Contact Details
| Organization: | Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences |
| Position: | RESEARCH FELLOW |
| Email: | |
| Work: | +61 3 8344 3988 |
| Room: | 707 |
| Level: | 07 |
| Building: | Medical Centre |
| Campus: | Parkville |
Biography
Dr Dottori is a neurobiologist who undertook her PhD studies in Prof Andrew Boyd’s Lab at WEHI. Her studies were on the Eph family of receptor tyrosine kinases (Lackmann et al., 1998, J Biol Chem; 47 Citations)(Dottori et al., 1999 Blood; 17 Citations). A major part of her studies involved generating a strain of mice lacking the EphA4 receptor. These mutant mice have locomotor defects due to a neural deficit in the corticospinal tract, the major motor neuron tract in the mammalian nervous system (Dottori et al., 1998, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA; 93 Citations). The EphA4 mutant mice are have been since extensively used by several groups around the world to study neural circuitry, axon guidance, and Eph receptor signaling.
Dr Dottori pursued her interests to study the developing nervous system and undertook her postdoctoral training in Prof Martyn Goulding’s lab at the Salk Institute (La Jolla, CA, USA). Her postdoctoral studies were on early patterning within the neural tube, in particular identifying genes involved in specifying neural crest progenitors (Dottori et al., 2001, Development; 68 Citations) (Gross et al., 2002, Neuron; 71 Citations).
Upon returning to Australia in 2003, Dr Dottori joined Prof Martin Pera’s lab at Monash University, which one of the world leading laboratories of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research. At this time, many of the techniques were not yet established for hESC, including their genetic modification. Thus, much of Dr Dottori’s initial research was to develop such techniques (Costa and Dottori et al., 2007, Nature Protocols). This work included the generation of a hESC cell line, ‘ENVY” that constitutively expresses green fluorescent protein (Costa and Dottori et al., 2006, Nature Methods). The ENVY hESC cell line is well characterized at genomic level and is a very useful research tool particularly for transplantation studies.
Dr Dottori is currently pursuing her research on neural differentiation of hESC. Her pursuits in this area led to understanding the early differentiation and neural patterning that occurs in neurospheres derived from hESC (Davidson et al., submitted). Her discoveries encouraged her to extend her research more towards understanding the signals involved in neural differentiation from hESC, as this research is very important if hESC derivatives are to be therapeutically used for treatment of disease, such as in neurodegenerative disorders. Dr Dottori’s expertise in stem cell biology has been highlighted with her recent co-authorships (together with Prof Martin Pera) on two book chapters.
Dr Dottori will continue her research, at the University of Melbourne, where she has established her own Stem Cell Lab within the Neural Regeneration group, headed by Dr Turnley. Dr Dottori will bring her expertise in hESC biology to the Centre and her studies in neural stem cell biology will be complimented by working in a very strong neuroscience research environment.
Dr Dottori pursued her interests to study the developing nervous system and undertook her postdoctoral training in Prof Martyn Goulding’s lab at the Salk Institute (La Jolla, CA, USA). Her postdoctoral studies were on early patterning within the neural tube, in particular identifying genes involved in specifying neural crest progenitors (Dottori et al., 2001, Development; 68 Citations) (Gross et al., 2002, Neuron; 71 Citations).
Upon returning to Australia in 2003, Dr Dottori joined Prof Martin Pera’s lab at Monash University, which one of the world leading laboratories of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research. At this time, many of the techniques were not yet established for hESC, including their genetic modification. Thus, much of Dr Dottori’s initial research was to develop such techniques (Costa and Dottori et al., 2007, Nature Protocols). This work included the generation of a hESC cell line, ‘ENVY” that constitutively expresses green fluorescent protein (Costa and Dottori et al., 2006, Nature Methods). The ENVY hESC cell line is well characterized at genomic level and is a very useful research tool particularly for transplantation studies.
Dr Dottori is currently pursuing her research on neural differentiation of hESC. Her pursuits in this area led to understanding the early differentiation and neural patterning that occurs in neurospheres derived from hESC (Davidson et al., submitted). Her discoveries encouraged her to extend her research more towards understanding the signals involved in neural differentiation from hESC, as this research is very important if hESC derivatives are to be therapeutically used for treatment of disease, such as in neurodegenerative disorders. Dr Dottori’s expertise in stem cell biology has been highlighted with her recent co-authorships (together with Prof Martin Pera) on two book chapters.
Dr Dottori will continue her research, at the University of Melbourne, where she has established her own Stem Cell Lab within the Neural Regeneration group, headed by Dr Turnley. Dr Dottori will bring her expertise in hESC biology to the Centre and her studies in neural stem cell biology will be complimented by working in a very strong neuroscience research environment.
Research Expertise and International Linkages
Research Expertise
| Research Interest | Country of Expertise |
|---|---|
| Developmental Neurobiology | Australia |
| Stem Cell Biology | Australia |
Qualifications, Honours, Fellowships and Other Awards
Qualifications
| Title | Institution | Date Awarded | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|---|
| DOCTORATE IN MEDICAL BIOLOGY | University of Melbourne | 31-Dec-1998 | |
| BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (Hons) | University of Melbourne | 31-Dec-1992 |
Government Research Classifications
Research Fields, Courses and Discipline Classifications
- Protein Targeting and Signal Transduction (BIOCHEMISTRY AND CELL BIOLOGY) (270103)
- Cell Development (incl. Cell Division and Apoptosis) (BIOCHEMISTRY AND CELL BIOLOGY) (270106)
- Cell Neurochemistry (BIOCHEMISTRY AND CELL BIOLOGY) (270107)
- Biochemistry and Cell Biology not elsewhere classified (BIOCHEMISTRY AND CELL BIOLOGY) (270199)
- Central Nervous System (NEUROSCIENCES) (320702)
- Peripheral Nervous System (NEUROSCIENCES) (320703)
- Cellular Nervous System (NEUROSCIENCES) (320704)
- Neurosciences not elsewhere classified (NEUROSCIENCES) (320799)
- Medical Biotechnology (OTHER MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES) (329902)
- Therapies and Therapeutic Technology (OTHER MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES) (329903)
Socio-Economic Objective Classifications
- Other (HUMAN PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS) (670499)
- Nervous system and disorders (CLINICAL; ORGANS, DISEASES AND ABNORMAL CONDITIONS) (730104)
- Inherited diseases (incl. Gene therapy) (CLINICAL; ORGANS, DISEASES AND ABNORMAL CONDITIONS) (730107)
- Organs, diseases & abnormal conditions not elsewhere classified (CLINICAL; ORGANS, DISEASES AND ABNORMAL CONDITIONS) (730118)
- Clin health not spec to partlar organs, diseases & condits (CLINICAL; ORGANS, DISEASES AND ABNORMAL CONDITIONS) (730199)
- Biological sciences (NON-ORIENTED RESEARCH) (780105)
Grants and Contracts
Research Grants, Contracts and Consultancies awarded to the University of Melbourne as the administering institution (since 2003) as recorded in Themis Agreements.
Grants
| Title | Role | Funding Source | Scheme | Award Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effect of lysophosphatidic acid and sphingosine-1-phosphate in neuronal stem cells. | Chief Investigator | NHMRC | Project Grants | 01/01/2007 |
| Derivation of peripheral sensory neurons from human embryonic stem cells | Chief Investigator | FRIEDREICH ATAXIA RESEARCH ASSOC (AUSTRALASIA) | Research Projects | 01/07/2007 |
| GENERATION OF INDUCED PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS FROM FRIEDREICH ATAXIA PATIENTS | Chief Investigator | FRIEDREICHS ATAXIA RESEARCH ALLIANCE | General Research Grant | 01/01/2009 |
| Genetic selection of human dopaminergic neural progenitor cells to optimize transplantation therapies for Parkinson's disease | Principal Supervisor | RAMACIOTTI FOUNDATION | Establishment Grants | 01/01/2009 |
| GENERATION OF INDUCED PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS FROM FRIEDREICH ATAXIA PATIENTS | Chief Investigator | FRIEDREICH ATAXIA RESEARCH ASSOC (AUSTRALASIA) | Research Projects | 01/01/2009 |
| Stem cell therapy towards the treatment of genetic and acquired diseases | Chief Investigator | REBECCA L COOPER MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION LTD | Research Grants |
Contracts
| Title | Role | Funding Source | Award Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| HUMAN NEURAL PROGENITOR CELL TRANSPLANTATION THERAPY AND HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE. | Chief Investigator | UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND | 01/06/2006 |
| DISCOVERY ENGINE FOR EMBRYONIC STEM CELL | Chief Investigator | UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE, AUST STEM CELL CENTRE LTD (ASCC) |
01/01/2007 |
| CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT WITH AUSTRALIAN STEM CELL CENTRE | Chief Investigator | AUST STEM CELL CENTRE LTD (ASCC) |
Additional Grant and Contract Information
Awards:1992 HECS Exemption Scholarship for Honours, University of Melbourne
1993 - 1996 Australian Postgraduate Research Scholarship
1999 - 2001 Human Frontiers Science Program Organization (International)
Long-Term Postdoctoral Fellowship
2003 - 2005 NHMRC Howard Florey Centenary Fellowship
Publications
Publications produced at the University of Melbourne and reported in the Annual Publications Collection and 'Research Report' since 2001. The Themis Publications module, released in November 2006, allows additional publications from previous institutions and publications from past years to be entered.