MsLara Voglsanger
Graduate Researcher
Faculty of Health/School of Medicine
Orcid identifier0009-0001-5767-2882 (opens in a new tab)
- Graduate ResearcherFaculty of Health/School of Medicine
- Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus, 75 Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds, Victoria 3216
RESEARCH INTERESTS
The research projects I mentioned in my bio, using port-mortem human brains and induced pluripotent stem cells, would not have been possible without the generous collaborations of the Victorian Brain Bank (University of Melbourne) and Walder Lab (IMPACT, Deakin University).
Analysis of post-mortem human brains, particularly those regions highly implicated in mental health, such as the amygdala, is vital to understanding the pathophysiology of mental health disorders.
My study involves counting various cell types, primarily those of an inflammatory nature, to determine whether there is an immune theme playing a role in mental health within the amygdala. If so, this could lead to novel insights in the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying these disorders. The iPSC work aims to validate the Relaxin Family Peptide 3 (RXFP3) receptor as a novel potential pharmacological target for Bipolar Disorder. Through the collaborative efforts of the Smith and Walder Labs at Deakin and the Bathgate Lab at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, the iPSCs from Bipolar and neurotypical individuals were genetically manipulated to express the RXFP3 receptor. Upon purification and differentiation of the RXFP3-expressing iPSCs into a neuronal cell type, a comparative analysis between Lithium (the gold standard treatment for Bipolar) and an RXFP3-acting drug can be performed to gain an understanding of the pharmacological therapeutic potential of RXFP3.
Methodologically, my research involves expertise in a cutting-edge range of laboratory techniques, such as histology, microscopy, transcriptomics, and cell culture.
Analysis of post-mortem human brains, particularly those regions highly implicated in mental health, such as the amygdala, is vital to understanding the pathophysiology of mental health disorders.
My study involves counting various cell types, primarily those of an inflammatory nature, to determine whether there is an immune theme playing a role in mental health within the amygdala. If so, this could lead to novel insights in the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying these disorders. The iPSC work aims to validate the Relaxin Family Peptide 3 (RXFP3) receptor as a novel potential pharmacological target for Bipolar Disorder. Through the collaborative efforts of the Smith and Walder Labs at Deakin and the Bathgate Lab at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, the iPSCs from Bipolar and neurotypical individuals were genetically manipulated to express the RXFP3 receptor. Upon purification and differentiation of the RXFP3-expressing iPSCs into a neuronal cell type, a comparative analysis between Lithium (the gold standard treatment for Bipolar) and an RXFP3-acting drug can be performed to gain an understanding of the pharmacological therapeutic potential of RXFP3.
Methodologically, my research involves expertise in a cutting-edge range of laboratory techniques, such as histology, microscopy, transcriptomics, and cell culture.