Research
Male reproductive tract disorders are amongst the most common diseases and include infertility and prostate disease as the most prevalent. Whilst infertility is of major importance in younger men of ‘reproductive age’, prostate disease, such as benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), prostate cancer (PCa), lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), and chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS), and erectile dysfunction occur most frequently in older men. The latter is also closely linked to chronic conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
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Prof. Dr. Martin Bergmann i.R.
Email
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Prof. Moira O'Bryan, PhD
Dean of the Faculty of Science at Melbourne University
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Christiane Pleuger
Alumna
2015 - 2019
Joint Award Degree 2019
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Dr. Richard Burke
Senior Lecturer
Deputy Education Director Head, Ion Transport and Metabolism Research Group
Monash University
Email
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Anna-Lena Hempfling
Alumna
2013 - 2016
Joint Award Degree 2016
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Lachlan Cauchi
PhD student
2018 - to date
Dept. of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University
Email
- Human testis cancer and spermatogenesis control by immune cells
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Aims
To delineate the nature and mechanisms of the immune-germ cell dialogue in the testis under healthy and pathological conditions. Functional characterization of infiltrating immune cells will help decipher facets of immune editing during testis cancer development.
2013-2017
Human testis cancer control by local factors; interrogation of Hedgehog and activin signalling pathways and immune cells.
(M. Bergmann, W. Weidner, H.C. Schuppe – K. Loveland, M. Hedger)
For more information please contact Kate Loveland or Martin Bergmann.
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Rashidul Islam
PhD Student
2019 - to date
Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, JLU
Email
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Dana Püschl
Alumna
2015 - 2018
Joint Award Degree 2019
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Sivanjah Indumathy
PhD Student
2014 - to date
Hudson Institute of Medical Research
Email
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Britta Klein
Alumna
2013 - 2016
Joint Award Degree 2016
- Formation of the Testicular Immunological Barrier Through Immune Modulation by Somatic Cells
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Aims:
Determine how Sertoli and peritubular cells interact and contribute to formation of barriers that are essential for maintenance of spermatogenesis. The project will focus particularly on the factors (e.g. cytokines and extracellular matrix) that create an immunological barrier for immune suppression and immune privilege.
2013 - 2017:
Hormones, BMPs, activins and TGFβs – How do they cooperate in the testis?
(L. Konrad, S. Galuska – K. Loveland, C. Itman)
For more information please contact Kate Loveland or Lutz Konrad.
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Assoc. Prof. Mark Baker, PhD
(collaborator)
School of Environmental and Life Sciences,University of Newcastle
Email
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Hassan Kabbesh
PhD Student
2018 - to date
Institute of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry and
Dept of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, JLU
Email
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Pradeep Kumar Kudipudi
Alumnus
2015 - 2019
National Degree 2019
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Maciej Szarek
Alumnus
2014 - 2018
National Degree 2019
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Kai-Hui Chan
PhD Student
2013 - 2015
- Proteomics in seminal plasma and testicular interstitial fluid as predictor of successful sperm retrieval in infertile azoospermic men
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Aims:
i) To identify differentially-expressed protein biomarkers indicative of spermatogenic status in men, using testicular interstitial fluid (TIF) and seminal plasma (SP) samples from fertile men (only SP), infertile men with intact spermatogenesis (obstructive azoospermia, OA) and infertile men due to spermatogenic defects (non-obstructive azoospermia, NOA) undergoing TESE/M-TESE ((Microscopic) - TEsticular Sperm Extraction,
ii) to identify which of these testis-specific proteins in plasma or seminal plasma can be used as a new powerful diagnostic predictors for TESE/M-TESE success prior to surgery.
2013 - 2017:
Testicular interstitial fluid proteomics as a means to monitor fertility status in azoospermic men
(W. Weidner, T. Diemer – P. Stanton, R. McLachlan, A. Stephens)
For more information please contact Peter Stanton or Thorsten Diemer.
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Raouda Sgaier
PhD Student
2017 - to date
Dept of Urology, Paediatric Urology and Andrology, Faculty of Medicine, JLU
Email
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Elham Savadi Shiraz
PhD Student
2014 – 2018
- Systemic and local inflammatory gene regulation and redox-signalling in chronic prostatitis – studies in patients’ blood and ejaculates towards individualized disease profiling
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Aims:
To ascertain aberrations in systemic and local inflammatory gene regulation and in redox-signalling pathways in patients suffering from chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS), which will be beneficial for better understanding of the affected pathways leading to chronification of the disease and for further development of personalized therapeutic strategies.
2013 - 2017:
Inflammatory prostatitis syndrome in fertile and infertile men: Role of estrogen receptors, mast cell activity and inflammation of the seminal pathways
(F. Wagenlehner, U. Schagdarsurengin, W. Weidner – S. Ellem, G. Risbridger)
For more information please contact Undraga Schagdarsurengin or Stuart Ellem.
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Hang Yan
Doctoral Student
2019 – to date
Dept of Urology, Paediatric Urology and Andrology, Faculty of Medicine, JLU
Email
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Tatjana Kuzenko
Doctoral Student
2018 – 2019
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Nils Nesheim
Alumnus
2015 – 2018
Joint Award Degree 2020
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Siva Reddy Velagala
PhD Student
2013 – 2015
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Brooke Pereira
PhD student
2014 - 2015
- Hormonal Regulation of cGMP pathways and spontaneous contractility in the Prostate
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Aims:
To assess hormonal regulation of cGMP signalling and spontaneous contractility within the prostate and its role in prostate disease
2013 - 2017:
Hormonal regulation of cGMP pathways in the prostate – Impact for sperm transport
(R. Middendorff – G. Risbridger, S. Ellem, R. Taylor)
For more information please contact Ralf Middendorff or Betty Exintaris.
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Magdalena Kuchta
Doctoral Student
2019 – to date
Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, JLU
Email
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Mathias Seidensticker
Alumnus
2016 – 2020
Joint Award Degree 2020
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Robert Kügler
Alumnus
2014 – 2018
National Degree 2019
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Sophie Lee
Alumna
2014 - 2019
National Degree 2019
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Yudy Tjahjono
PhD Student
2013 – 2014
- The role of activins and MCP-1/CCL2 in the development of CD4+CD8+ T cells and fibrotic responses during chronic testicular inflammation in mice
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Aims:
To elucidate the role of activins produced by immune cells or/and Sertoli cells in regulating the composition of the testicular immune cell population and fibrotic responses during inflammation in the testis.
2013 - 2017:
Restoration of fertility in chronic testicular inflammation by blocking activin bioactivity: effect of exogenous follistatin on duration of inflammatory response, testicular impairment and germ cell recovery.
(M. Fijak, S. Bhushan – M. Hedger, D. de Kretser, K. Loveland)
For more information please contact Monika Fijak or Mark Hedger.
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Hiba Hasan
PhD Student
2020 – to date
Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, JLU
Email
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Christine Kauerhof
f.k.a. Kleinert
Alumna
2016 – 2019
Joint Award Degree 2019
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Nour Nicolas
Alumna
2013 – 2016
Joint Award Degree 2017
- 2017 – 2022 - not to be continued
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2013 – 2017
Glycation adducts in sperm and activin regulation of inflammation induced by diabetes
(T. Linn - M. Hedger, D. de Kretser)
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Qingkui Jiang
Alumnus
2016 – 2017
National Degree 2017
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Constanze Maresch
Alumna
2013 – 2017
Joint Award Degree 2017
- Targeting the TGFβ superfamily to prevent fibrosis of the epididymis and preserve fertility following bacterial infection
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Aims:
To delineate the pathomechanism of fibrotic transformation of the epididymis, focussing on the role of TGFβ superfamily members and epididymal cell types, and identify treatment options to preserve fertility.
2013 – 2017:
Roles of activin and follistatin in obstruction and tissue repair following epididymitis - mechanisms for preserving fertility
(A. Meinhardt, T. Chakraborty, R. Middendorff – M. Hedger, D. de Kretser, K. Loveland)
For more information please contact Andreas Meinhardt or Mark Hedger.
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Dr. Christiane Pleuger
Postdoc
2019 - to date
Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, JLU
Email
Joint Award Doctoral Degree 2019
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Rama Ravinthiran
PhD Student
2018 - to date
Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Dept of Molecular and Tranlational Research, Monash University
Email
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Dr. Britta Klein
Postdoc
2017 - 2019
Joint Award Doctoral Degree 2016
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Rukmali Wijayarathna
Alumna
2014 - 2017
Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Dept of Molecular and Tranlational Research
Email
Joint Award Doctoral Degree 2017
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Dr. Vera Michel
Postdoc
2013 - 2016
- Regulation of immune responses in the normal and infected testis: role of Sertoli cell-derived activins
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Aims:
The main aims of this project are to: (i) investigate the influence of Sertoli cell-derived activins on the testicular macrophage (TM) phenotype, and (ii) examine the consequences of a Sertoli cell-specific knockout of activin A and B on the pathogenesis of infectious orchitis elicited by uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC).
2013 - 2017: ---
For more information please contact Andreas Meinhardt or Mark Hedger.
- Impacts of epigenetic interactions between TET1 and PRC2 in spermatogenesis and fertility
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Aims:
To determine the distribution, dynamics and functional relevance of the epigenetic modifying factors Ten-Eleven Translocation enzyme-1 (TET1) and Polycomb Repressive Complex-2 (PRC2) during spermatogenesis for fertility in humans and mice.
2013 - 2017: ---
For more information please contact Undraga Schagdarsurengin or Patrick Western.
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Prof. Dr. Klaus Steger
Dept of Urology, Paediatric Urology and Andrology, Faculty of Medicine, JLU
Email
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Shanjid Shiplu
Doctoral Student
2018 - to date
Dept of Urology, Paediatric Urology and Andrology, Faculty of Medicine, JLU
Email
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Anton G. Müller
Doctoral Student
2018 - 2018
- Role of oxytocin in the contractility of the male reproductive tract: implications for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia
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Aims:
To assess the role of oxytocin in smooth muscle contractility in the prostate, contrasting this to the testis and epididymis. To develop novel oxytocin conjugates with agonistic and antagonistic function, and to test their therapeutic potential for the treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) using our established ex vivo models.
2013 - 2017: ---
For more information please contact Betty Exintarifs or Ralf Middendorff.
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Prof. Dr. Thomas Linn
Centre of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, JLU
Email
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Stuart Ellem, PhD
principal investigator
Sep 2017 - Dec 2017