The Blood-Brain Barrier Group

• Dr Mounir Ghabriel
• Dr Rami Tadros
• Dr Jianjun Lu
• Mrs Gail Hermanis
• Mr Chris Leigh

Research is in the structure and function of the central and peripheral nervous systems in normal and pathological conditions such as demyelination, degeneration trauma. In particular , the group is focusing its research on the study of permeability barriers in brain and spinal cord trauma. Methods used include light and electron microscopy, freeze-fracture, imunocytochemistry, application of tracers and western- and immuno-blotting.

The Pineal Research Group

• Dr Bruce Firth (Senior Lecturer)
• Dr Mike Teo (Visiting Research Fellow)

Research in this group focuses largely on morphological and functional aspects of the pineal complex in reptiles. The main areas of interest are:

• circadian rhythms of the pineal hormone, melatonin (in vivo and in vitro) and its control by light and temperature
• role of the pineal gland and melatonin in the control of daily and seasonal thermoregulatory rhythms
• immunocytochemistry of neuropeptides in the parietal eye and pineal gland and their links to other brain centres concerned with the circadian system.

There are strong ongoing research collaborations with Dr David Kennaway (circadian physiology group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology), and with Dr Ingrid Belan, School of Nursing & Midwifery, Flinders University, Adelaide.

Bruce Firth is the coordinator of a third year Science/Health Science single semester course called Integrative and Comparative Neuroanatomy III which incorporates some of the research interests of the pineal research group and other staff members with research interests in neurobiology.

Key Publications

1. Ellis, DJ, Firth, BT and Belan, I (2008). Interseasonal variation in the circadian rhythm of locomotor activity and temperature selections in sleepy lizards, Tiliqua rugosa. Journal of Comparative Physiology A, 194, 701-712.
2. Jastroch, M, Withers, KW, Taudien, S, Frapell, PB, Helwig, M Fromme, T, Hirschberg, V, Heldmaier, G, McAllan, BM, Firth BT, Burmester, T, Platzer, M and Klingenspor, M (2008).  Marsupial uncoupling protein 1 sheds light on the evolution of mammalian nonshivering thermogenesis, Physiological Genomics, 32, 161-169.
3. Ellis, DJ, Firth, BT and Belan, I (2007). Circadian rhythms of locomotor activity and temperature selection in sleepy lizards, Tiliqua rugosa. Journal of Comparative Physiology A, 193,695-701.
4. Ellis, DJ, Firth, BT and Belan, I (2006). Circadian rhythm of behavioral thermoregulation in the sleepy lizard (Tiliqua rugosa). Herpetologica, 62, 259-265.
5. Firth, B.T., Belan I. and Kennaway, DJ. (2006). Persistence of plasma melatonin rhythm in constant darkness and its inhibition by constant light in the sleepy lizard. Tiliqua rugosa. Journal of Pineal Research, 41, 15-20.
6. Rehorek, SJ, Baker, JJ, Hutchinson, MN and Firth, BT (2006). The Harderian gland of two species of skinks: Tiliqua rugosa and Hemiergis decresiensis. A discussion of the significance of lymphatic tissue in the squamate Harderian gland. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 84, 706-714.
7. Rehorek, S.J., Halpern, M., Firth, B.T., and Hutchinson, M.N. (2003). The Harderian gland of two species of snakes: Pseudonaja textilis (Elapidae) and Thamnophis sirtalis (Colubridae). Canadian Journal of Zoology, 81, 357-363.
8. Rehorek, SJ, Firth, BT and Hutchinson, MN (2000). Can an orbital gland function in the vomeronasal sense? A study of the pygopod Harderian gland. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 78, 648-654.
9. Rehorek, SJ, Firth, BT and Hutchinson, MN (2000). The structure of the nasal chemosensory system in several squamate species 1. The olfactory organ with special reference to olfaction in geckos. Journal of Biosciences, 25, 173-179.
10. Rehorek, SJ, Firth, BT and Hutchinson, MN (2000). The structure of the nasal chemosensory system in several squamate species 2. The vomeronasal organ. Journal of Biosciences, 25, 181-190.