Associate Professor
Systems and Signalling Neuroscience Group

The Australian School of Advanced Medicine, Macquarie University 
(Hons), PhD

Contact Details

The Australian School of Advanced Medicine
2 Technology Place, Macquarie University NSW 2109, Australia
Tel: +61 (0)2 9812 3550
Fax: +61 (0)2 9812 3610
Email: ann.goodchild@mq.edu.au

External Appointments and Awards

Adjunct Associate Professor University of Sydney

Memberships and Committees

• High Blood Pressure Research Council of Australia Executive Committee Member
• The Society for Neuroscience
• The International Society for Autonomic Neuroscience
• The Australian Neuroscience Society
• The American Physiological Society

Professional Overview

• Published 75 internationally peer-reviewed manuscripts with ~2500 citations
• Member NHMRC GRP 2006, 2008, 2009 requested for 2010
• The head facility planner for the Australian School of Advanced Medicine incorporating research laboratory, office accommodation, anatomy laboratory and meeting spaces 2007-2010. Past facility planner and member of  the PCG and user group leader of the animal house at the Kolling Institute 2006-2007.
• Member of the Executive of the High Blood Pressure Research Council of Australia responsible for student liaison.
• LOC member for the International Society of Autonomic Neuroscience meeting 2009 and the Australian Neuroscience Society/Australian Physiological Society meeting 2010.

Systems and Signalling Neuroscience Group

The goal of the Systems and Signalling Neuroscience Group is to understand how brain cells and brain networks behave normally in health and what changes to cellular function underpin dysfunction in disease. We explore the neural systems controlling the heart and blood vessels, the adrenal gland and the motor output of the respiratory system.

The specific objectives of this vibrant research group are: The identification of neural substrates in the central nervous system that regulate these systems; To determine the neurochemistry of these signalling networks and to identify the intracellular signalling mechanisms controlled by these neurochemicals; To understand the recruitment/adaptation that occurs following specific acute challenges to the systems.

Conditions including hypertension, diabetes, and mental health disorders including depression, schizophrenia and meth-addiction alter the function of these systems and we are examining the cellular mechanisms that underlie such dysfunctions.
Active collaborations include those with Professor Peter Dunkley (Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle), Dr Jennifer Cornish (Psychology, Macquarie University) and Dr Andrei Zyvagin (Physics, Macquarie University).
We welcome enquiries for study at the Honours or PhD level. Please feel free to discuss your options by email or phone at any time.

Current Research

In 2010 our major projects include:

• Exploring the role of G-protein coupled receptors, such as somatostatin, and downstream effectors, particularly adenylate cyclase, in regulating function of the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM, the key brain site responsible for setting the level of blood pressure) and also the ventral respiratory group (a key brain site in setting the rhythm and pattern of breathing).

This work is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council:

• Determining the role calcium channels play in setting the level of blood pressure in health and hypertension. Although all calcium channels are being explored we have particular interest in understanding the role T-type calcium channels play in certain brain regions in regulating the level of blood pressure.

This work is funded by the National Heart Foundation and Macquarie University:

• Study of the protein tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate limiting enzyme in catecholamine biosynthesis. We are characterising the physiological significance of TH phosphorylation (a signalling event that marks cell activation) by determining firstly, when catecholaminergic cell groups are activated by specific physiological challenges (stressors) and secondly, to determine when TH is activated which indicates the potential to synthesise catecholamine.

This study has several parts:

This work is in collaboration with researchers at the University of Newcastle and funded by the Hunter Medical Research Institute and Macquarie University

• Investigation of higher brain regions that influence cardiovascular, respiratory and other autonomic systems. We have begun to explore some of these regions particuarly with respect to their neurochemistry.

This work is performed in collaboration with Dr Jennifer Cornish. This work is supported by a Macquarie University Research Development grant and the Hillcrest Foundation.

• Studies involving investigation of the movement of proteins within cells using nanotechnology with our colleagues in the Department of Physics.

Grants

• 2010, National Heart Foundation Grant-in aid, Goodchild and Kumar, "Brain calcium signalling controlling arterial blood pressure" $129,000
• 2010, Hillcrest Foundation (Perpetual), Goodchild " Depression and cardiovascular function" $50,000
• 2010, Macquarie Safety Net, Goodchild, "Parallel central pathways controlling adrenal medullary function" $18,400
• 2010, Macquarie Development Grant Cornish, Goodchild and Haynes, "Cortical link between cardiovascular health and mental illness" $49,000
• 2007-2010 NHMRC Project grant, Goodchild, "G alpha proteins and their effectors (AC, PLC, rho and ERK) in central cardiovascular regulation in health and disease" $611,250

Publications

• Bobrovskaya L, Damanhuri HA, Ong LK, Schneider JJ, Dickson PW, Dunkley PR, Goodchild AK. Signal transduction pathways and tyrosine hydroxylase regulation in the adrenal medulla following glucoprivation: an in vivo analysis. Neurochem Int. 2010 Sep;57(2):162-7.
• Kumar NN, Allen K, Parker L, Damanhuri H, Goodchild AK. Neuropeptide coding of sympathetic preganglionic neurons; focus on adrenally projecting populations. Neuroscience. (in press, accepted Jul 2010)
• Burke PG, Abbott SB, McMullan S, Goodchild AK, Pilowsky PM. Somatostatin selectively ablates post-inspiratory activity after injection into the Bötzinger complex. Neuroscience. 2010 May 5;167(2):528-39.
• Harrison JL, Hildreth CM, Callahan SM, Goodchild AK, Phillips JK. Cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction in a novel rodent model of polycystic kidney disease. Auton Neurosci. 2010 Jan 15;152(1-2):60-6.
• Goodchild AK, Moon EA. Maps of cardiovascular and respiratory regions of rat ventral medulla: focus on the caudal medulla. J Chem Neuroanat. 2009 Nov;38(3):209-21. Epub 2009 Jun 21.
• Kumar NN, Ferguson J, Padley JR, Pilowsky PM, Goodchild AK. Differential muscarinic receptor gene expression levels in the ventral medulla of spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar-Kyoto rats: role in sympathetic baroreflex function. J Hypertens. 2009 May;27(5):1001-8.
• Burke PG, Li Q, Costin ML, McMullan S, Pilowsky PM, Goodchild AK. Somatostatin 2A receptor-expressing presympathetic neurons in the rostral ventrolateral medulla maintain blood pressure. Hypertension. 2008 Dec;52(6):1127-33.
• Kashihara K, McMullan S, Lonergan T, Goodchild AK, Pilowsky PM. Neuropeptide Y in the rostral ventrolateral medulla blocks somatosympathetic reflexes in anesthetized rats. Auton Neurosci. 2008 Nov 3;142(1-2):64-70.
• McMullan S, Pathmanandavel K, Pilowsky PM, Goodchild AK. Somatic nerve stimulation evokes qualitatively different somatosympathetic responses in the cervical and splanchnic sympathetic nerves in the rat. Brain Res. 2008 Jun 27;1217:139-47.
• Verner TA, Pilowsky PM, Goodchild AK. Retrograde projections to a discrete apneic site in the midline medulla oblongata of the rat. Brain Res. 2008 May 7;1208:128-36.
• Farnham MM, Li Q, Goodchild AK, Pilowsky PM. PACAP is expressed in sympathoexcitatory bulbospinal C1 neurons of the brain stem and increases sympathetic nerve activity in vivo. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2008 Apr;294(4):R1304-11.
• Pilowsky PM, Abbott SB, Burke PG, Farnham MM, Hildreth CM, Kumar NN, Li Q, Lonergan T, McMullan S, Spirovski D, Goodchild AK. Metabotropic neurotransmission and integration of sympathetic nerve activity by the rostral ventrolateral medulla in the rat. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2008 Apr;35(4):508-11. Review.
• Goodchild AK, van Deurzen BT, Hildreth CM, Pilowsky PM. Control of sympathetic, respiratory and somatomotor outflow by an intraspinal pattern generator. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2008 Apr;35(4):447-53.
• Pilowsky PM, Sun QJ, Lonergan T, Makeham JM, Seyedabadi M, Verner TA, Goodchild AK. Significance of multiple neurochemicals that regulate respiration. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2008;605:268-73.
• Hildreth CM, Padley JR, Pilowsky PM, Goodchild AK. Impaired serotonergic regulation of heart rate may underlie reduced baroreflex sensitivity in an animal model of depression. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2008 Jan;294(1):H474-80.
• McMullan S, Goodchild AK, Pilowsky PM. Circulating angiotensin II attenuates the sympathetic baroreflex by reducing the barosensitivity of medullary cardiovascular neurones in the rat. J Physiol. 2007 Jul 15;582(Pt 2):711-22.
• Padley JR, Kumar NN, Li Q, Nguyen TB, Pilowsky PM, Goodchild AK. Central command regulation of circulatory function mediated by descending pontine cholinergic inputs to sympathoexcitatory rostral ventrolateral medulla neurons. Circ Res. 2007 Feb 2;100(2):284-91
• Reja V, Goodchild AK, Phillips JK, Pilowsky PM. Upregulation of angiotensin AT1 receptor and intracellular kinase gene expression in hypertensive rats. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2006 Aug;33(8):690-5.
• Oshima N, McMullan S, Goodchild AK, Pilowsky PM. A monosynaptic connection between baroinhibited neurons in the RVLM and IML in Sprague-Dawley rats. Brain Res. 2006 May 17;1089(1):153-61.
• Seyedabadi M, Li Q, Padley JR, Pilowsky PM, Goodchild AK. A novel pressor area at the medullo-cervical junction that is not dependent on the RVLM: efferent pathways and chemical mediators. J Neurosci. 2006 May 17;26(20):5420-7.
• Kumar NN, Goodchild AK, Li Q, Pilowsky PM. An aldosterone-related system in the ventrolateral medulla oblongata of spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar-Kyoto rats. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2006 Jan-Feb;33(1-2):71-5.
• Padley JR, Overstreet DH, Pilowsky PM, Goodchild AK. Impaired cardiac and sympathetic autonomic control in rats differing in acetylcholine receptor sensitivity. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2005 Nov;289(5):H1985-92.  
• Springell DA, Costin NS, Pilowsky PM, Goodchild AK. Hypotension and short-term anaesthesia induce ERK1/2 phosphorylation in autonomic nuclei of the brainstem. Eur J Neurosci. 2005 Nov;22(9):2257-70.
• Makeham JM, Goodchild AK, Pilowsky PM. NK1 receptor activation in rat rostral ventrolateral medulla selectively attenuates somato-sympathetic reflex while antagonism attenuates sympathetic chemoreflex. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2005 Jun;288(6):R1707-15.
• Tan PS, Potas JR, Killinger S, Horiuchi J, Goodchild AK, Pilowsky PM, Dampney RA. Angiotensin II evokes hypotension and renal sympathoinhibition from a highly restricted region in the nucleus tractus solitarii. Brain Res. 2005 Mar 2;1036(1-2):70-6..
• Berkowitz RG, Sun QJ, Goodchild AK, Pilowsky PM. Serotonin inputs to laryngeal constrictor motoneurons in the rat. Laryngoscope. 2005 Jan;115(1):105-9.
• Li Q, Goodchild AK, Seyedabadi M, Pilowsky PM. Pre-protachykinin A mRNA is colocalized with tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactivity in bulbospinal neurons. Neuroscience. 2005;136(1):205-16. Epub 2005 Sep 28.
• Springell DA, Powers-Martin K, Phillips JK, Pilowsky PM, Goodchild AK. Phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 immunoreactivity identifies a novel subpopulation of sympathetic preganglionic neurons. Neuroscience. 2005;133(2):583-90.
• Verner TA, Goodchild AK, Pilowsky PM. A mapping study of cardiorespiratory responses to chemical stimulation of the midline medulla oblongata in ventilated and freely breathing rats. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2004 Aug;287(2):R411-21. Epub 2004 Mar 18.
• Makeham JM, Goodchild AK, Costin NS, Pilowsky PM. Hypercapnia selectively attenuates the somato-sympathetic reflex. Respir Physiol Neurobiol. 2004 May 20;140(2):133-43.
• Lonergan T, Goodchild AK, Christie MJ, Pilowsky PM. Mu opioid receptors in rat ventral medulla: effects of endomorphin-1 on phrenic nerve activity. Respir Physiol Neurobiol. 2003 Nov 14;138(2-3):165-78.
• Padley JR, Li Q, Pilowsky PM, Goodchild AK. Cannabinoid receptor activation in the rostral ventrolateral medulla oblongata evokes cardiorespiratory effects in anaesthetised rats. Br J Pharmacol. 2003 Sep;140(2):384-94. Epub 2003 Aug 4.
• Sun QJ, Berkowitz RG, Goodchild AK, Pilowsky PM. Substance P inputs to laryngeal motoneurons in the rat. Respir Physiol Neurobiol. 2003 Aug 14;137(1):11-8
• Li Q, Goodchild AK, Pilowsky PM. Effect of haemorrhage on the expression of neurotransmitter-related genes in rat ventrolateral medulla: a quantitative real-time RT-PCR study. Brain Res Mol Brain Res. 2003 May 26;114(1):46-54.
• Verner TA, Goodchild AK, Pilowsky PM. A novel method for marking microinjection sites using methylene blue and diaminobenzidine. J Neurosci Methods. 2003 Apr 15;124(2):207-11. PubMed PMID: 12706851.
• Lonergan T, Goodchild AK, Christie MJ, Pilowsky PM. Presynaptic delta opioid receptors differentially modulate rhythm and pattern generation in the ventral respiratory group of the rat. Neuroscience. 2003;121(4):959-73.
• Miyawaki T, Goodchild AK, Pilowsky PM. Maintenance of sympathetic tone by a nickel chloride-sensitive mechanism in the rostral ventrolateral medulla of the adult rat. Neuroscience. 2003;116(2):455-64.

Team Members

Dr Natasha Kumar
BMedSc Hons1, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow
natasha.kumar@mq.edu.au

Research Focus: Natasha Kumar has been a post-doctoral researcher with the Systems and Signalling Neuroscience Group since 2007. She is interested in determining how the neurochemical diversity of autonomic nuclei in the brainstem and spinal cord reflects their diverse downstream functions.

Dr Kumar has significant experience and expertise in genetic, molecular biology and protein based methods. Her current research has two main directions. She is exploring the role calcium channels play in cardiovascular nuclei in setting and maintaining blood pressure with clinical relevance to hypertension. She is also determining the neurochemistry of the parallel sympathoadrenal pathways that arise in the ventral medulla. These studies have clinical relevance to diabetes.

Publications: 7 publications

Grants:
Macquarie University New Staff Grant (2010)
National Heart Foundation Grant-in-aid (2010-11)
Chair of 'Central Cardiovascular Control: Future Directions 2010' local organising committee

Dr Peter Burke
B Sc Hons1, PhD Postdoctoral Fellow
peter.burke@mq.edu.au

Research Focus:
Dr Peter Burke is an integrative physiologist specialising in in vivo electrophysiological techniques. His research interests are in understanding how neurons in the brainstem and spinal cord regulate normal breathing and blood pressure and how neural derangements underpin cardiovascular disease. Peter joined the Systems and Signalling Neuroscience Group in 2010 and has two major projects: (1) The intracellular mechanisms that generate normal and sigh breathing; (2) Identifying neurons in the lower brainstem whose vital function is to set and maintain blood pressure.

Publications: 3 publications

Prizes & Awards: Multiple prizes and awards including the Vice Chancellors award for excellence for his PhD

Shafinaz Karim
B Sc Hons1
Research Assistant

Shaf's role has been to set up patch clamp in brain slices to enable investigation of signalling systems in single cells regulating cardiovascular, respiratory and endocrine systems. She has been developing her skills in collaboration with Dr Geoff Drew and Dr Chris Vaughan at PMRI, University of Sydney. She is currently exploring signalling in PAG and ventrolateral medulla mediated by somatostatin-like peptides.

Current Students

PHD Students

Vikram (VJ) Tallapragada
Thesis title: Role of cAMP in the ventral medulla in controlling cardiorespiratory function

Sarah Hassan:
Thesis title: Role of the cortex in autonomic function: focus on neurochemistry

Lindsay Parker:
Thesis title: Role of signalling proteins in the sympathoadrenal pathway

Belinda Bowman:
Thesis title: Neurochemical regulation of the sympathetic outflow

Hanafi Damanhuri:
Thesis title: Tyrosine hydroxylase, a signalling molecule: its role in response to different stressors