Global Utilities

Staff Profile

  staff photo Meeuwis Boelen
BSc,MSc Utrecht, PhD ANU, MANS
Associate Professor

 

Room Location: Applied Science 1, Room 3.01
Ph: 5444 7580
Fx: 5444 7476
Email: m.boelen@latrobe.edu.au



Teaching Responsibilities
  neuroscience and pharmacology:
  Excitable Cells & Endocrine Systems (subject coordinator)
  Brain, Mind & Behaviour (subject coordinator)

Research Interests
  My research interest is neural integration, or how networks of neurones respond to information and control other parts of the brain and the body. My experimental approach is neurochemistry/pharmacology. As model tissue I use the chicken retina. My current research address to following questions: (i) how do nerve cells in the retina interact and what are the computational characteristics of these neural circuits; (ii) how do the nerve cells maintain an adequate supply of neurotransmitter (such as opioid peptides or dopamine) and under what circumstances do they release their stuff; and (iii) how does the retina itself assess the quality of the visual image and control eye growth accordingly.
 

Project Titles:
Retinal control of eye growth and the development of myopia
Peptide metabolism in chicken retina
Dopamine metabolism in chicken retina
A behavioural model for dopamine function

Higher Degree Supervision
 

Current: Christine Flens (PhD)

Completed: Pamela Megaw (PhD), Sally Firth (PhD)

 

 


Recent Publications
 

Megaw, P.M., Boelen, M.G., Morgan, I.G. and Boelen, M.K. Diurnal patterns of dopamine release in chicken retina, accepted, Neurochemistry International .

Megaw, P.M., Flens, C., Morgan, I.G. and Boelen, M.K. Retinal dopamine release depends linearly on log light intensity, submitted to Neuroreport , revision in preparation.

Boelen, M., Flens, C. and Morgan, I. (2005) The retinal dark-light switch exhibits hysteresis. Second SERI-ARVO Meeting on Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Singapore, 16-20 February.

Ashby, R., Yang, D.-S., Flens, C., Megaw, P., Boelen, M., Walcott, B. and Morgan, I. (2004) The effect of constant light on the development of refractive error. Exp. Eye Res. , 79: S43.

Ashby, R., Yang, D.-S., Flens, C., Megaw, P., Boelen, M., Walcott, B. and Morgan, I. (2004) The effect of constant light on the development of refractive error. Myopia Downunder - Vision Down Under, Fraser Island, 4-7 September.

Boelen, M, Flens, C and Morgan, I. (2004) Hysteresis and the cycling of the retinal dark-light switch. Exp. Eye Res. , 79: S186.

Flens, C, Morgan, I and Boelen, M (2004) Hysteresis in the retinal dark-light switch. Myopia Downunder - Vision Down Under, Fraser Island, 4-7 September.

Morgan, I.G., Ashby, R., Yang, D.S., Megaw, P., Flens, C. and Boelen, M. (2004) The effect of constant light on the retinal dark-light switch and eye growth in the chicken. Inv. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. , 45: E-Abstract 4292.

Ashby, R., Yang, D.-S, Flens, C., Megaw, P., Boelen, M., Walcott, B. and Morgan, I. (2003) The retinal dark-light switch in constant light. Annual Australasian Ophthalmic and Visual Science Meeting, Melbourne, 29-30 November.

Ashby, R., Yang, D.-S, Flens, C., Megaw, P., Boelen, M., Walcott, B. and Morgan, I. (2003) The retinal dark-light switch in constant light. Proc. Austr. Neurosci. Soc. , 14: 17.

Flens, C., Megaw, P., Morgan, I. and Boelen, M.K. (2003) Kinetic appraisal of changes in vitreal DOPAC. Annual Australasian Ophthalmic and Visual Science Meeting, Melbourne, 29-30 November.

Flens, C., Megaw, P., Morgan, I. and Boelen, M.K. (2003) Kinetic appraisal of changes in vitreal DOPAC. Proc. Austr. Neurosci. Soc. , 14: 54

Cooper, A.-M., Honey, J., Thomas, E., McNaught, R. and Boelen, M.K. (2002) The dorsal light reflex: a behavioural index for dopamine activity. Annual Australasian Ophthalmic and Visual Science Meeting, Sydney, 29 Nov - 1  December.

Cooper, A.-M., Honey, J., Thomas, E., McNaught, R. and Boelen, M.K. (2002) The dorsal light reflex: a behavioural index for dopamine activity. 2nd Bendigo Psychology Conference, 14 September 2002.

Flens, C., Morgan, I.G. and Boelen, M.K. (2002) Retinal melatonin release at the onset of light and dark. Annual Australasian Ophthalmic and Visual Science Meeting, Sydney, 29 Nov - 1  December.

Morgan, I.G., Devadas, M. and Boelen, M.K. (2002) Control of eye growth depends on light intensity. Annual Australasian Ophthalmic and Visual Science Meeting, Sydney, 29 Nov - 1  December.

Boelen, M.K., Megaw, P.L. and Morgan, I.G. (2001) Hysteresis in the retinal dark-light switch. Annual Australasian Ophthalmic and Visual Science Meeting, Sydney, 7-9 December.

Firth, S.I., Morgan, I.G., Boelen, M.K. and Morgans, C.W. (2001) Localization of voltage sensitive L-type calcium channels in the chicken retina, Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology , 29:183-187.

Megaw, P.L., Morgan, I.G. and Boelen, M.K. (2001) Dopamine and three phases of retinal function. Annual Australasian Ophthalmic and Visual Science Meeting, Sydney, 7-9 December.

Morgan, I., Boelen, M., Megaw, P. and Miethke, P. (2001) Suppressed eye growth following diffuser removal from myopic birds is not due to increased dopamine release. Proc. Austr. Neurosci. Soc. , 12: 92.

Megaw, P.L., Morgan, I.G. and Boelen, M.K. (2001) Vitreal dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) as an index of retinal dopamine release, J. Neurochemistry , 76: 1636-1644.

Morgan, I.G., Boelen, M.K. and Miethke, P. (2001) The ability of brief periods of normal vision to prevent the development of form-deprivation myopia depends on time of day. Annual Australasian Ophthalmic and Visual Science Meeting, Sydney, 7-9 December.

Boelen, M.K. and Cottriall, C.L. (2000) Nightlights affect diurnal cycling of dopamine release and the rate of emmetropisation. Inv. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. , 41: S134.

Boelen, M.K. and Cottriall, C.L. (2000) Nightlights affect the diurnal cycling of dopamine release in chicken retina: implications for emmetropisation. Proc. Austr. Neurosci. Soc. , 11: 156.

Boelen, M.K., Cottriall, S.L. and Firth, S. (2000) The diurnal operation of a retinal dark-light switch. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. , 26: 448.21.

Boelen, M., Cottriall, C. and Morgan, I. (2000) Change in light intensity controls the diurnal operation of the dark-light switch in chicken retina. Annual Australasian Ophthalmic and Visual Science Meeting, Sydney, 1-3 December.

Megaw, P.L., Morgan, I.G. and Boelen, M.K. (2000) A circadian component to the control of dopamine release in chicken retina. Annual Australasian Ophthalmic and Visual Science Meeting, Sydney, 1-3 December.

Morgan, I., Boelen, M., Megaw, P. and Miethke, P. (2000) Suppressed eye growth following occluder removal from myopic birds is not due to increased dopamine release. Annual Australasian Ophthalmic and Visual Science Meeting, Sydney, 1-3 December.

Morgan, I., Boelen, M. and Miethke, P. (2000) Choroidal expansion during recovery from myopia depends on light intensity. Annual Australasian Ophthalmic and Visual Science Meeting, Sydney, 1-3 December.


Professional Memberships
  Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
Australian Neuroscience Society
International Brain Research Organization
International Society for Neurochemistry
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Last Updated: 7 July, 2008