Prof Leigh Ackland
  Phone   +61 3 925 17036
Email   leigh.ackland@deakin.edu.au
Position   Personal Chair
Campus   Burwood
Research grouping   Biomolecular Sciences

My team and I are interested in the function of trace metals in human health and disease. We use
molecular genetic techniques, protein chemistry and confocal microscopy to identify transporters that
control zinc and copper fluxes in cultured human cells. This is relevant to degenerative brain
disorders and other diseases where metal metabolism is defective. We also study heavy metal uptake and
bioinformatics in plants and cyanobacteria, which has applications in phytoremediation.

Research interests

  1. The biology of trace elements, incuding zinc, copper and cadmium.
  2. Utilisation of plants and cyanobacterial for heavy metal remediation of contaminated soil and water
  3. The mechanisms of breast cancer metastasis.


Career

2010 - Personal Chair Deakin University
2007-2008: Associate Head of School (Research) Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University
2004-2009: Associate Professor in Biology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University
2002 - current: Deputy Director Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Deakin University
1994 - PhD University of Melbourne, Department of Paediatrics. Thesis Title: Zinc transport in normal and mutant cells

Key publications

La Fontaine S, Ackland ML (2010) Mammalian copper-transporting P-Type ATPases, ATP7A and ATP7B: Emerging roles. Int J Biochem Cell Biol - Invited review. 42, 206–209 International

Hudek L, Rai LC, Freestone D, Michalczyk A, Gibson M, Song YF, Ackland ML. (2010) Bioinformatic and expression analyses of genes mediating zinc transport in Nostoc punctiforme Appl Environ Microbiol 75(3), 784-91 International

Hardman B, Luff S, Ackland ML (2011) Differential intracellular localisation of the Menkes and Wilson copper transporting ATPases in the third trimester human placenta Placenta 32 (1) , 79-85 International

Puhui J, Tieheng S, Song Y, Ackland M. Leigh (2010) Strategies for enhancing the phytoremediation of cadmium-contaminated agricultural soils by Solanum nigrum L Environmental Pollution 159 (3) , 762-768 International

Suphioglu C, De Mel D, Kumar L, Sadli N, Freestone D, Michalczyk A, Sinclair A, Ackland L (2010) The omega-3 fatty acid, DHA, decreases neuronal cell death in association with altered zinc transport FEBS Lett 584(3): , 612-8. International

View entire list of audited publications

Professional activities

The Cancer Council Victoria, Medical & Scientific - Committee member
The Epithelial to Mesenchyme Transition International Association (TEMTIA) - Committee member.
Australian Society for Medical Research.
Peer reviewing of articles for publication in 19 international journals
Membership of Editorial Boards

 

Postdoctoral fellows

NameProject title
Dr Agnes MichalczykThe cell biology of zinc and copper transport  

 

PhD students

Student nameThesis title
Lee HudekMetal homeostasis in cyanobacteria Loveleen KumarZinc transporters in the brain David FreestoneCopper transport in the placenta Damitha De MelZinc and DHA interactions in the brain Shilpi VajpaiChromium nanoparticle accumulation in fungi  

 

Honours students

Student nameThesis title Axel HarrisCopper and breast cancer metastasis Matthew JakabThe role of ceruloplasmin in copper transport in lactation  

 

Teaching areas

Second year biology - Molecular Cell Biology SLE206
Third year biology - Molecular Basis of Disease SLE346


Deakin University acknowledges the traditional land owners of present campus sites.

22nd September 2011