WHO'S LEADING THE RESEARCH?
I am passionate about understanding the mechanisms that underpin the development and pathology of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). I am an Associate Professor and Principal Investigator in the Department of Physiology at the University of Otago and the Deputy Director of the Centre for Neuroendocrinology. I feel incredibly privileged to be the Director of a New Zealand Health Research Council Programme grant aimed at understanding the basic biology of PCOS. This has allowed me to work alongside an amazing team of scientists, that we will continue to introduce here on this site.
Although trained as a neuroscientist, I have had a longstanding interest in PCOS research. As a pre-med undergraduate student in the US, I worked part time in an obstetrics and gynecology clinic where I was introduced to the devastating impact that a PCOS diagnosis can have on women and their whānau (family). I was shocked to learn how little was known about PCOS origins and treatments. After completing a PhD (Oregon Health & Science University, 2002) and Postdoctoral Fellowship (University of Otago) investigating the neuronal networks in the brain that regulate reproductive function, I wanted to apply my expertise to better understanding the pathophysiology of PCOS.
Our work is mainly in pre-clinical models of the disease that help us to understand the impact of androgen excess on female physiology and particularly the female brain. We have found that androgen excess drives changes in the brain that are associated with the development and maintenance of PCOS-like features. Our work is continuing to identify the specific mechanisms involved in order to pave the way for future clinical therapies.
My research group’s interests are focused on the regulation of fertility by hormones such as leptin, insulin that provide the brain with information about the body’s nutritional status, and on the effects of a recently discovered group of brain cells called RFRP neurons on fertility and stress responses (such as anxiety). Beyond our focused basic research projects, our ‘big picture’ goal is the development of new and improved treatments for infertility and anxiety-related disorders; both of which are unseen conditions experienced by a large proportion of modern societies. For example, we are currently developing drugs that combat the anxiety-promoting effects of RFRP neurons. The Anderson Research Group is based in the Department of Anatomy and forms one of the laboratories that make up University of Otago's Centre for Neuroendocrinology
The focus of my research is on discovering how the maternal environment during pregnancy affects the formation of the fetal brain. With conditions such as obesity and diabetes on the rise in Western society, it is critical that we fully understand the health implications of these disorders for future generations.
At the Centre for Neuroendocrinology we seek to:
Discover epigenetic changes in the brains of the offspring of obese or diabetic mothers
Establish specifically how these changes bring about altered development of axon tracts in the offspring hypothalamus