Research Interests

Our team is interested in the area of neurotransmitter homeostasis in the normal and pathological brain. We are particularly interested in the roles of glial and neuronal glutamate transporters in determining outcomes at the cellular level and whole brain level after hypoxic insults to the brain. Our team has been active in cloning new glutamate transporter splice variants and determining how expression of such variants changes in disease including Alzheimer's disease.

Other areas of interest include exploring the effects of microhaemorrhages on the organisation and function of the brain and retina and investigating the pathobiology of glaucoma.

Research Projects

Cloning, expression and functional analysis of novel glutamate transporters in the brain.

• Understanding the roles of astrocytes in neonatal brain injury.
• Identifying and defining biological markers of brain injury.

Development of novel interventions in a model of Glaucoma.

Exploring the pathological events that ensue after micro-haemorrhage in the brain and retina.

Key publications

Pow DV, Cook DG.Neuronal Expression of Splice Variants of "Glial" Glutamate Transporters in Brains Afflicted by Alzheimer's Disease: Unmasking an Intrinsic Neuronal Property.Neurochem Res. 2009 Mar 25. [Epub ahead of print]

Pow DV, Diaz CM. AMD-like lesions in the rat retina: a latent consequence of perinatal hemorrhage. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2008 Jul;49(7):2790-8. Epub 2008 Apr 4.

Sullivan SM, Macnab LT, Björkman ST, Colditz PB, Pow DV. GLAST1b, the exon-9 skipping form of the glutamate-aspartate transporter EAAT1 is a sensitive marker of neuronal dysfunction in the hypoxic brain. Neuroscience. 2007 Oct 26;149(2):434-45. Epub 2007 Aug 10.

Pow DV, Sullivan RK. Nuclear kinesis, neurite sprouting and abnormal axonal projections of cone photoreceptors in the aged and AMD-afflicted human retina. Exp Eye Res. 2007 May;84(5):850-7. Epub 2007 Jan 27.

Sullivan RK, Woldemussie E, Macnab L, Ruiz G, Pow DV. Evoked expression of the glutamate transporter GLT-1c in retinal ganglion cells in human glaucoma and in a rat model. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2006 Sep;47(9):3853-9.

Vijay Sarthy, David Pow. Excitatory Amino Acid Transporters in the Retina In Ocular Transporters In Ophthalmic Diseases And Drug Delivery eds Tombran-Tink, Joyce Barnstable, Colin J. 2998

Contact details and email

d.pow@u.edu.au

Group Members

Dr Nigel Barnett

Dr Aven Lee

Funding acknowledgement

NHMRC

Potential PhD Projects

• Alternate splicing of glutamate transporters in the brain.
• Understanding the roles of astrocytes in neonatal brain injury.
• Identifying and defining biological markers of brain injury.
• Development of novel interventions in a model of Glaucoma.
• Exploring the pathological events that ensue after micro-haemorrhage in the brain and retina.

Collaborations

Dr David Cook, Wash U, Seattle

Prof Jan Provis (ANU)

Prof Phil Poronnik (RMIT)

Prof Paul Colditz (UQCCR)