Staff profile

Dr Colleen J. Thomas

Lecturer, Honorary Research Fellow, Florey Neurosciences Ins

Faculty of Health Sciences

School of Public Health and Human Biosciences
Department of Human Biosciences

Health Sciences 2, Room 428, Melbourne (Bundoora)

 

Qualifications

BAppSc (RMIT), Hons (Mon), PhD (Mon)

Membership of professional Associations

International Society for Heart Research - Australasian Section (Council Member 2010- ), High Blood Pressure Research Council of Australia

Area of study

Anatomy and Physiology

Research interests

Chronic disease

- myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury

Teaching Units

Heart Muscle,  Cardiovascular System  

Consulting

Advanced Medical Science Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Melbourne

Recent Publications

Journal Articles

Thomas CJ, Ng, DC, Patsikatheodorou, N, Limengka, Y, Yeap YY, Darby, IA, Woodman, OL, May CN (2011).  Cardioprotection from ischemia-reperfusion injury by a novel flavonol that inhibits p38 MAPK. European Journal of Pharmacology 658:160-167.

Williams SJ, Thomas CJ, Boujaoude M, Gannon CT, Zanatta SD, Jarrott B, May CN and Woodman OL. (2011).  Water soluble flavonol prodrugs protect against reperfusion injury. Med Chem Comm. 2:321-324.

Wang S, Thomas CJ, Dusting, GJ, Woodman OL and May CN.  (2009). 3’, 4’- Dihydroxyflavonol improves post-ischemic coronary endothelial function after 7 days reperfusion in conscious sheep.  European Journal of Pharmacology, 634, 31-37.

Thomas CJ, McAllen RM, Salo LM and Woods RL (2008). The restorative effect of ANP or chronic NEP inhibition on blunted cardiopulmonary vagal reflexes in aged rats. Hypertension, 52, 696-701.

McKinley MJ, Denton DA, Thomas CJ, Woods RL and Mathai ML. (2006).  Differential effects of aging on fluid intake in response to hypovolemia, hypertonicity and hormonal stimuli in Munich Wistar rats.  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 103 (9), 3450-3455.

Thomas CJ and Woods RL. (2003). Guanylyl-cyclase receptors mediate cardiopulmonary vagal reflex actions of ANP.  Hypertension, 41 (2), 279-285.

Thomas CJ, Anderson WP, Woods RL, Alcorn D, Evans RG and Christy IJ. (1996). Evidence for a renomedullary vasodepressor hormone. Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology, 23, 777-785. (invited review)

Conference Proceedings Teramoto T, Ikeno F, Lyons JK, Jarrott, B, Woodman OL, May CN, Thomas CJ, Yeung AC, Fearon, W. (2009).  3’4-Dihydroxyflavonol reduces infarct size in a porcine acute myocardial infarction-reperfusion model. Circulation 120 (18):S1174. McAllen RM, Toader E, Thomas CJ, Quintin L, and Woods RL (2007). 

Where does BNP act to enhance cardiac reflexes?  Hypertension. 49 (6) p.1472 Woods RL, Thomas, CJ, May CN and Dornom A. (2007).  Cardiovascular actions of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) in sheep. Hypertension. 49 (6) p.1479.

Conferences

XXth World Congress of the International Society for Heart Research.  Japan, 2010 (Presenter). High Blood Pressure Research Council of Australia -32nd Scientific Meeting. Melbourne, 2010. (finalist, Early Career Investigator Award). Annual Scientific Meetings of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ) & Australasian Section of the International Society for Heart Research (ISHR. Adelaide, 2010.

The Renin Angiotensin System: an expanding system. Melbourne, 2010. Australian Academy of Science - Theo Murphy High Flyers Think Tank 2008.

“Preventative Health:  The use of Science and Technology in Prevention and Early Detection of Disease”. 2008.  (invited researcher).

Invited Seminars:

Austin Health.  2009 . “A novel cardioprotective drug for myocardial ischaemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury: clinically-relevant prolonged ischaemia studies in sheep and intracoronary studies in pigs”. Cardiovascular Medicine Division, Stanford University, California, USA . 2008.

“Flavonols in myocardial ischaemia and reperfusion injury”. University of Melbourne. Medical Education Unit. 2008. 

"A career in medical research” Faculté de Médecine de Créteil, Paris, France.  2007.

“Prevention by a synthetic flavonol of post-ischaemic endothelial dysfunction after 7  days reperfusion in conscious sheep Forest Hill Rotary Club. 2010 (keynote speaker). Balwyn Rotary Club. 2008 (keynote speaker).  

Research projects

Investigating the mechanisms causing myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury and the development of novel compounds and strategies to reduce reperfusion injury.  Particular interests: (1)  novel antioxidant flavonols as cardioprotective agents and (2) "conditioning" the heart to reduce infarct size.

Investigating neural control of the heart in normal health, disease and ageing.  Particular interest: (1) the effects of natriuretic peptides on cardiovascular reflexes.