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AuPS Invited Lecturer

Prof. Mark Hargreaves, Dept. Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Vic 3010 Australia

Title: Exercise and skeletal muscle CHO metabolism: from Milky Way to MEF2

Mark Hargreaves was appointed Professor in 2005 and Head of Physiology at The University of Melbourne, in 2009. Prior to that, he was Professor of Exercise Physiology at Deakin University 1996-2005. He received his BSc in Physiology from The University of Melbourne in 1982, an MA in Exercise Physiology from Ball State University (USA) in 1984, and his PhD in Physiology from The University of Melbourne in 1989.

His research interests focus on the physiological and metabolic responses to acute and chronic exercise, with a focus on carbohydrate metabolism.

He is currently a Reviewing Editor of The Journal of Physiology, a Consulting Editor of Journal of Applied Physiology, an Associate Editor of Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews and serves on the editorial boards of American Journal of Physiology (Endocrinology & Metabolism), Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise and International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism.

He received the inaugural AK McIntyre Prize from AuPS in 1994.

Plenary Speaker

Annamaria de Luca, Professor, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Bari. Italy.

Title: Pre-clinical studies in rare diseases: the challenge to speed up pharmacotherapy in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Born in Italy 01/01/1962 and graduated cum laude in Pharmacy at the University of Bari in 1985. After a PhD in Applied Pharmacology, she was Assistant Professor (1989-1991), then Associate Professor (2000-2005) at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Bari, where she currently is full Professor of Pharmacology.

Intense teaching activity over the years to both undergraduate (Pharmacy, Medicinal Chemistry, Biotechnology) and PhD students, including thesis mentorship, has covered the entire pharmacology field. Since then, including early research stages during PhD and post-doc at the University College London, U.K. (Prof. Gerta Vrbovà) and at the University of Ulm (Prof. Reinhardt Rüdel), her research interest is the pathophysiology and pharmacology of neuromuscular disorders. The main research topics are the pharmacology of skeletal muscle ion channels involved in excitability disorders and in the alteration of mechano-transduction and pre-clinical studies in animal models of muscular dystrophies for the identification of druggable targets and prediction of potential clinical efficacy of therapeutics. This is documented by over 90 full papers on peer-reviewed indexed Journals. Methodological approaches include in vivo behavioral techniques, ex vivo electrophysiology and physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology and histology. She has extensive collaborations worldwide with both public and private institutions, and is member of various Advisory Boards and Scientific Committees, such as the International TREAT-NMD Advisory Committee for Therapeutics (TACT).

British Pharmacological Society Speaker

Roland S. G. Jones, University of Bath, UK

Title: Mechanism of Action of Antiepileptic Drugs: A Synaptic Balancing Act?

Roland Jones is a neuropharmacologist whose study is the communication between neurones in the brain, particularly how it relates to pathological conditions and the actions of therapeutic drugs. Roland's primary research approach is to use electrophysiological recording of neuronal activity, but have complemented this, on occasions, with neurochemical and behavioural techniques. His research career can conveniently be divided into two entities. From 1975-1986, he primarily studied the role of monoamine and neuropeptides in synaptic transmission, in relationship to depression and the action of antidepressant drugs, Since the mid-80s his research focus has been on the role of excitatory and inhibitory amino acids in synaptic transmission and how disturbance in the balance between these may underlie epileptic activity. These studies have largely employed in vitro approaches. In 1986, Roland pioneered the development of an in vitro rat brain slice preparation combining hippocampus and entorhinal cortex (EC) to study epileptogenesis in the temporal lobe. This preparation is now used in many labs around the world. In 1989, a keyword search for 'entorhinal' in the proceedings of the American Neuroscience Meeting produced 1 abstract. In 2010 there were 58, reflecting the dramatic increase interest in this area, in cognitive processing, learning and memory, and in temporal lobe epilepsy.

Roland's group has always been at the forefront of this field. These studies provide insight into long and short term plastic changes in synaptic activity that may accompany, and underlie the development of temporal lobe epilepsy and point the way to development of novel anticonvulsant therapies.

Japanese Pharmacological Society Speaker

Haruaki Nakaya, Dept. Phramacology, Chiba University, Japan.

Title: Pharmacological Approaches to Atrial Fibrillation: Current Status and Future Perspective

Dr. Haruaki Nakaya is Dean of Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine and Professor of Department of Pharmacology. He received his M.D. from Hokkaido University School of Medicine in 1974. After training as a cardiologist in a city hospital for several years, he became a pharmacologist at Hokkaido University School of Medicine. He conducted postdoctoral studies with Arnold Schwartz at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in 1981-82. In 1992 he was appointed Professor of Pharmacology at Chiba University School of Medicine. Dr. Nakaya’s research focuses on the pathophysiological roles and pharmacological modulation of cardiac ion channels.

HBPRCA RD Wright Invited Lecturer

Peter Rothwell, Professor of Clinical Neurology & Director of the Stroke Prevention Research Unit, University of Oxford, UK.

Title: Non Vascular Effects of Aspirin

Professor Rothwell is a neurologist and clinical epidemiologist with an interest in stroke. He was awarded an MRC Senior Clinical Fellowship 2000 and set up the Stroke Prevention Research Unit in Oxford, which now employs about 30 researchers and support staff. He was made Professor of Clinical Neurology at the University of Oxford in 2004 and a fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2008. He has published over 250 scientific papers and several books. His research interests include the causes and prevention of stroke, particularly after a TIA or minor stroke, the link between hypertension and stroke, and the non-vascular effects of aspirin. He has also published widely on the more general theme of how best to apply the results of clinical trials and other forms of research to clinical decisions about individual patients in routine practice.