Keywords
Fields of Research (FoR)
Neurology and neuromuscular diseases, Central nervous system, Regenerative medicine (incl. stem cells), Animal neurobiologySEO tags
Biography
Dr. Lovelace has over 15 years’ experience working in the interrelated fields of neuroscience, immunology and developmental neurobiology/stem cell biology, and currently works as a Senior Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the laboratory of clinical neurologist Prof. Bruce Brew (August 2015-present). He is also the manager of the St. Vincent's Centre for Applied Medical Research (AMR) Live Imaging Facility (LIF), a flow cytometry and...view more
Dr. Lovelace has over 15 years’ experience working in the interrelated fields of neuroscience, immunology and developmental neurobiology/stem cell biology, and currently works as a Senior Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the laboratory of clinical neurologist Prof. Bruce Brew (August 2015-present). He is also the manager of the St. Vincent's Centre for Applied Medical Research (AMR) Live Imaging Facility (LIF), a flow cytometry and microscope core facility. His previous positions have included working with esteemed neuroscientist Prof. Max Bennett OA, at Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, and Opthalmologist and Developmental Neurobiologist Prof. Tailoi Chan-Ling in 2009-11 (an ongoing collaboration). He has 29 total published articles, preprints and conference abstracts (8 of those first author), which in total to date have garnered 899 citations (688 last 5 years); h-index = 14. An additional 15 publications are in revision or preparation for submission.
Positions - 2015 Aug – present: St. Vincent’s Centre for Applied Medical Research. 2015: Haematology Laboratory, Nepean Clinical School, USYD (2 x 3 month 0.5 FTE positions). 2012-2014: Research Officer, Vascular Lab, Centenary Institute, Sydney. 2009-October 2011: Postdoctoral Fellow, Retinal and Developmental Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Histology, USYD, including previous Charles D. Kelman M.D. Postdoctoral Scholar (International Retinal Research Foundation, United States).
My Grants
Dr. Lovelace has attracted a total of $1,229,808 in competitive grant funding -
- $144,000 in grants for salary and research support (including 1 x $75,000 Perpetual IMPACT Grant);
- $150,000 for Investigator Initiated Trial (IIT) completion;
- $926,808 from 28 equipment grants in a variety of schemes (2 x NHMRC equipment grants, 3 x Rebecca Cooper Medical Research Foundation grants, multiple Bosch Institute small equipment grants, 7 x St. Vincent's AMR Equipment Grants, 2 x Ian Potter Foundation grants (2018 and 2020, $100,000 each) and one 2019 Perpetual IMPACT grant ($50,000, funded by Baxter Charitable Foundation);
- $9,000 in travel grants for conference or collaborator short-stays.
My Qualifications
B. Sc (Hons). Deakin University 1999, PhD 2006
My Awards
Prizes and Awards
2019 – Winner of Association for Research in Vision and Opthalmology (ARVO) Scientific Image Contest.
2017 – Awarded 5th Prize, Bosch Institute Annual Scientific Meeting poster prize.
2016 – Top 20 Finalist, Bosch Institute Advanced Microscopy Facility Micrograph of the Year competition.
2016 – Awarded 2nd prize in the Light Microscopy Australia (LMA) Micrograph Competition.
2015 – Shortlisted finalist for Stem Cells (Peer-Reviewed Scientific Journal) Young Investigator Award.
2014 – Winner of Rebecca L. Cooper Medal and Prize for best postdoctoral publication in a Bosch Institute Laboratory, University of Sydney.
2013 – Finalist in the Australasian Society for Stem Cell Research “Small Objects, Big Impact Image Competition. Image selected for exhibition at Questacon, and toured around Australia.
2013 – Winner of the National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Science to Art Prize.
2013 – Awarded Joint 3rd Prize, Centenary Institute Scientific Image Award.
2013 – Top 10 Finalist and highly commended award, Australia Museum New Scientist Eureka Prize for Science Photography.
2012 – Top 20 Finalist (2 images) and 9th prize winner, Bosch Institute Advanced Microscopy Facility Micrograph of the Year competition.
2012 – Top 5 Finalist, Centenary Institute Scientific Image Award.
2011 – Highly commended award in the Bosch Institute Advanced Microscopy Facility Molecular Probes Image Prize.
2011 – Highly commended award in the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Science to Art Prize.
2010 – Awarded 2nd prize in the Bosch Institute Advanced Microscopy Facility Micrograph of the Year competition.
2010 – Awarded 2nd prize in the Mater Medical Research Institute Stem Cell Symposium poster competition.
2010 – Awarded the Charles D Kelman Postdoctoral Scholar Award (International Retinal Research Foundation, USA).
2009 – Awarded the Dintenfass Memorial Plaque for the most interesting or innovative Rebecca Cooper Medical Research Foundation research grant proposal
My Research Activities
Dr. Lovelace has current interests in understanding the impact of a dysregulated Kynurenine pathway and production of neurotoxic metabolites on regeneration and repair in Multiple Sclerosis, using mouse cell culture and disease models, and human iPS-derived cells.
My Research Supervision
Supervision keywords
Areas of supervision
Project: The characterisation of biological pathways and other biomarkers for the development of treatment and diagnostic strategies in MS and neurodegenerative diseases.
Discipline: Neurology
Project level: Project can be tailored to all levels
Supervisory Team: Bruce Brew AM and Dr Michael Lovelace
Project commencement: Variable
Summary: Currently there is a lack of effective treatments for a broad spectrup of acute and chronic neurological diseases. In many neurological diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and Alzheimer’s disease, there is no cure, and the majority of patients continue to deteriorate over time. There are some similarities between the diseases in that the overall symptoms are generally driven by the death of neurons or associated oligodendrocytes (cells which envelop adjacent neurons in layers of insulating myelin protein needed for the successful transmission of nerve impulses between neurons).
Our research group is interested in a number of research areas including how we can:
* Modulate the kynurenine pathway to promote mobilization of adult brain stem cells.
* Understand the kynurenine pathway in different phases of Multiple sclerosis to predict disease progression.
* Design potential therapies for Multiple Sclerosis including antibodies directed at specific targets in the kynurenine pathway.
* Understand biomarkers related to MS pathology.
Contact: Dr Michael Lovelace at michael.lovelace@svha.org.au
***Applications for Year 4 Medicine ILP/Honours for 2025 in the Brew lab are currently CLOSED***
***Expression of interest for Masters or PhD studies in the Brew lab can be made all year round***
Currently supervising
Recently completed - one UNSW Med Honours student in 2022, one in 2023. One received a High Distinction, the other a Distinction (very close to HD cutoff).
Two students are awaiting approval to conduct projects in the Brew lab in 2025.
Location
ORCID as entered in ROS
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2066-3031