zinc concentration in the synaptic cleft of artificial glycinergic synapses rises to at least 1 µm. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 9 (SEP2016) 88, 88. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2016.00088
Zhang, Yan, Bode, Anna, Nguyen, Bindi, Angelo Keramidas and Lynch, Joseph W. (2016). Investigating the mechanism by which gain-of-function mutations to the a1 glycine receptor cause hyperekplexia. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 291 (29), 15332-15341. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M116.728592
Correlating structural and energetic changes in glycine receptor activation
Scott, Suzanne, Lynch, Joseph W and Keramidas, Angelo (2015). Correlating structural and energetic changes in glycine receptor activation. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 290 (9), 5621-5634. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M114.616573
Zhang, Yan, Dixon, Christine L., Keramidas, Angelo and Lynch, Joseph W. (2015). Functional reconstitution of glycinergic synapses incorporating defined glycine receptor subunit combinations. Neuropharmacology, 89, 391-397. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.10.026
Zolpidem and eszopiclone prime α1β2γ2 GABAA receptors for longer duration of activity
Dixon, Christine L., Harrison, Neil L., Lynch, Joseph W. and Keramidas, Angelo (2015). Zolpidem and eszopiclone prime α1β2γ2 GABAA receptors for longer duration of activity. British Journal of Pharmacology, 172 (14), 3522-3536. doi: 10.1111/bph.13142
GABAa receptor α and γ subunits shape synaptic currents via different mechanisms
Dixon, Christine, Sah, Pankaj, Lynch, Joseph W. and Keramidas, Angelo (2014). GABAa receptor α and γ subunits shape synaptic currents via different mechanisms. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 289 (9), 5399-5411. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M113.514695
Bode, Anna, Wood, Sian-Elin, Mullins, Jonathan G. L., Keramidas, Angelo, Cushion, Thomas D., Thomas, Rhys H., Pickrell, William O., Drew, Cheney J. G., Masri, Amira, Jones, Elizabeth A., Vassallo, Grace, Born, Alfred P., Alehan, Fusun, Aharoni, Sharon, Bannasch, Gerald, Bartsch, Marius, Kara, Bulent, Krause, Amanda, Karam, Elie G., Matta, Stephanie, Jain, Vivek, Mandel, Hanna, Freilinger, Michael, Graham, Gail E., Hobson, Emma, Chatfield, Sue, Vincent-Delorme, Catherine, Rahme, Jubran E., Afawi, Zaid ... Lynch, Joseph W. (2013). New hyperekplexia mutations provide insight into glycine receptor assembly, trafficking, and activation mechanisms. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 288 (47), 33745-33759. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M113.509240
Novel missense mutations in the glycine receptor β subunit gene (GLRB) in startle disease
James, Victoria M., Bode, Anna, Chung, Seo-Kyung, Gill, Jennifer L., Nielsen, Maartje, Cowan, Frances M., Vujic, Mihailo, Thomas, Rhys H., Rees, Mark I., Harvey, Kirsten, Keramidas, Angelo, Topf, Maya, Ginjaar, Ieke, Lynch, Joseph W. and Harvey, Robert J. (2013). Novel missense mutations in the glycine receptor β subunit gene (GLRB) in startle disease. Neurobiology of Disease, 52, 137-149. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2012.12.001
An outline of desensitization in pentameric ligand-gated ion channel receptors
Keramidas, Angelo and Lynch, Joseph W. (2012). An outline of desensitization in pentameric ligand-gated ion channel receptors. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 70 (7), 1241-1253. doi: 10.1007/s00018-012-1133-z
The activation mechanism of alpha(1)beta(2)gamma(2S) and alpha(3)beta(3)gamma(2S) GABA(A) receptors
Keramidas, Angelo and Harrison, Neil L. (2010). The activation mechanism of alpha(1)beta(2)gamma(2S) and alpha(3)beta(3)gamma(2S) GABA(A) receptors. Journal of General Physiology, 135 (1), 59-75. doi: 10.1085/jgp.200910317
Taurine is a potent activator of extrasynaptic GABAA receptors in the thalamus
Jia, Fan, Yue, Minerva, Chandra, Dev, Keramidas, Angelo, Goldstein, Peter A., Homanics, Gregg E. and Harrison, Neil L. (2008). Taurine is a potent activator of extrasynaptic GABAA receptors in the thalamus. Journal of Neuroscience, 28 (1), 106-115. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3996-07.2008
Keramidas, Angelo, Kash, Thomas L. and Harrison, Neil L. (2006). The pre-M1 segment of the alpha 1 subunit is a transduction element in the activation of the GABA(A) receptor. The Journal of Physiology, 575 (1), 11-22. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2005.102756
van Nierop, Pim, Keramidas, Angelo, Bertrand, Sonia, van Minnen, Jan, Gouwenberg, Yvonne, Bertrand, Daniel and Smit, August B. (2005). Identification of molluscan nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunits involved in formation of cation- and anion-selective nAChRs. Journal of Neuroscience, 25 (46), 10617-10626. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2015-05.2005
Ligand-gated ion channels: Mechanisms underlying ion selectivity
Keramidas, Angelo, Moorhouse, Andrew J., Schofield, Peter R. and Barry, Peter H. (2004). Ligand-gated ion channels: Mechanisms underlying ion selectivity. Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology, 86 (2), 161-204. doi: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2003.09.002
Lee, David J.-S., Keramidas, Angelo, Moorhouse, Andrew J., Schofield, Peter R. and Barry, Peter H. (2003). The contribution of proline 250 (P-2’) to pore diameter and ion selectivity in the human glycine receptor channel. Neuroscience Letters, 351 (3), 196-200. doi: 10.1016/S0304-3940(03)00977-7
Lee, DJS, Keramidas, A, Moorhouse, AJ, Schofield, PR and Barry, PH (2003). The contribution of proline 250 (P-2 ') to pore diameter and ion selectivity in the human glycine receptor channel. Neuroscience Letters, 351 (3), 196-200. doi: 10.1016/S0304-3940(03)00977-7
Keramidas, Angelo, Moorhouse, Andrew J., Pierce, Kerrie D. and Schofield, Peter R. (2002). Cation-selective mutations in the M2 domain of the inhibitory glycine receptor channel reveal determinants of ion-charge selectivity. Journal of General Physiology, 119 (5), 393-410. doi: 10.1085/jgp.20028552
Moorhouse, Andrew J., Keramidas, Angelo, Zaykin, Andrey, Schofield, Peter R. and Barry, Peter H. (2002). Single channel analysis of conductance and rectification in cation-selective, mutant glycine receptor channels. Journal of General Physiology, 119 (5), 411-425. doi: 10.1085/jgp.20028553
M2 pore mutations convert the glycine receptor channel from being anion- to cation-selective
Keramidas, A, Moorhouse, AJ, French, CR, Schofield, PR and Barry, PH (2000). M2 pore mutations convert the glycine receptor channel from being anion- to cation-selective. Biophysical Journal, 79 (1), 247-259. doi: 10.1016/S0006-3495(00)76287-4
Keramidas, Angelo , Barry, Peter H., Moorhouse, Andrew and Kuhlmann, Levin (1999). Measurement of the limiting equivalent conductivities and mobilities of the most prevalent ionic species of EGTA (EGTA2- and EGTA3-) for use in electrophysiological experiments. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 89 (1), 41-47. doi: 10.1016/S0165-0270(99)00036-9
Keramidas, Angelo and Harrison, Neil L. (2008). Agonist-dependent single channel current and Gating in alpha(4)beta(2)delta and alpha(1)beta(2)gamma(2S) GABA(A) receptors. New York, United States: Rockefeller University Press. doi: 10.1085/jgp.200709871
Mechanism of ion permeation in the glycine receptor and its cation-selective mutations
O'Mara, Megan, Keramidas, Angelo, Barry, Peter H. and Chung, Shin-Ho (2003). Mechanism of ion permeation in the glycine receptor and its cation-selective mutations. 47th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, San Antonio, Texas, 1-5 March 2003. Bethesda, MD, U.S.A.: Cell Press for the Biophysical Society.
Mechanism of ion permeation in the glycine receptor and its cation-selective mutations
O'Mara, M., Keramidas, A., Barry, P. H. and Chung, S. H. (2003). Mechanism of ion permeation in the glycine receptor and its cation-selective mutations. 47th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical-Society, San Antonio Texas, 1-5 March 2003. Bethesda, MD United States: Biophysical Society.
Tuning the activating stimulus of voltage-gated sodium channels
(2023–2026) ARC Discovery Projects
(2023–2024) Vestaron Corporation
(2019–2022) University of the Sunshine Coast
Regulation of glutamate receptor dynamics in mammalian central neurons
(2019–2022) ARC Discovery Projects
Using artificial synapses to investigate the functional pathology underlying epilepsy
(2015–2017) NHMRC Project Grant
Understanding the mechanisms of GABA type-A receptor activation and drug modulation
(2012–2014) ARC Discovery Projects
Probing ion channel function using venom peptides
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
Investigating ion channel function and pathology using toxins as tools
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Glutamate-gated chloride channel receptors and mechanisms of drug resistance in pathogenic species
(2019) Doctor Philosophy — Joint Principal Advisor
(2022) Master Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Characterization of novel synthetic analgesics selectively targeting Alpha3 Glycine receptors
(2019) Master Philosophy — Associate Advisor
(2019) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Physiological properties of glycinergic synapses with defined subunit compositions
(2017) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
(2016) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
(2015) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Effects of new Hyperekplexia Mutations on Human Glycine Receptor Structure and Function
(2014) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Voltage-Clamp Fluorometry of Glycine Receptors: Relevance to Pain and Startle Disease
(2013) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Note for students: The possible research projects listed on this page may not be comprehensive or up to date. Always feel free to contact the staff for more information, and also with your own research ideas.
GABA-A and glycine receptor variants in epilepsy and autism
New gene variants identified by our clinical collaborators to receptors that mediate neuronal inhibition. These variants lead to receptor functional deficits that manifest as neurological syndromes in young affected individuals.
We aim to characterise the functional deficists in these receptors and explore personalised treatment options that are tailored to each receptor variant.
Glutamate (NMDA) receptors in develpmental delay
Genetic variants to glutamate receptors have been discovered by our clinical geneticists. We aim the understand how these variants lead to developmental delay and co-morbid disorders in affected individuals and explore pharmacotherapies that correct the functional deficits in these important receptors.
Tuning the activating stimulus of voltage-gated sodium channels
This project will use natural and modified peptides that are derived from venoms of different species, such as spiders and ants to probe and manipulate the functional properties of voltage-gated ion channels, which are critically important to the function of the nervous system.
You will learn patch-clamp electrophysiology (whole-cell and single channels) and how to isolate, synthesise and determine the structure of venom peptides and their mechanisms of action at ion channels.