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Research Focus

Keywords

  • Neuroendocrinology
  • Hypothalamus
  • Clinical Conditions

  • Other 
  • Equipment & Techniques

  • Calcium imaging
  • Fluorescence microscopy
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Electrophysiological recording techniques
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    Professor Allan Herbison

    University Position
    Professor
    Professor Allan Herbison is pleased to consider applications from prospective PhD students.

    Interests

    We are focused upon understanding the properties and functioning of the key neural populations controlling fertility in mammals; the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons and the kisspeptin neurons. Together, these cells generate the "pulse" and "surge" patterns of hormone secretion that are responsible for the initiation of puberty and the subsequent maintenance of reproductive function in adult males and females. Studies are undertaken in a variety of genetically-modified mouse models using tissue clearing and expansion microscopy, single cell electrophysiology and calcium imaging in acute brain slices in vitro, RNAseq gene profiling, in vivo GCaMP imaging of the activity of selected neurons and neural populations in freely-behaving mice, and in vivo CRISPR-based gene editing.

    Key Publications

    Mechanism of kisspeptin neuron synchronization for pulsatile hormone secretion in male mice.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111914
    Journal: Cell Rep
    E-pub date: 31 Jan 2023
    Authors: SY Han, PG Morris, J-C Kim, S Guru, M Pardo-Navarro, S-H Yeo, HJ McQuillan, AE Herbison

    Publications

    CRISPR-Cas9 knockdown of ESR1 in preoptic GABA-kisspeptin neurons abolishes the preovulatory surge and estrous cycles in female mice

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.7554/elife.90959
    Journal:
    E-pub date: 2 Oct 2023
    Authors: J Clarkson, SH Yip, R Porteous, A Kauff, AK Heather, AE Herbison

    Definition of the estrogen negative feedback pathway controlling the GnRH pulse generator in female mice.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-35243-z
    Journal: Nat Commun
    E-pub date: 2 Dec 2022
    Authors: HJ McQuillan, J Clarkson, A Kauff, SY Han, SH Yip, I Cheong, R Porteous, AK Heather, AE Herbison

    Highly redundant neuropeptide volume co-transmission underlying episodic activation of the GnRH neuron dendron.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.62455
    Journal: Elife
    E-pub date: 19 Jan 2021
    Authors: X Liu, S-H Yeo, HJ McQuillan, MK Herde, S Hessler, I Cheong, R Porteous, AE Herbison