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Contact Details

Phone
+64 3 479 7320
Email
greg.anderson@otago.ac.nz
Position
Professor
Department
Department of Anatomy
Qualifications
BSc(Hons) PhD (Linc)
Research summary
Neuroendocrinology

Research

The neuroendocrine control of reproduction.

Prof Anderson's neuroendocrinology research group focuses on the neuroendocrine regulation of fertility by nutritional factors (leptin, insulin and ghrelin) and novel neuropeptides (RFamide-related peptide or gonadotrophin inhibitory hormone). The group also investigates effects of reproductive experience on central effects of prolactin. The Anderson Neuroendocrinology Research Group forms one of the laboratories that make up the University of Otago's Centre for Neuroendocrinology.

Research Interests

  1. The neural pathways by which the central drivers of fertility, GnRH neurons, sense the hormone leptin in order to respond to the animal's nutritional status (Health Research Council funded).
  2. The mechanisms by which the recently-discovered brain peptide RFRP-3 regulates GnRH and LH secretion in mammals (Marsden funded).

    Using a combination of transgenic animal models, single cell measurement techniques and visualisation of cell signalling in specific target neurons, we hope to elucidate the neural pathways by which leptin and GnIH regulate reproduction. This knowledge may lead to new and improved treatment strategies for infertility. In addition, we may discover novel neurochemical targets that could be safely exploited for contraceptive purposes.

Publications

Kerbus, R. I., Decourt, C., Inglis, M. A., Campbell, R. E., & Anderson, G. M. (2024). Androgen receptor actions on AgRP neurons are not a major cause of reproductive and metabolic impairments in peripubertally androgenized mice. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 36, e13370. doi: 10.1111/jne.13370 Journal - Research Article

Yadhav, S., Decourt, C., Anderson, R. J., Li, B., Beltramo, M., Aucagne, V., & Anderson, G. M. (2023). A cytotoxic cell-targeting approach to induce sterility in mammalian predator species of Aotearoa. In T. Milne, M. Anwar, L. Burga, H. Harcombe, M. Garelja, A. Middleton, D. C. Ribeiro, N. Fleming, K. Ogbuehi & A. Bahn (Eds.), Proceedings of the 268th Otago Medical School Research Society (OMSRS) Meeting: Masters/Honours/Postgraduate Diploma Student Speaker Awards. Dunedin, New Zealand: OMSRS. Retrieved from https://ourarchive.otago.ac.nz/handle/10523/12839 Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Anderson, G. M., Decourt, C., Quennell, J. H., Zuure, W. A., Egan, O. K., & Evans, M. C. (2023, August-September). Multiple metabolic cues for fine-tuning puberty onset. Verbal presentation at the Queenstown Molecular Biology (QMB) Hypothalamic Neuroscience & Neuroendocrinology Australasia (HNNA) Satellite, Queenstown, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Anderson, G. M., Hill, J. W., Kaiser, U. B., Navarro, V. M., Ong, K. K., Perry, J. R. B., … Elias, C. F. (2023). Metabolic control of puberty: 60 years in the footsteps of Kennedy and Mitra's seminal work. Nature Reviews Endocrinology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1038/s41574-023-00919-z Journal - Research Article

Evans, M. C., & Anderson, G. M. (2023). The role of RFRP neurons in the allostatic control of reproductive function. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(21), 15851. doi: 10.3390/ijms242115851 Journal - Research Other

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