Group Leader:
Sharad Kumar MSc, PhDProfessor and NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellow
Contact Details:
Department of Haematology,
Level 2, Hanson Institute, IMVS
Frome Road, Adelaide, SA 5000
| Tel (Office) | +61-8-8222-3738 |
| Tel (Lab) | +61-8-8222-3604 |
| Fax | +61-8-8222-3162 |
| email: sharad.kumar@imvs.sa.gov.au | |
Lab Members
| Postdoctoral Fellows | |
|---|---|
| Natasha Boase | natasha.boase@imvs.sa.gov.au |
| Hazel Dalton | hazel.dalton@imvs.sa.gov.au |
| Donna Denton | donna.denton@imvs.sa.gov.au |
| Loretta Dorstyn (Florey Fellow) | loretta.dorstyn@imvs.sa.gov.au |
| Natalie Foot | natalie.foot@imvs.sa.gov.au |
| Saman Ebrahimi | saman.ebrahimi@imvs.sa.gov.au |
| Sonia Shalini | sonia.shalini@imvs.sa.gov.au |
| Research Assistants | |
| Briony Davenport | briony.davenport@imvs.sa.gov.au |
| Kristen Ho | kristen.ho@imvs.sa.gov.au |
| Yew Ann Leong | yewann.leong@imvs.sa.gov.au |
| Kathryn Mills | kathryn.mills@imvs.sa.gov.au |
| Scott Townley | scott.townley@imvs.sa.gov.au |
| PhD students | |
| Jantina Manning | jantina.manning@imvs.sa.gov.au |
| Honours Students | |
| Joey Puccini | joey.puccini@imvs.sa.gov.au |
Research Focus
The Molecular Regulation laboratory undertakes research in the general area of cell and molecular biology of disease. The two major interests of Molecular Regulation laboratory are (1) the study of programmed cell death (apoptosis) of normal and cancer cells and (2) understanding the regulation of ion channels and transporters by ubiquitination.
Apoptosis plays a fundamental role in cell and tissue homeostasis and its misregulation results in a variety of human diseases including many types of cancer. As apoptosis is a major mechanism for deleting harmful cells from the body, deciphering the mechanisms of apoptosis is essential for understanding disease processes and to design effective treatment strategies for diseases which arise due to inappropriate apoptosis. We are studying the function and regulation of caspases, a group of enzymes that act as effectors of apoptosis, in mediating apoptosis and in killing cancer cells. We use a range biochemical, cellular and whole animal approaches for these studies. We also use gene knock-out mice and mouse models of tumour development to study the role of caspases in cancer.
Ubiquitin-mediated protein modification plays an essential role in cellular regulation during embryonic development, transcription and the cell cycle. Recent studies suggest that ubiquitination is a major regulator of many ion channels, receptors and transporters. We are studying the function of a group of ubiquitin-protein ligating enzymes (Nedd4-like proteins), which are key in defining substrate specificity of the ubiquitin system. We are using a variety of molecular, cellular and gene knockout approaches to study the physiological functions of these enzymes and establish their role in human diseases, such as haemochromatosis, anaemia and hypertension.
Research Projects
- Caspase function in apoptosis and cancer cell death
- Drosophila as a model to study developmental cell death
- Hormone regulation of transcription and characterisation of novel histone modifying enzymes
- Nedd4 proteins in physiology and disease
- Ndfips (Nedd4-interacting proteins) in iron transport and disease
Recent Publications (2000-2009)
Student Projects
The Molecular Regulation Laboratory provides an outstanding environment for Honours and Postgraduate studies. For individual projects, prospective students should contact the laboratory staff. Scholarships are available through various sources including those listed below:
- The role of caspase-2 in specific pathways of apoptosis and tumorigenesis
- Cell death regulation during animal development
- Role of autophagy in PCD
- The role of Nedd4 and Nedd4-2 in hypertension and the regulation of sodium channels
- Regulation of animal growth by Nedd4
- The regulation of iron homeostasis by the Nedd4 binding proteins, Ndfip1 and Ndfip2
Funding
