The Molecular Neuropathology laboratory operates in the Department of Pathology, University of Sydney and is run by Dr Michael Buckland. It is closely affiliated with the Department of Neuropathology at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney.
Research in the laboratory focuses on brain tumours (gliomas) and schizophrenia.
Team | Research projects | Funding support | Contact us
Brain cancer is a common, devastating disease. Most primary brain tumours are gliomas, and in adults are mostly incurable and fatal. In NSW, by 2011, the incidence of gliomas is predicted to rise by 18 per cent (NSW Cancer Institute Media Release 18/3/2005). The laboratory’s researchers are investigating the morphological and molecular underpinnings of human gliomas to improve their diagnosis and treatment .
Our brain tumour projects are:
Schizophrenia is a chronic, crippling disease which affects up to 1 in 100 Australians. It ravages not only those affected but also their families.
Subtle physical brain abnormalities in persons afflicted with schizophrenia suggest an organic underpinning to the disease, and the tendency for schizophrenia to run in families suggests genetic or epigenetic inheritance. Our project investigates the possible role of small non coding RNAs in schizophrenia.
Dr Michael Buckland MB BS (University of Sydney), PhD (University of NSW), FRCPA.
Dr Buckland is a Staff Specialist in Neuropathology at RPAH and the acting Head of the Department of Neuropathology. He is also a NSW Cancer Institute Clinical Research Fellow.
Dr Bjorn Espedido PhD (University of Sydney), Postdoctoral Research Officer
Dr Roger Stankovic PhD (University of Sydney) Senior Hospital Scientist, RPA Hospital
Ms Angel Hong MSc (University of New South Wales), Research Assistant
Mr David Edmonds
Dr Kerrie McDonald and Professor Bruce Robinson, Kolling Institute, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney.
Dr Catherine Suter, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, St Vincent’s Hospital Campus, Darlinghurst, Sydney.
A/Prof Reginald Lord, St Vincent's Centre for Applied Medical Research, Darlinghurst, Sydney
Professor David Martin, CHORI, California, USA ,
Professor Mahlon Johnston, URMC, Rochester New York, USA.
The laboratory is supported by grants from the NSW Cancer Institute, Cure for Life Foundation, St Vincent’s Clinic Foundation, and a Neuroscience Research Grant from Pfizer.
Epigenetics may be defined as heritable changes in gene expression not associated with changes in the DNA code. The best studied epigenetic mark is DNA methylation; hypermethylation of a gene promoter region is associated with silence of that gene. We are mapping methylation signatures across primary human brain tumour (glioma) samples in an effort to identify new tumour suppressor genes involved in brain tumour formation or tumour progression.
Co-deletions of the short arm of chromosome 1 (1p) and the long arm of chromosome 19 (19q) in gliomas is associated with prolonged survival time and better response to adjuvant therapy. We are investigating ways to simply and inexpensively assay these chromosomal deletions in brain tumours. We are also actively searching for novel prognostic markers that may be helpful in guiding therapeutic decisions in glioma patients.
Established in 2006, with the support of RPAH Departments of Neuropathology and Neurosurgery, the bank collects neurosurgical tissue not required for diagnostic purposes to store it for use in medical research.
Banking of tissue requires full informed consent from patients and/or their families.
The bank has full ethics approval from the Ethics Review Committee (RPAH Zone) of the Sydney South West Area Health Service.
Enquiries: Dr Roger Stankovic (02) 9351 3149 or Dr Michael Buckland (02) 9114 1148.
We are interested in defects in gene regulation in brains affected by schizophrenia. Small non-coding RNAs are recently discovered classes of RNA molecules that do not function to produce specific proteins, but act in complex networks to regulate gene expression. They are highly expressed in human brain and provide a mechanism to link environmental experiences with the genome.
Collaborating with the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, we are using new massively-parallel sequencing to identify aberrations in small non-coding RNAs in the brains of persons affected with schizophrenia.
Dr Michael Buckland
mbuckland@med.usdy.edu.au
Tel: +61 2 9114 1148
Fax: +61 2 9351 3429
Dr Roger Stankovic
rstankovic@med.usyd.edu.au
Tel: +61 2 9351 3149
Fax: +61 2 9351 3429