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Dr Hayley Dickinson
ARC Australian Post-Doctoral Research Fellow
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BSc (Hons) Monash 1999-2002
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PhD Monash 2003-2006
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| Email: |
hayley.dickinson@med.monash.edu.au |
| Phone: |
+61 3 9905 2558 |
| Fax: |
+61 3 9905 2547 |
| Mail: |
Department of Physiology |
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Building 13F |
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Monash University |
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Victoria 3800 |
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Australia |
Research interests and expertise
Control of pregnancy length for optimal offspring outcome
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Overall, my past and current research is directed at understanding the growth and development of the fetus, with a particular focus on the placenta and its role in determining gestation length and fetal outcome. Further, my research aims to develop therapies to prevent or treat common causes of life-long disability and illness that arise during fetal/neonatal development, such as hypertension, lung disease and brain damage. This research will reduce the burden of disease on communities and ensure that babies born today become healthy adults tomorrow.
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Who determines gestation length and offspring size?
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A fundamental, and so far unanswered, question in reproductive biology is – what determines the length of gestation? Answering this question will extend our knowledge of this key biological process that applies to all mammals, and indeed, may apply to many other viviparous (give birth to live offspring) species including some fish, and selected invertebrates such as scorpions, reptiles and amphibians.
The question of whether pregnancy ends when the fetus reaches a size that places physical and nutritional loads on the mother that can no longer be met has fascinated reproductive physiologists for centuries and so far has defied resolution.
This research will investigate whether genes that regulate fetal growth, also influence the length of gestation. Specifically, this research will establish whether it is maternally or paternally imprinted genes in the placenta that control both fetal growth and length of gestation. |
Term placental membranes as a therapy for preterm lung injury
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Every year in Australia approximately 6000 babies are admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for assisted breathing. Most of these babies have been born preterm and about half of them were born more than 8 weeks early. While most of these babies survive and go home, many do not. Tragically, of those babies born before 28 weeks, 1 in 5 does not survive. The major causes of death in such babies result directly from breathing difficulties due to their functionally and structurally premature lungs. These breathing difficulties lead to major cardiovascular complications and the pathologies characteristic of sick preterm babies such as respiratory distress syndrome, and intraventricular haemorrhage.
The specific aims of this research are to study the effects of administration of human amnion epithelial cells (hAECs) on prevention of preterm lung damage, recovery of damaged preterm lung and prevention of subsequent lung disease.
The amnion is the inner of two fetal membranes encasing the amniotic fluid in which the fetus is suspended during pregnancy. Work undertaken by us and others, has shown that hAECs which are extracted from this membrane; have stem cell-like properties and can differentiate into all of the cells of the body.
We hypothesise that, in the preterm lung, hAECs will reduce inflammation, prevent fibrosis, reverse scarring and repair the lung; exactly as we have shown that they do following adult lung injury. |
Publications
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Dr Dickinson has published 10 manuscripts, 7 as first author.
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Link to PubMed (US National Library of Medicine) for publications by Dr Dickinson
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Articles in press
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| Zoe Ireland, Hayley Dickinson, Bobbi Fleiss and David W. Walker. Behavioural effects of near-term acute fetal hypoxia in a small precocial animal, the spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus). Neonatology(accepted 30 December 2008) |
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| Lisa Hutton, Mahila Abbas, Hayley Dickinson, Zoe Ireland and David W. Walker. Neuroprotective properties of melatonin in a model of birth asphyxia in the spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus). Developmental Neuroscience (accepted 2 January 2009) |
Research Grants
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Dr Dickinson was recently awarded her first national grant and fellowship from the Australian Research Council and has also received funding from Monash University for her research.
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Current Research Grants
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Who determines the length of gestation - mother or fetus? |
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David W Walker and Hayley Dickinson |
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ARC - Discovery Grant |
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$400,000 total |
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Human amnion epithelial cells as a treatment for preterm lung diseases |
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Hayley Dickinson and Euan Wallace |
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Monash University - Early career strategic grant |
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$35,000 |
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