Friday 3 November 2017 12:44pm
Congratulations to Dr Mike Pankhurst who has received a Hercus Fellowship from the Health Research Council. Dr Pankhurst says the four-year fellowship will enable him to pursue new directions in his investigations into how anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) signalling operates in the ovary.
The majority of AMH is secreted in an inactive form. The objective of the fellowship study will be to determine where and when AMH becomes active, and to investigate the enzymes that convert AMH to the active form.
The hypothesis is that the location of the AMH-activating enzymes is a key determinant of where AMH signalling occurs in the ovary. This is important because AMH regulates ovulation. AMH also regulates the rate of depletion of the eggs in the ovary. Egg numbers are determined at birth and women who run out of eggs quickly are the same women who undergo menopause at a younger age.
The fellowship will allow Dr Pankhurst to establish long-term research collaborations, particularly with clinicians. The outcomes of the project are intended to inform future translational studies in reproductive health.
Visit Dr Pankhurst's profile page to learn more about his research.