Network Member Profile
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Dr Claire Roberts
Department:
Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Organisation:
University of Adelaide
Address:
Adelaide SA 5005
Telephone: 08 8303
3118
Facsimile:
08 8303
4099
Email: claire.roberts@adelaide.edu.au
Web
Address
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Current Field of Study
Our group focuses on the development of the placenta and how it affects pregnancy
outcome. We are particularly interested in the molecular mechanisms by which extravillous
cytotrophoblasts of the placenta invade and colonise the maternal uterine arterioles
to sequester an adequate blood flow to sustain the growth and differentiation
of the placenta and hence those of the fetus. We have discovered a novel interaction
of growth factors that regulates this process and which, in turn, is regulated
by oxygen tension within the placenta. Of great interest is the pivotal role of
insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) in promoting cytotrophoblast invasion,
placental growth and functional capacity. We utilise in vitro and in vivo techniques
and exploit the advantages that studying a range of species provides. Specifically,
we conduct experiments in mice, guinea pigs, sheep and human placental tissue.
We are very keen to translate our research findings into therapeutics and diagnostics
for use in human medicine and animal production. To this end we have patented
some of our research and have industry partners who work with us to commercialise
our technologies.
Australian Collaborators
- Professor Eugenie Lumbers, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW
- Professor John Newnham, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA
- Dr Tim Moss, University of Western Australia, Peth, WA
- Professor Richard Harding Monash University, Melbourne, Vic
- Dr Bill Kalionis, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic
- Dr Kate Denton, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic
- Professor Caroline McMillen University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA
- Professor Gus Dekker, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA
- Professor Mark Bartold University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA
- Professor Stefan Hiendleder University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA
- Professor Julie Owens University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA
- Associate Professor Sarah Robertson University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA
- Associate Professor Rob Richards University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA
- Associate Professor Yee Khong Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide,
SA
Facilities
- Confocal Microscope
- Video Image Analysis Systems
- Real Time PCR
- FACS
Lab Members
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Dr Claire Roberts
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Head of the Lab
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Dr Amanda Sferruzzi-Perri
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Postdoctoral Fellow
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| Ms Denise Furness |
Postdoctoral Fellow |
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Ms Kirsty Pringle
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PhD Student
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Ms Rachael Nowak
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PhD Student
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| Mr Ang Zhou |
Honours Student |
| Mr Steven Thompson |
Research Assistant |
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Mr Gary Heinemann
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Research Assistant
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| Ms Jamie Zhang |
Research Assistant |
| Ms Denise Healy |
Research Midwife (Lyell McEwin Hospital) |
| Ms Lynda Shearer |
Research Midwife (Lyell McEwin Hospital) |
| Ms Karen Rivers |
Research Midwife (Lyell McEwin Hospital) |
| Ms Pat Davda |
Research Midwife (Lyell McEwin Hospital) |
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Mr Dylan McCullough
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Technical Assistant (Lyell McEwin Hospital)
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| Ms Jessica Laurence |
Technical Assistant (Lyell McEwin Hospital) |
Recent Grant Income
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Description
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CIs
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Type of Grant
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Year
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Income p.a.
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| Macrophage-regulated tissue remodeling in endometrial receptivity
for embryo implantation and pregnancy success |
SA Robertson, CT Roberts |
NHMRC Project Grant |
2006-2008 |
$148,000 |
| Development of a selection marker for placental efficiency |
JA Owens, CT Roberts, M Nottle |
Pork CRC |
2006-2008 |
$125,300 |
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Screening for Pregnancy
Endpoints, SA SCOPE
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GA Dekker, CT Roberts, SA Robertson, RJ Norman, JS Robinson, R Richards,
R North
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Premier's Science and Research Fund
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2005-2007
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$791,000
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| How do oocytes and embryos cope with adverse environments? |
JG Thompson, LJ Edwards, RB Gilchrist, PL Kaye, KL Kind,
M Pantaleon, CT Roberts, SA Robertson |
NIH, NICHD. RFA Female Health and Egg Quality |
2003-2008 |
US 250,000 |
Recent Publications
11. 2001 Roberts CT, Sohlstrom A, Kind KL, Earl RA, Khong TY, Robinson JS,
Owens PC and Owens JA Maternal food restriction reduces the surface area and
increases the barrier thickness in the guinea pig placenta. Placenta 22:177-185.
12. 2001 Roberts CT, Sohlstrom A, Kind KL, Grant PA, Earl RA, Robinson JS, Khong
TY, Owens PC and Owens JA Altered placental structure induced by maternal food
restriction in the guinea pigs: a role for IGF-II and IGFBP-2 in the mother?
Placenta 22(Suppl A):S77-82.
13. 2002 Mühlhäusler BS, Roberts CT, McFarlane J, Kauter KG and McMillen
IC Fetal leptin is a signal of fat mass independent of maternal nutrition in
ewes fed at or above maintenance energy requirements Biology of Reproduction
67(2):493-499.
14. 2002 Roberts CT, Kind KL, Earl RA, Grant PA, Sohlstrom A, Robinson JS, Owens
PC and Owens JA Circulating insulin-like growth factor (IGF) -I and IGF binding
proteins -1 and -3 and placental development in the guinea pig. Placenta 23:763-770.
15. 2002 Thompson JG, Kind KL, Roberts CT, Robertson SA and Robinson JS Short
and long-term consequences for the health of children conceived through ART
- more reason for caution? Human Reproduction 17(11):2783-2786.
16. 2003 Kind KL, Clifton PM, Grant PA, Owens PC, Sohlstrom A, Roberts CT, Robinson
JS and Owens JA Effect of maternal feed restriction on glucose tolerance in
the adult guinea pig. American Journal of Physiology: Regulatory and Integrative
Comparative Physiology 284: R140-R152.
17. 2003 Roberts CT, White CA, Wiemer NG, Ramsay A, Robertson SA Altered placental
development in interleukin-10 null mutant mice. Placenta:24, Supplement A, Trophoblast
Research 17:S94-S99.
18. 2003 Roberts CT, Owens JA, Carter AM, Harding JE, Austgulen R and Wlodek
M Insulin-like growth factors and fetal programming: a workshop report. Placenta:
24, Supplement A, Trophoblast Research 17:S72-S75.
19. 2003 Yuen BSJ, Owens PC, Muhlhausler BS, Roberts CT, Kiesler DH, McFarlane
JR, Kauter KG, Evens Y, Stephenson T, Symonds ME and McMillen IC Leptin alters
the structural and functional characteristics of adipose tissue before birth
FASEB J 17(9):1102-4.
20. 2003 Mühlhäusler BS, Roberts CT, Yuen BSJ, Budge H, Symonds ME,
McFarlane JR, Kauter KG, Stagg P, Pearse JK, McMillen IC Determinants of fetal
leptin synthesis, fat mass and circulating leptin concentrations in well nourished
ewes in late pregnancy Endocrinology 144(11):4947-4954.
21. 2004 White CA, Johansson M, Roberts CT, Ramsay AJ and Robertson SA Effect
of interleukin-10 null mutation on maternal immune parameters, pregnancy success
and LPS-induced fetal loss in mice. Biology of Reproduction 70(1):123-131.
22. 2004 Carter AM, Hills F, O'Gorman DB, Roberts CT, Sooranna SR, Watson CS
and Westwood M The insulin-like growth factor system in mammalian pregnancy
- A workshop report. Placenta 25 Suppl:S53-S56.
23. 2004 Robertson SA, Roberts CT, van Beijering E, Pensa K, Sheng Y, Shi T,
Krilis S Effect of {beta}2-glycoprotein I null mutation on reproductive outcome
and antiphospholipid antibody-mediated pregnancy pathology in mice. Molecular
Human Reproduction 10(6):409-416.
24. 2004 Gude NM, Roberts CT, Kalionis B, King RG Growth and function of the
normal human placenta. Thrombosis Research 114(5-6):397-407.
25. 2005 Kind KL, Roberts CT, Sohlstrom AI, Katsman A, Clifton PM, Robinson
JS and Owens JA Chronic maternal feed restriction restricts growth but increases
adiposity of the fetal guinea pig. American Journal of Physiology Regulatory
Integrative Comparative Physiology 288(1):R119-126.
26. 2005 Grant PA, Kind KL, Roberts CT, Sohlstrom A, Owens PC and Owens JA Late
pregnancy increases hepatic expression of insulin-like growth factor-I in well
nourished guinea pigs. Growth Hormone and IGF Research 15(2):165-71.
27. 2005 Sjöblom C, Roberts CT, Wikland M and Robertson SA GM-CSF alleviates
adverse consequences of embryo culture in programming placental morphogenesis
and fetal and postnatal growth in mice. Endocrinology 146(5):2142-53.
28. 2005 MacLaughlin SM, Walker SK, Roberts CT, Kleeman DO and McMillen IC Periconceptional
undernutrition alters the relationship between maternal body weight and condition
and the growth of the placenta and fetus in singleton and twin pregnancies in
the sheep Journal of Physiology 565(Pt 1):111-24.
29. 2005 Mühlhäusler BS, Adam CL, Marrocco EM, Findlay PA, Roberts
CT, McFarlane JR, Kauter KG and McMillen IC Impact of glucose infusion on the
structural and functional characteristics of adipose tissue and on hypothalamic
gene expression for appetite regulatory neuropeptides in the sheep fetus during
late gestation. Journal of Physiology 565(Pt 1):185-95.
30. 2005 Roberts CT, Sferruzzi-Perri AN, Kind KL, Robinson JS and Owens JA Placental
perturbations and pregnancy outcome: a common thread. Workshop on Comparative
Placentology Havemeyer Foundation Monograph Series17:54-56.
31. 2006 Feil D, Lane M, Roberts CT, Kelley R, Edwards LJ, Thompson JG and Kind
KL Effect of culturing mouse embryos under different oxygen concentrations on
subsequent fetal and placental development Journal of Physiology 572(1):87-96.
32. 2006 Ferguson-Smith AC, Moore T, Detmar J, Lewis A, Hemberger M, Jammes
H, Kelsey G, Roberts CT, Jones H, Constancia M Epigenetics and Imprinting of
the Trophoblast: Workshop Report. Placenta 27 Suppl. A:S122-S126.
33. 2006 Sferruzzi-Perri AN, Owens JA, Pringle, KG, Robinson JS, Roberts CT
Maternal insulin-like growth factor-I and -II act via different pathways to
promote fetal growth. Endocrinology 147(7):3344-3355.
34. 2006 Pringle KG and Roberts CT New light on early post-implantation pregnancy
in the mouse: roles for Insulin-Like Growth Factor-II (IGF-II)? Placenta corrected
proof available online from 4 July.
35. 2006 Sferruzzi-Perri AN, Owens JA, Standen P, Taylor R, Heinemann G, Robinson
JS, Roberts CT Sustained effects of maternal IGF treatment in early to mid pregnancy
on placental transport and nutrient partitioning. American Journal of Physiology:
Endocrinology and Metabolism In Press Available online 24 October 2006
36. 2006 Fletcher C, Roberts CT, Hartwich K, Walker S, McMillen IC Somatic cell
nuclear transfer in the sheep induces placental defects that likely precede
fetal demise. Reproduction In Press
37. 2006 Roberts CT, Maclaughlin S, Fletcher C, Wyss O, Kleeman D, Walker SK,
McMillen IC The peri-conception and pre-implantation environment and subsequent
placental development Workshop on Embryo and Fetal Nutrition Havemeyer Foundation
Monograph Series In Press
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