School of Psychological Science

		Dr Richard S. Weisinger Assoc. Professor/Senior Research Fellow		Phone: +61 3 9479 2257 Fax: +61 3 9479 1956 r.weisinger@latrobe.edu.au Room 107 Biological Science Building 2
		PhD

In 1971, I obtained my PhD (University of Washington, Seattle, USA). I had two postdoctoral fellowships (NIMH, Univ. Pittsburgh, USA; NHMRC, Howard Florey Institute, University of Melbourne).

In 1980, I became a NHMRC Senior Research Fellow at the Howard Florey Institute (Ingestive Behaviour team). My research was aimed at investigating the mechanisms controlling sodium appetite and thirst, crucial behavioural components of body fluid homeostasis.

In 1999, my research emphasis shifted from body fluid homeostasis to the investigation of (a) the influence of early nutrition, primarily omega-3 fatty acids, on later physiological function and (b) mechanisms involved in the control of body weight.

In Feb 2005, moved to School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University. I have honorary appointments at the Howard Florey Institute, and the Department of Physiology, University of Melbourne and the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, San Antonio, Texas.

Research Interests

Can we alter the progression of disease by manipulation of early diet?

• How does ingestion of the typical ‘Western Diet’, a diet high in saturated fat, salt influence the development of Hypertension, Obesity and Diabetes?
• Can early provision of omega-3 fatty acid prevent or ameliorate later development of : Hypertension? Obesity? Diabetes? Depression?
• What are the neural pathways that mediate various diseases and how are they altered by diet?

How does stress influence physiological function?

• How does stress or the hormones associated with stress cause changes in ingestive behaviour, cardiovascular function, neural function?
• What are the neural pathways that are influenced by stress or the hormones associated with stress?
• How do these hormones/neurotransmitters interact?

Is there a peptide/hormone, sensed by the brain, that can control body weight?

• How is the body weight ‘set point’determined, i.e., why can’t body weight loss be maintained after diet-induced weight loss?
• What are the neural pathways that control body weight ‘set point’?
• Can administration of peptides/hormones influence the ‘set point’ for body weight?
  

	Recent Publications		Full Publication List (pdf 186k)
	Collaborations		Postgraduate Research Projects
	Grants

Recent Publications (2000–2006)

Peer Reviewed Journals
Parkes, D.G., Weisinger R.S. and May C.N. Cardiovascular actions of CRF and Urocotin: An Update. Peptides, 22, 821-827, 2001.

Weisinger, R.S., Blair-West, J.R., Burns, P., Denton, D.A. and Purcell, B. Cerebral Na concentration, Na appetite and thirst of sheep: Influence of somatostatin and losartan. Am. J. Physiol., 280, R686-R694, 2001.

Sunagawa, K., Weisinger, R.S., McKinley, M.J., Purcell, B.S., Thomson, C., Burns, P.L. The effects of water deprivation on cerebrospinal fluid constituents during feeding in sheep. Asian-Austral. J. Anim. Sci.14, 467-473, 2001.

Sunagawa, K., Weisinger, R.S., McKinley, M.J., Purcell, B.S., Thomson, C., Burns, P.L. The role of brain somatostatin in the central regulation of feed, water and salt intake in sheep. Asian-Austral. J. Anim. Sci.14, 929-934, 2001.

Sunagawa, K., Weisinger, R.S., McKinley, M.J., Purcell, B.S., Thomson, C., Burns, P.L. The role of angiotensin II in the central regulation of feed intake in sheep. Can. J. Anim. Sci., 81, 215-221, 2001.

Weisinger, H.S., Armitage, J.A., Sinclair, A.J., Vingrys, A.J., Burns, P. and Weisinger, R.S. Perinatal omega-3 fatty acid supply affects blood pressure later in life. Nature, Medicine, 7, 258-259, 2001.

McKinley, M.J., Allen, A.M., Mathai, M.L., May, C.N., McAllen, R.M., Oldfield, B.J., Weisinger, R.S. Brain Angiotensin and body fluid homeostasis. Jap. J. Physiol., 51, 281-290, 2001.

Blair-West, J.R., Carey, K.D., Denton, D.A., Madden, L.J., Weisinger, R.S. and Shade, R.E. Possible contribution of brain angiotensin III to digestive behaviours in Baboons. Am. J. Physiol., 281, R1633-R1636, 2001.

Shade, R.E., Blair-West, J.R., Carey, K.D., Madden, L.J., Weisinger, R.S., Rivier, J.E., Vale, W.W. and Denton, D.A. Ingestive responses to administration of stress hormones in Baboons. Am. J. Physiol., 282, R10-R18, 2002.

Sunn, N., Egli, M., Burazin, T.C., Burns, P., Colvill, L., Davern, P., Denton, D.A., Oldfield, B.J., Weisinger, R.S., Rauch, M., Schmid, H.A., McKinley, M.J. Circulating relaxin acts on subfornical organ neurons to stimulate water drinking in the rat. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 99, 1701-1706, 2002.

Shade, R.E., Blair-West, J.R., Carey, K.D., Madden, L.J., Weisinger, R.S. and Denton, D.A. Synergy between angiotensin and aldosterone in evoking sodium appetite in Baboons. Am. J. Physiol., 283, R1070-R1078, 2002.

Weisinger, H.S., Armitage, J. A., Jeffrey, B.G., Mitchell, D.C., Moriguchi,T., Sinclair, A. J., Weisinger, R. S. and Salem, Jr., N. Retinal sensitivity loss in third generation n-3 PUFA-deficient rats. Lipids, 37, 759-765, 2002.

Jayasooriya, A.P., Weisinger, R.S. Weisinger, H.S., Mathai, M.L. and Sinclair, A.J. Attraction to orange: sexiness, not gluttony. Science, 296, 847-848, 2002.

Velkoska, E. Morris, M.J., Burns, P. and Weisinger, R.S. Leptin reduces food intake but does not alter weight regain following chronic food restriction in the rat. Int. J. Obesity, 27, 48-54, 2003.

Sinnayah, P., Blair-West, J.R., McBurnie, M.I., McKinley, M.J., Oldfield, B.J., Rivier, J.E., Vale, W.W., Walker, L.L., Weisinger, R.S., and Denton, D.A. The effect of Urocortin on ingestive behaviours and brain Fos immunoreactivity in mice. European J. Neuroscience, 18, 1-10, 2003.

Armitage J.A., Pearce, A.D., Allen, A.M., Sinclair, A.J., Vingrys, A.J., Weisinger, R.S. and Weisinger, H.S. Increased blood pressure later in life may be associated with peri-natal omega-3 fatty acid deficiency. Lipids, 38, 459-464, 2003.

Mathai, M.L., Soueid, M., Chen, N., Jayasooriya, A.P., Sinclair, A.J., Wlodek, M.E., Weisinger, H.S. and Weisinger, R.S. Does perinatal omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid deficiency increase appetite signalling? Obesity Res., 12, 1886-1894, 2004.

Albiston, A.L., Pederson, E.S., Burns, P., Purcell, B., Wright, J.W., Harding, J.W., Mendelsohn, F.A., Weisinger, R.S., Chai, S.Y. Attenuation of scopolamine-induced learning deficits by LVV-Hemorphin7 in rats in the passive avoidance and water maze paradigms. Behav. Brain Res., 154, 239-243, 2004.

McKinley, M.J., Cairns, M.J., Denton D.A., Egan, G., Mathai, M.L., Uschakov, A., Wade, J.D., Weisinger, R.S. and Oldfield, B.J. Physiological and pathophysiological influences on thirst. Physiology and Behavior, 81, 795-803, 2004.

Kitajka, K., Sinclair, A.J., Weisinger, R.S., Weisinger, H.S., Mathai, M., Jayasooriya, A.P., Halver, J.E. and Puskas, L.G. Effects of dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on brain gene expression. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 101, 10931-10936, 2004.

Weisinger, R.S., Blair-West, J.R., Burns, P., Denton, D.A., Purcell, B., Vale, W.W., Rivier, J., Weisinger, H.S. and May, C.N. Cardiovascular effects of long-term central and peripheral administration of Urocortin, Corticotropin-releasing factor and adrenocorticotropin in sheep. Endocrinology, 145, 5598-5604, 2004.

Jayasooriya, A.P., Ackland, ML, Mathai, M., Sinclair, A.J., Weisinger, H.S., Weisinger, R.S., Halver, J.E. , Kitajka, K., and Puskas, L.G. Perinatal omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supply modifies brain zinc homeostasis during adulthood. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 102, 7133-7138, 2005.

Duo, L., Weisinger, H.S., Weisinger, R.S., Mathai, M.L., Armitage, J.A., Vingrys, A.J., Sinclair, A.J., Omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acid imbalance early in life leads to persistent reductions in DHA levels in glycerophospholipids in rat hypothalamus even after long-term omega 3 fatty acid repletion. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, 74 (6), 391-399, 2006.

Book Chapters & Reviews
Weisinger, R.S. and Denton, D.A. Salt Appetite. Chapter In: Encyclopedia of Stress, vol 3, pp 384-392, 2000. Ed. by George Fink, Academic Press.

McKinley, M.J., Burns, P., Colvill, L., Giles, M., Sinnayah, P., Sunn, N., Oldfield, B.J., Weisinger, R.S. Neurons and neural pathways mediating the physiological actions of circulating relaxin on the brain. In G.W. Tregear, R. Ivell, R.A. Bathgate and J.D. Wade, J.D. (eds.) Relaxin 2000. Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Relaxin & Related Peptides. Kluwer-ESCOM, Dordrecht, 2001.

Weisinger, R.S., Weisinger, H.S., Sinclair, A.J., Vingrys,A.J., Burns, P., Armitage, J.A. The role of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in body fluid and energy homeostasis. Chapter 22 In: Fatty Acids: Physiological and Behavioral Functions, pp 377-401, 2001. Ed. By D.I. Mostofsky, S. Yehuda, N.Salem Jr, Humana Press.

Vingrys, A.J., Armitage, J.A., Weisinger, H.S., Sinclair, A.J. and Weisinger, R.S. The role of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in retinal function. Chapter 12 In: Fatty Acids: Physiological and Behavioral Functions, pp 193-217, 2001. Ed. By D.I. Mostofsky, S. Yehuda, N.Salem Jr, Humana Press.

Sinclair, A.J., Attar-Bashi, N.M., Weisinger, H.S., Weisinger, R.S. and Li, D. What is the fate of ?-linoleic acid in mammals? In: Fifth International Congress on Essential Fatty Acids and Eicosanoids, pp 7175, 2003. Ed. By Y-S. Huang, S-J. Lin, P-C. Huang, AOCS Press.

Weisinger, R.S., Blair-West, J.R., Burns, P., Chen, N., and Weisinger, H.S. Neurobiology of sodium Appetite. In: Handbook of Behavioral Neurobiology, Volume 11, Neurobiology of Food and Fluid Intake, 2004. Ed. By E.M. Stricker and S.C. Woods, Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers.

Blair-West, J.R., Denton, D.A., Shade, R.E. and Weisinger, R.S. Baboon model for ingestive behaviours. In: Primate Research, in press. Ed. By J. VandenBerg, and S. D. Tardif, Kluwer Academic Publishers.

McKinley, M.J., Denton, D.A., Mathai, M.L., Oldfield, B.J. and Weisinger, R.S. Angiotensin action on the brain influencing salt and water balance. In: Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology: Angiotensin, 2004. Ed. By T. Unger and B. Schoelkens, Springer-Verlag.

Sinclair, A.J. and Weisinger, R.S. Omega-3 fatty acids and the brain. Chem. In Australia, 10, 6-10, 2004. Invited feature article.

Weisinger, R.S., Chen, N., and Mathai, ML. Chemical and biological basis of sodium appetite. Chem. In Australia, 72, 18-21, 2005. Invited feature article.

Mathai, ML, Weisinger, RS and McKinley, MJ. Regulation of body temperature in response to heat. Chem. in Australia, 72, 11-13, 2005. Invited feature article.

Mathai ML, Cherny R, Sinclair AJ, Puskas LG and Weisinger RS. (2006) Brainwaves and Seafood: Neuroprotective effects of DHA in Alzheimer’s disease. (invited review) Trends in Neurosciences.

Research Projects and Postgraduate student projects
PhD
Nora Chen, Dietary factors and systems influencing body composition, current, Howard Florey Scholarship, University of Melbourne.

Jian Shi, The influence of perinatal omega-3 fatty acid supply on adult hypertension, current, La Trobe University.

Simon Cichello, The influence of various dietary factors on body weight regulation, current, La Trobe University

Grants
Past Support
Share of Block Grant to Howard Florey Institute, ~$200,000 per year, 1973-2002, NHMRC.

Brain areas involved in ingestive behaviour, R.S. Weisinger and P. Burns, $7,800, 1999, Windermere Foundation.

Influence of omega-3 fatty acid deficiency/supplementation early in life on blood pressure, cardiovascular function and insulin resistance in rats with type II diabetes, R.S. Weisinger, $15,000, 2000, The Rebecca L. Cooper Medical Research Foundation Ltd.

Prevention of high blood pressure in adults, R.S. Weisinger, $31,046, 2000, The Philip Bushell Foundation.

Hypertension caused by perinatal omega-3 fatty acid deficiency, G 00M 0614, R.S. Weisinger, A. Sinclair and C.N. May, $80,960, 2000-2001, National Heart Foundation of Australia.

Perinatal omega-3 fatty acid supply affects blood pressure later in life: what determines the critical period? R.S. Weisinger, H.S. Weisinger, A.J. Sinclair, $50,000, 2003, Australian Health Management Group.

Senior Research Fellowship, 217011, R.S. Weisinger, $500,000, 2000-2006, NHMRC.
Currently Held

Nutrition during early life regulates adult blood pressure, 350313, R.S. Weisinger, H.S. Weisinger, A.J. Sinclair, $277,463, 2005-2007, NHMRC.

Programming of appetite and body weight by the interaction of maternal diet and angiotensin II during the perinatal period, DP0346830, R.S. Weisinger, A.J. Sinclair, H.S. Weisinger, $240,000, 2003-2005, Australian Research Council.

Collaborations
National
Andrew Sinclair Deakin University -- Melbourne, Australia
http://www.deakin.edu.au/hbs/ens/staff/index.php?username=andys

Michael Mathai Howard Florey Institute -- Melbourne, Australia
http://www.hfi.unimelb.edu.au/content/personnel/hm_mmathai.html

Leigh Ackland Deakin University -- Melbourne, Australia
http://bcs.deakin.edu.au/Ackland/

Mark Jois La Trobe University -- Melbourne, Australia
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/agriculture/jois.htm

International
Lazlo Puskas Institute of Biochemistry, Hungarian Academy of Sciences -- Szeged, Hungary
http://www.szbk.u-szeged.hu/index

Klara Kitjaka Institute of Biochemistry, Hungarian Academy of Sciences -- Szeged, Hungary
http://www.szbk.u-szeged.hu/index

Anura Jayasooriya University of Peradeniya – Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
http://www.pdn.ac.lk/vet/staff.html