The University of Western Australia

W/Prof Sarah Dunlop

Winthrop Research Professor
School of Animal Biology

Contact details

Address

School of Animal Biology
The University of Western Australia (M092)
35 Stirling Highway
CRAWLEY WA 6009
Australia

Phone

6488 1403

Fax

6488 1029

Email

sarah.dunlop@uwa.edu.au

Personal homepage

http://www.uwa.edu.au/people/sarah.dunlop

Qualifications

BSc PhD Lond.

Biography

Qualifications:
BSc (Hons Zoology) (Lond.) 1974. King’s College
PhD (Lond.) 1978. Queen Elizabeth College
Current positions:
2011-2015: Principal Research Fellow, NH&MRC, School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia.
2011-2015: Winthrop Research Professor, The University of Western Australia

Key research

Promoting functional recovery after neurotrauma, i.e. traumatic injury to the central and peripheral nervous systems.

Projects include:

- Clinical trials using intensive training after spinal cord injury in humans

- Task-specific training after peripheral nerve injury in animal models

- Preventing the spread of secondary degeneration after neurotrauma

- Nanotechnology to deliver therapeutic drugs after neurotrauma

- Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation after neurotrauma

Publications

Full Length Peer-Reviewed Scientific Publications
2009
1.Bischoff A, Grosheva M, Irintchev A, Skouras E, Kaidoglou K, Michael J, Angelova S, Kuerten S, Sinis N, Dunlop SA, Angelov DN (2009) Manual stimulation of the orbicularis oculi muscle improves eyelid closure after facial nerve injury in adult rats. Muscle & Nerve 39, 197-205.
2.Farid WO, McCallum D, Tait RJ, Hulse GK, Dunlop SA. (2009) Minor pathological changes are induced by naltrexone-poly(DL-lactide) implants in pregnant rats. J Biomedical Materials Research J Biomed Mater Res A. 91(4):964-74.
3.Migani, PO, Bartlett, C, Dunlop SA, Beazley LD, Rodger J. (2009) Regional and cellular distribution of ephrin-B1 in the adult mouse brain. Brain Res.
4.Fitzgerald M, Bartlett CA, Evill L, Rodger J, Harvey AR, Dunlop SA. (2009) Secondary degeneration of the optic nerve following partial transection: The benefits of lomerizine. Exp Neurol. 216: 219-300.
5.Skouras E, Merkel D, Grosheva M, Angelova SK, Schiffer G, Thelen U, Kaidoglou K, Sinis N, Igelmund P, Dunlop SA, Pavlov S, Irintchev A, Angelov DN. (2009) Manual stimulation, but not acute electrical stimulation prior to reconstructive surgery, improves functional recovery after facial nerve injury in rats. Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience 27(3):237-51.
6.Sinis N, Horn F, Genchev B, Skouras E, Angelova S, Kaidoglou K, Michael J, Kuerten S, Igelmund P, Schaller H, Irintchev A7, Dunlop S#, Angelov D# (2009). Electrical stimulation of paralyzed vibrissal muscles reduces the number of motor endplates and fails to restore motor function after facial nerve repair in rats. Annals of Anatomy. 191:356-70. # share equal last authorship.
7.Lai CM, Estcourt M, Wikstrom M, Himbeck R, Barnett N, Brankov M, Tee LBG, Dunlop SA, Degli-Esposti M, Rakoczy PE. (2009) rAAV. sFlt-1 Gene Therapy Achieves Lasting Reversal of Retinal Neovascularization in the Absence of a Strong Immune Response to the Viral Vector. IOVS 50:4279-87.
8.Fitzgerald M, Payne SC, Bartlett CA, Evill L, Harvey AR, Dunlop SA. (2009) Secondary retinal ganglion cell death and the neuroprotective effects of the calcium channel blocker, lomerizine. IOVS 50: 5456-5462.
9.Haastert K, Grosheva M, Angelova S, Guntinas-Lichius O, Skouras E, Kuerten S, Michael J, Grothe C, Dunlop S, Angelov D. (2009) Schwann cells over-expressing FGF-2 alone or combined with manual stimulation do not promote functional recovery after facial nerve injury. J Biomedicine and Biotechnology J Biomed Biotechnol. 2009:408794. Epub Oct 8.PMID: 1983024
10.Sinis N, Manoli T, Werdin F, Kraus A, Schaller HE, Guntinas-Lichius O, Grosheva M, Irintchev A, Skouras E, Dunlop S, Angelov DN. Manual stimulation of target muscles has different impact on functional recovery after injury of pure motor or mixed nerves. Int Rev Neurobiol. 2009;87:417-32. Chapter 23.

2010
11.Fitzgerald M, Bartlett CA, Harvey AR, Dunlop SA. (2010) Early events of secondary degeneration after partial optic nerve transection: an immunohistochemical study. J Neurotrauma 27:439-452.
12.Selt M, Bartlett CA, Harvey AR, Dunlop SA, Fitzgerald MF. (2010). Limited restoration of visual function after partial optic nerve injury; a time course study using the calcium channel blocker lomerizine. Brain Research Bulletin 81:467-71.
13.Kiryakova S, Soehnchen J, Grosheva M, U Schuetz, Marinova T, Dzhupanova R, Huebbers C, Sinis N, Skouras E, Ankerne J, Fries J, Irintchev A, Dunlop S, Angelov D (2010). Recovery of whisking function promoted by manual stimulation of the vibrissal muscles after facial nerve injury requires insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). Exp Neurology 222(2):226-34.
14.Leung YK, Pankhurst M, Dunlop SA, Ray S, Dittmann J, Eaton ED, Palumaa P, Sillard R, Chuah MI, West AK, Chung RS. (2010). Metallothionein induces a regenerative reactive astrocyte phenotype via JAK/STAT and RhoA signalling pathways. Exp Neurol. 221:98-106.
15.Skinner TC, Roberton T, Allison G, Dunlop S, and Bucks RS. (2010) Experiential Avoidance, Mindfulness and Depression in Individuals with Spinal Cord Injuries: A preliminary study. Australian Journal of Rehabilitation Counselling 16:27-35.
16.Söhnchen J, Grosheva M, Kiryakova S, Hübbers CU, Sinis N, Skouras E, Ankerne J, Kaidoglou K, Fries JWU, Irintchev A, Dunlop SA, Angelov DN. (2010). Recovery of whisking function after manual stimulation of denervated vibrissal muscles requires brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor TrkB. Neuroscience 170:372-380.
17.Coates SK, Harvey LA, Dunlop SA and Allison GT. (2011) The AuSpinal: A test of hand function for people with tetraplegia. Spinal Cord 49: 219-229.
18.Fitzgerald M, Bartlett C, Payne S, Rodger J, Harvey AR, Dunlop SA. (2010) Near infra-red lightreduces oxidative stress and preserves function in CNS Tissue vulnerable to secondary degeneration following partial traumatic injury. J Neurotrauma 27:2107-2119.
19.Dominic Ho, Melinda Fitzgerald, Carole A Bartlett, Bogdan Zdyrko, Igor A Luzinov, Sarah A Dunlop,* and K. Swaminathan Iyer*. (2010) The Effects of Concentration-Dependent Morphology of Self-assembling RADA16 Nanoscaffolds on Mixed Retinal Cultures. Nanoscale. 2010 Dec 3. [Epub ahead of print] PMID:21132164 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

2011
20.Coates SK, Harvey LA, Dunlop SA and Allison GT. (2011) The AuSpinal: A test of hand function for people with tetraplegia. Spinal Cord 49: 219-229.
21.Lisa A Harvey, Sarah A Dunlop, Leonid Churilov, Ya-Seng (Arthur) Hsueh, Mary P Galea. Early intensive hand rehabilitation after spinal cord injury (“Hands On”): a protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Open Access. Trials. 2011, 12:14. http://www.trials.journal.com/content/12/1/14
22.Payne SC, Bartlett, CA, Harvey AR, Dunlop SA, Fitzgerald M. (2011) Chronic swelling and abnormal myelination during secondary degeneration, following partial injury to a central nervous system tract. (Accepted 7th March 2011, in press) J. Neurotrauma.
23."Non-invasive stimulation of the vibrissal pad improves recovery of whisking function after simultaneous lesion of the facial and infraorbital nerves in rats. Experimental Brain Res. (Accepted 13 April 2011, in press)

Roles, responsibilities and expertise

Basic biomedical research in regeneration of the central and peripheral nervous systems with an emphasis on translation into clinical practice
Head of Experimental & Regenerative Neurosciences, School of Animal Biology
President of the Australian Neuroscience Society 2010/2011
President Elect, Federation of Asian Oceanian Neuroscience Societies
Higher degree supervision
Selection Committees, National & International Grant Review Panels, Editorial Board NeuroSignals, Reviewer for Scientific Journals
Past President, UWA Researchers’ Association Inc.
Board Member, Spinal Cord Injury Network
Chair, Clinical Trials Coordination, Spinal Cord Injury Network

Funding received

CURRENT funding
2009- 2013 M Galea, S Dunlop, G Allison, L Harvey, G Davis, L Denehy, A Nunn, R Marshall, R Acland R, T Geraghty, I Mareels.
SCIPA (Spinal Cord Injury & Physical Activity): Intensive exercise from acute care to the community
Victorian Neurotrauma Initiative Program Grant
$4,676,832

2010- 2015 Dunlop SA
SCIPA Grant-in-Aid Matching Research Fund, University of Western Australia
$176,580

2009-2011 R Marshall, J Clarke, M Galea, S Dunlop
Exercise to Promote Neural Recovery following Spinal Cord Injury (SCI): Acute Clinical Care to the Community
SA Premier’s Science and Research Fund
$198,239

2010-2012 Raston C, Dunlop SA, Harvey AR, Plant G, Stubbs K
Targeted enzymatic treatment of the injured central nervous system using innovative nanotechnology
ARC (DP1094217)
$495,000

2010-2012 Raston C, Bond C, Dunlop SA, Swaminatha-Iyer, Wood F
Processing Pearl Nacre for Bio-Nanotechnology
ARC Linkage(LP100100812)
$483,000 + $150,000 = $633,000

2010-2012 Rodger J, Sherrard R, Dunlop SA Farrow LW, Goh CJ
Studying the impact of pulsed magnetic fields on neural tissue
ARC Linkage (LP110100201)
$260,000

2011-2015 Dunlop SA
Promoting recovery after neurotrauma: Basic science, clinical trials and community engagement.
Principal Research Fellowship
NHMRC (ID: APP1002347)
$690,370

2011-2012 Fitzgerald LF, Dunlop SA, Harvey AR
“Optimising treatment of secondary degeneration with 670nm light”
Neurotrauma Research Program
$189,542

2011-2012 Dunlop SA, Fitzgerald L, Rodger J, Salt T
Loss of function in spared neural circuits during secondary degeneration and its potential rescue with infrared light
Neurotrauma Research Program
$273,374

2011-2012 Allison GT, Dunlop SA, Buchanan
Central modulation of lower limb tone following acquired brain injury - The role of sub-maximal loading on neurological outputs and correlates of functional outcomes
Neurotrauma Research Program
$246,434

2011 Dunlop SA
Medical Health & Infrastructure Research Fund Round 14
WA State Government
$10,983

Languages

English

Memberships

American Society for Neuroscience
Australian Neuroscience Society
International Spinal Cord Society
Australian Society for Medical Research
National Association of Research Fellows

Honours and awards

Barry Prize, Science. King’s College, London, 1972
Associate of King’s College (AKC), 1974
Honorary Research Fellow, Women and Infants Research Foundation, 1996
Marcus Singer Medal, 1998
Excellence in Postgraduate Research Supervision Award Commendation, 1997
Excellence in Postgraduate Research Supervision Award Commendation, 1999
Nina Kondelos Prize, Australian Neuroscience Society, for outstanding contributions to basic/clinical neuroscience research
Plenary Lectures:
1998 Asia Pacific Symposium on Neural Regeneration. Invited Plenary Lecture, Hong Kong, December 3-4
2001 Society for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Perth, July 13
2006 Australian Neuroscience Society, Sydney, ANS Plenary Lecture, February 1-3
2006 International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism, Melbourne, Plenary Lecture, September 10-14
2007 International Congress of Neuroethology, Vancouver, July 23 – 27
2007 2nd Regional Conference on Molecular Medicine, Kuala Lumpur, October 26-28
2009 International Brain Research Organisation / Australian Neuroscience Society, Advanced Neuroscience School on Neuroethology, January 21- 27

Previous positions

1979 – 1981 Research Officer, NH&MRC, Department of Psychology, The University of Western Australia.
1982 – 1990 Senior Research Officer, NH&MRC, Department of Psychology, The University of Western Australia.
1991 – 1993 Research Fellow, NH&MRC, Department of Psychology, The University of Western Australia.
1994 – 1997 Research Fellow, NH&MRC, Department of Zoology, The University of Western Australia.
1998 – 2002 Senior Research Fellow (Level A), NH&MRC, Department of Zoology, The University of Western Australia.
2003 – 2007 Senior Research Fellow (Level B), NH&MRC, School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia.
1999 – 2005 Associate Professor, The University of Western Australia
2005 – 2007 Professorial Fellow (Research), The University of Western Australia
2008 – 2012 Senior Research Fellow (Level B), NH&MRC, School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia
2008 - 2012 Professorial Fellow (Research), The University of Western Australia

Teaching

Invited lectures for:
Zoology 216 Animal Development
Zoology 320 Comparative Neurobiology
Pathology 3311 Biotherapeutic Regeneration

Current external positions

Member, Quadriplegic Centre Board (State Government of WA appointment)
Acting Chair, Interim Board, ANZSCIN (ANZSCIN launched November 1st 2007, Incorporated April 23rd 2008. ACN no: 130 772 851. Company name ASCIN; Trading name ANZSCIN

Research profile

Research profile and publications