Contact Details
- Phone
- +64 3 479 7240
- ailsa.mcgregor@otago.ac.nz
University Links
- Position
- Associate Professor in Clinical Pharmacology and Associate Dean Research
- Qualifications
- BSc(Hons)(Aberd) PhD(Glas)
- Research summary
- Neuropharmacology, neurodegeneration and repair
- Teaching
- Basic and Clinical Pharmacology
- Memberships
- Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists
- Clinical
- A randomized trial of varenicline for the treatment of cognitive and effective symptoms in Huntington’s Disease (VCAS-HD), funded by The New Zealand Pharmacy Education and Research Fund and The Oakley Mental Health Foundation.
Research
My area of interest is neurodegenerative diseases, neuroprotection and repair, in particular the development of disease models with clinically relevant endpoints as a basis for investigating potential therapies.
My research focuses on pharmacological enhancement of motor recovery after stroke and cholinergic dysfunction in Huntington's Disease and vascular dementia.
Publications
Chen, S., Bennet, L., & McGregor, A. L. (2022). Delayed citalopram administration reduces brain inflammation and enhances skilled motor function after ischaemic stroke in 'MacGreen' mice. European Journal of Neuroscience, 55, 1344-1355. doi: 10.1111/ejn.15601
McGregor, A. L., Hoque, M. R., Nickel, S., Smith, A. J., & Atiquzzaman, M. (2022). Anti-epileptic medication exposure influences functional status in New Zealand stroke patients: A retrospective population-level study. Drugs: Real World Outcomes, 9, 165-173. doi: 10.1007/s40801-021-00280-5
Nair, S., Chen, S., Gupta, D., Smith, A. J., & McGregor, A. L. (2021). Higher BMI confers a long-term functional status advantage in elderly New Zealand European stroke patients. Journal of Stroke & Cerebrovascular Diseases, 30(5), 105711. doi: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2021.105711
Narayan, P., Reid, S., Scotter, E. L., McGregor, A. L., Mehrabi, N. F., Singh-Bains, M. K., Glass, M., … Dragunow, M. (2020). Inconsistencies in histone acetylation patterns among different HD model systems and HD post-mortem brains. Neurobiology of Disease, 146, 105092. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105092
Shome, A., McGregor, A., Cavadino, A., & Mountjoy, K. G. (2020). Central administration of β-MSH reduces body weight in obese male Pomctm1/tm1 mice. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta: General Subjects, 1864, 129673. doi: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2020.129673
Chen, S., Bennet, L., & McGregor, A. L. (2022). Delayed citalopram administration reduces brain inflammation and enhances skilled motor function after ischaemic stroke in 'MacGreen' mice. European Journal of Neuroscience, 55, 1344-1355. doi: 10.1111/ejn.15601
Journal - Research Article
McGregor, A. L., Hoque, M. R., Nickel, S., Smith, A. J., & Atiquzzaman, M. (2022). Anti-epileptic medication exposure influences functional status in New Zealand stroke patients: A retrospective population-level study. Drugs: Real World Outcomes, 9, 165-173. doi: 10.1007/s40801-021-00280-5
Journal - Research Article
Nair, S., Chen, S., Gupta, D., Smith, A. J., & McGregor, A. L. (2021). Higher BMI confers a long-term functional status advantage in elderly New Zealand European stroke patients. Journal of Stroke & Cerebrovascular Diseases, 30(5), 105711. doi: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2021.105711
Journal - Research Article
Narayan, P., Reid, S., Scotter, E. L., McGregor, A. L., Mehrabi, N. F., Singh-Bains, M. K., Glass, M., … Dragunow, M. (2020). Inconsistencies in histone acetylation patterns among different HD model systems and HD post-mortem brains. Neurobiology of Disease, 146, 105092. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105092
Journal - Research Article
Shome, A., McGregor, A., Cavadino, A., & Mountjoy, K. G. (2020). Central administration of β-MSH reduces body weight in obese male Pomctm1/tm1 mice. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta: General Subjects, 1864, 129673. doi: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2020.129673
Journal - Research Article
Thakkar, P. C., McGregor, A. L., Barber, P. A., Paton, J. F. R., Barrett, C. J., & McBryde, F. D. (2020). Therapeutic relevance of elevated blood pressure after ischemic stroke in the hypertensive rats. Hypertension, 75, 740-747. doi: 10.1161/hypertensionaha.119.14219
Journal - Research Article
Hubbard, K., Shome, A., Sun, B., Pontré, B., McGregor, A., & Mountjoy, K. G. (2019). Chronic high-fat diet exacerbates sexually-dimorphic Pomctm1/tm1 mouse obesity. Endocrinology, 160(5), 1081-1096. doi: 10.1210/en.2018-00924
Journal - Research Article
Thakkar, P., McGregor, A., Barber, P. A., Paton, J. F. R., Barrett, C., & McBryde, F. (2019). Hypertensive response to ischemic stroke in the normotensive Wistar rat: Mechanisms and therapeutic relevance. Stroke, 50, 2522-2530. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.119.026459
Journal - Research Article
Mountjoy, K. G., Caron, A., Hubbard, K., Shome, A., Grey, A. C., Sun, B., … McGregor, A., … Elmquist, J. K. (2018). Desacetyl-α-melanocyte stimulating hormone and α-melanocyte stimulating hormone are required to regulate energy balance. Molecular Metabolism, 9, 207-216. doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2017.11.008
Journal - Research Article
Chen, S., Bennet, L., & McGregor, A. L. (2017). Delayed varenicline administration reduces inflammation and improves forelimb use following experimental stroke. Journal of Stroke & Cerebrovascular Diseases, 26(12), 2778-2787. doi: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2017.06.051
Journal - Research Article
Kang, W., Svirskis, D., Sarojini, V., McGregor, A. L., Bevitt, J., & Wu, Z. (2017). Cyclic-RGDyC functionalized liposomes for dual-targeting of tumor vasculature and cancer cells in glioblastoma: An in vitro boron neutron capture therapy study. Oncotarget, 8(22), 36614-36627. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.16625
Journal - Research Article
McGregor, A. L., D'Souza, G., Kim, D., & Tingle, M. D. (2017). Varenicline improves motor and cognitive deficits and decreases depressive-like behaviour in late-stage YAC128 mice. Neuropharmacology, 116, 233-246. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.12.021
Journal - Research Article
McGregor, A. L., Dysart, J., Tingle, M. D., Russell, B. R., Kydd, R. R., & Finucane, G. (2016). Varenicline improves motor and cognitive symptoms in early Huntington’s disease. Neuropsychiatric Disease & Treatment, 12, 2381-2386. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S111083
Journal - Research Article
Chen, S., Bennet, L., & McGregor, A. L. (2015). MacGreen mice: A novel tool to investigate inflammation following experimental stroke. Journal of Experimental Stroke & Translational Medicine, 8, 1-10.
Journal - Research Article
Kamal, T., Green, T. N., Morel-Kopp, M.-C., Ward, C. M., McGregor, A. L., McGlashan, S. R., … Kalev-Zylinska, M. L. (2015). Inhibition of glutamate regulated calcium entry into leukemic megakaryoblasts reduces cell proliferation and supports differentiation. Cellular Signaling, 27, 1860-1872. doi: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2015.05.004
Journal - Research Article
Fourie, C., Kim, E., Waldvogel, H., Wong, J. M., McGregor, A., Faull, R. L. M., & Montgomery, J. M. (2014). Differential changes in postsynaptic density proteins in postmortem Huntington's disease and Parkinson's disease human brains. Journal of Neurodegenerative Diseases, 2014, 938530. doi: 10.1155/2014/938530
Journal - Research Article
Yung, R., Seyfoddin, V., Guise, C., Tijono, S., McGregor, A., Connor, B., & Ching, L.-M. (2014). Efficacy against subcutaneous or intracranial murine GL261 gliomas in relation to the concentration of the vascular-disrupting agent, 5,6-dimethylxanthenone-4-acetic acid (DMXAA), in the brain and plasma. Cancer Chemotherapy & Pharmacology, 73(3), 639-649. doi: 10.1007/s00280-014-2395-y
Journal - Research Article
Maucksch, C., McGregor, A. L., Yang, M., Gordon, R. J., Yang, M., & Connor, B. (2013). IGF-I redirects doublecortin-positive cell migration in the normal adult rat brain. Neuroscience, 241, 106-115. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.03.021
Journal - Research Article
Evans, J., Sun, Y., McGregor, A., & Connor, B. (2012). Allopregnanolone regulates neurogenesis and depressive/anxiety-like behaviour in a social isolation rodent model of chronic stress. Neuropharmacology, 63(8), 1315-1326. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2012.08.012
Journal - Research Article
Gordon, R. J., McGregor, A. L., & Connor, B. (2009). Chemokines direct neural progenitor cell migration following striatal cell loss. Molecular & Cellular Neuroscience, 41(2), 219-232. doi: 10.1016/j.mcn.2009.03.001
Journal - Research Article
Gordon, R. J., Tattersfield, A. S., Vazey, E. M., Kells, A. P., McGregor, A. L., Hughes, S. M., & Connor, B. (2007). Temporal profile of subventricular zone progenitor cell migration following quinolinic acid–induced striatal cell loss. Neuroscience, 146(4), 1704-1718. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2007.03.011
Journal - Research Article
McColl, B. W., McGregor, A. L., Wong, A., Harris, J. D., Amalfitano, A., Magnoni, S., … Horsburgh, K. (2007). APOE ε3 gene transfer attenuates brain damage after experimental stroke. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism, 27(3), 477-487. doi: 10.1038/sj.jcbfm.9600361
Journal - Research Article
Milne, S. A., McGregor, A. L., McCulloch, J., & Sharkey, J. (2005). Increased expression of macrophage receptor with collagenous structure (MARCO) in mouse cortex following middle cerebral artery occlusion. Neuroscience Letters, 383, 58-62. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2005.03.065
Journal - Research Article
Kerr, L. E., McGregor, A. L., Amet, L. E. A., Asada, T., Spratt, C., Allsopp, T. E., … Sharkey, J. (2004). Mice overexpressing human caspase 3 appear phenotypically normal but exhibit increased apoptosis and larger lesion volumes in response to transient focal cerebral ischaemia. Cell Death & Differentiation, 11, 1102-1111. doi: 10.1038/sj.cdd.4401449
Journal - Research Article
Owens, J., Tebbutt, A. A., McGregor, A. L., Kodama, K., Magar, S. S., Perlman, M. E., … McCulloch, J. (2000). Synthesis and binding characteristics of N-(1-naphthyl)-N′-(3-[125I]-iodophenyl)-N′-methylguanidine ([125I]-CNS 1261): A potential SPECT agent for imaging NMDA receptor activation. Nuclear Medicine & Biology, 27(6), 557-564. doi: 10.1016/S0969-8051(00)00102-5
Journal - Research Article
Wiessner, C., Allegrini, P. R., Rupalla, K., Sauer, D., Oltersdorf, T., McGregor, A. L., … van der Putten, H. (1999). Neuron-specific transgene expression of Bcl-XL but not Bcl-2 genes reduced lesion size after permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice. Neuroscience Letters, 268(3), 119-122. doi: 10.1016/S0304-3940(99)00392-4
Journal - Research Article
MacLeod, M. R., Ramage, L., McGregor, A. L., & Seckl, J. R. (2003). Reduced NMDA-induced apoptosis in neurons lacking ataxia telangiectasia mutated protein. NeuroReport, 14(2), 215-217. doi: 10.1097/00001756-200302100-00011
Journal - Research Other
McCarter, J. F., McGregor, A. L., Jones, P. A., & Sharkey, J. (2001). FK 506 protects brain tissue in animal models of stroke. Transplantation Proceedings, 33, 2390-2392.
Journal - Research Other