Anatomy and Histology

Head of Discipline
Professor Bill Webster
Location
Anderson Stuart Building, University of Sydney

The Discipline is well equipped to carry out the areas of research described. A high resolution transmission electron microscope and confocal microscope with technical assistance are available together with specimen preparation facilities. Additional transmission and scanning electron microscope facilities are available through the University's Electron Microscope Unit.

Other facilities include automated electrophoresis, high pressure liquid chromatography, standard histology, immuno-cytochemistry, in-situ hybridisation and surgery.

Thesis topics are arranged with candidates, the candidate's supervisor and the Head of Discipline.

Neurochemistry

• Receptors for excitatory amino acids (EAA) in the cat visual system
• Markers for glutamatergic / aspartegic synaptic transmission in rat and cat CNS
• Characteristics of GABA-synthesising enzyme in the rat brain
• High affinity uptake of neurotransmitter amino acids by non-neural tissue

Laboratory of Neural Structure and Function
Research into the central neural organisation that mediates an animal's behavioural and physiological responses to threatening, stressful or painful events.

• Brainstem mechanisms in haemorrhagic shock
• Midbrain integration of behavioural and physiological responses to acute pain
• The neural bases of the transition from acute injury to chronic pain
• Brainstem circuits mediating emotional coping responses to physical and psychological stressors

Protein Structure Analysis

• Structural basis of P2X channel gating and apoptosis
• Structure determination of parathyroid hormone related protein
• Structure determination of parathyroid hormone
• Role of actin and other proteins in glycolysis

Development and Evolution
Research involves the use of closely related species with divergent ontogenies to investigate developmental processes in evolution. Through examination of the embryology of the Australian seastars in the genus Patiriella the changes in development that underlie speciation events are being documented.

• Comparative embryology
• Hybridisation studies
• Reproductive energetics

The Retina in Neurobiology and Neuropathy

• Vasculogenesis and angiogenesis in the formation of retinal vessels
• Pericyte cell biology
• Changes in astrocyte biology from embryo to the aging brain
• Towards an effective treatment of retinopathy of prematurity

Muscle Research

• Identification of basic molecular defects in dilated cardiomyopathy
• Purinergic receptors and human cardiomyocytes
• The structure and function of actin
• Actin binding proteins and assembly and turnover of actin
• Apoptosis and the myocardium
• Nanoengineering and motor proteins
• Use of proteins to detect environmental pollution

Visual Pathways and their Development

• Extent of parallel processing of visual information in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus and visual cortex of the cat
• The binocular interactions at single neurone level in extrastriate visual cortex of the cat
• Anatomical similarities and functional differences in areas of the cat visual cortex
• Convergence of form perception and motion perception channels in extrastriate isual cortex
• Bihemispheric projections and collateralisation of reticular afferents to the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of the rat
• Relationship between the maturation gradient in the retino-recipient nuclei and the spatio-temporal pattern of generation of the retinal ganglion cells

Lens Research

• Role of growth factors in lens morphogenesis and differentiation
• Role of growth factors in cataractogenesis
• Strategies for preventing cateract

Patterns of Brain Connectivity

• An examination of the general rules that govern the patterns of brain connectivity (how the brain is wired up and what does this tell us of its function)
• Exploring the significance of the mysterious transient cells in the developing brain that may serve to build the adult brain

Cell and Reproductive Biology Laboratory

• Uterine biology
• Uterine epithelial cells
• Uterine receptivity for blastocyst implantation
• Pregnancy
• Cytoskeleton of uterine epithelial cells
• Human IVF and menopause
• Endometriosis
• Evolution of viviparity (live birth)
• Plasma membrane organization
• Cell structure
• Histochemistry

The role of oxygen in the progress of degenerative diseases of the retina

• The genetic basis of oxygen susceptibility of photoreceptors
• Clinical trials of oxygen and light management in retinal degenerations
• Gene and protein expression in normal, hypoxic and genetically degenerating retina

Diabetes research

• Using genetic engineering of artificial beta cells and techniques of confocal and immunoelectron microscopy. For more details, visit the Cell Biology & Diabetes Lab.
• Reproductive Toxicology
  Research is concerned with the mechanisms by which some drugs and other chemicals cause birth defects.

• Screening chemicals used by the military for possible mutagenic effects
• Effects of phenytoin on prenatal facial development
• Possible protective effects of antioxidants on chemically induced birth defects
• The relationship between drugs that block inward rectifying potassium currents and embryonic hypoxia and birth defects.

Osteology
Research focuses on the identification of human skeletons.

• Determination of sex in juvenile skeletons
• Determination of sex and ethnicity from arch and tooth morphometrics
• Dietary analysis of juvenile skeletons
• Ageing from dental calcification
• Identification of non-human bone

Professor Bill Webster
Head of Discipline

Discipline of Anatomy and Histology
The University of Sydney
NSW 2006 Australia

Phone: +61 2 9351 2498
Fax: +61 2 9351 2813
E-mail: