Prince Henry’s Institute

 

Morag Young

 

Profile

Morag joined PHI in 2002 after finishing her CJ Martin Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Baker Institute of Medical Research and the laboratory of Dr Keith Parker at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre, USA.

 

Research Interests

Morag's research centres on mineralocorticoid hormones and their receptors in the cardiovascular system in an effort to identify new treatments for cardiovascular disease and hypertension.

In the last 4 years she received a New Investigator Grant and 2 Project Grants from the NHMRC and has secured funding from pharmaceutical companies to continue her work.

 

Expertise

In vitro and in vivo models of cardiac fibrosis, molecular endocrinology, histology, immunohistochemistry, digital image analysis techniques and cell culture.

 

Current Research

• Mineralocorticoid Receptor in cardiovascular disease

• Identification of ligand-selective MR antagonists

 

Recent Achievements

• 2009 - received a 3 year NHMRC Project Grant

• 2008 - received a 3 year NHMRC Project Grant

• 2006 - awarded NHMRC New Investigator Grant 

• 2005 - recipient of Endocrine Society (USA) travel awards

• 2005 - recipient of the Clinical Science New Investigator Prize, HBPRCA meeting

• 2002 - recipient of a National Heart Foundation of Australia travel award 

 

Service to Scientific Community

• 2008 - appointed to the Editorial Board of Endocrinology

• 2005 - appointed member of the Faculty of 1000, Physiology

 

Selected Publications

Rickard, A.J., Morgan, J., Tesch, G., Funder, J.W., Fuller, P.J., and M.J. Young (2009). Deletion of mineralocorticoid receptors from macrophages protects against DOC/salt-induced cardiac fibrosis and hypertension. Hypertension. In Press

Clyne CD, Chang CY, Safi R, Fuller PJ, McDonnell DP and M.J. Young (2009). Purification and characterization of recombinant human mineralocorticoid receptor. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology. 10;302(1):81-5.

Wilson, P., Morgan, J., Funder, J.W., Fuller, PJ., and M.J. Young (2009) Mediators of mineralocorticoid receptor-induced profibrotic inflammatory responses in the heart. Clinical Science. Nov 6.

Rickard, AJ., Morgan, J., Funder, JW., Fuller, PJ., and M.J. Young (2007). Does glucocorticoid receptor blockade exacerbate tissue damage following mineralocorticoid/salt administration? Endocrinology. 148:4829-4835.

Wong, S., Brennan, F.E., Young, M.J., Fuller, P.J. and Cole, T.J. (2007) A direct effect of aldosterone on endothelin-1 gene expression in vivo. Endocrinology Apr;148(4):1511-7.

Fuller, P.J. and Young, M.J. (2007) Aldosterone in Australia - Mineralocorticoids in Melbourne:  more than just physiology. Australian Biochemist 38; 1; 4-7.

Young, M.J., Lam, E., and A. Rickard. (2007) Mineralocorticoid receptors and cardiac fibrosis.Clin Sci (Lond). Jul;112(9):467-75.

Rickard, AJ., Funder, JW., Fuller, PJ., and Young, MY (2006). The role of the glucocorticoid receptor in mineralocorticoid/salt mediated cardiac fibrosis. Endocrinology. 147(12):5901-6.

Lam, E.Y.M., Fuller, P.J., Nikolic-Paterson, D.J., Funder, J.W. and Young, M.J. (2006) Mineralocorticoid receptor blockade but not steroid withdrawal reverses renal fibrosis in DOC/salt rats. Endocrinology. 147(7):3623-9.

Fuller P.J. and Young M.J. Mechanisms of Mineralocorticoid Action. Hypertension. (2005) Dec;46:1227-1235.

Young, M.J. and Funder, J.W. (2004). Eplerenone, but not steroid withdrawal, reverses cardiac fibrosis in deoxycorticosterone/salt-treated rats. Endocrinology Jul;145:3153-7.

Funder, J.W., Mihailidou, A.S. and Young, M. (2004) Aldosterone, cardiovascular damage and the new biology of mineralocorticoid receptors. Proc. 12th International Congress of the International Society of Endocrinology, Lisbon.

Young, M.J. and Funder, J.W. (2003). Determination of the mechanism of non-genomic aldosterone signalling in cardiac fibrosis: possible involvement of the sodium hydrogen exchanger type 1. Endocrinology 144:3848-51.

Sofi, M., Young, M.J., Papamakarios, T., Simpson, E.R. and Clyne, C.D. (2003). Role of CRE-binding protein (CREB) in aromatase expression in breast adipose. Breast Cancer Res. Treat. 79: 399-407.

Young, M.J., Moussa, L., Dilley, R. and Funder, J.W.  (2003). Early inflammatory responses in experimental cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis: effects of 11beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase inactivation. Endocrinology 144: 1121-1125.

Majdic, G., Young, M.J., Gomez-Sanchez, E., Anderson, P., Szczepaniak, L., Dobbins, R., McGarry, J.D. and Parker, K.L. (2002). SF-1 knockout mice are a novel genetic model of hypothalamic obesity. Endocrinology 143: 607-614.

Young, M.J. and Funder, J.W. (2002). Mineralocorticoid receptors and pathophysiological roles for aldosterone in the cardiovascular system. Journal of Hypertension. 20: 1465-1468.