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Contact Details

Phone
+64 3 479 6373
Email
hod.anatomy@otago.ac.nz
Position
Professor and Head of Department
Department
Department of Anatomy
Qualifications
BSc PhD
Research summary
Neural development

Research

The focus of Professor Jasoni's research is on discovering how the maternal environment during pregnancy affects the formation of the fetal brain. With conditions such as obesity and diabetes on the rise in Western society and the developing world, it is critical that we fully understand the health implications of these disorders for future generations. Specifically, there is clear epidemiological data showing that maternal obesity can greatly increase the likelihood that offspring will also be obese. Professor Jasoni seeks 1) to establish specifically how maternal obesity during pregnancy alters the development of the fetal brain circuits that regulate offspring body weight; 2) to discover epigenetic changes in the brains of the offspring of obese or diabetic mothers, as a further mechanism to explain the influence of maternal health on offspring brain function.

Research interests

My team uses an array of techniques including molecular and cellular biology, mouse genetic models, live cell imaging, and bioinformatics to address their scientific questions. In addition, they have active collaborations with laboratories in the Centre for Neuroendocrinology, the National Research Centre for Growth and Development (one of the 7 national Centres of Research Excellence), as well as overseas collaborations. This collaborative research creates a vibrant, intellectually invigorating environment in which to conduct cutting-edge science that is internationally recognized and will benefit health outcomes in New Zealand and the world.

Laboratory of Developmental Neuroscience

Publications

Higgins, M. B. A., Glendining, K. A., & Jasoni, C. L. (2024). The temporal and spatial pattern of leptin receptor-expressing cells in the developing mouse hypothalamus. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 36, e13366. doi: 10.1111/jne.13366 Journal - Research Article

Richard, S., Zhou, Y., Jasoni, C. L., & Pankhurst, M. W. (2024). Ovarian follicle size or growth rate can both be determinants of ovulatory follicle selection in mice. Biology of Reproduction, 110(1), 127-136. doi: 10.1093/biolre/ioad134 Journal - Research Article

Prescott, M., Watanabe, Y., Ruddenklau, A., Fisher, L., Jasoni, C. L., & Campbell, R. E. (2023). Kisspeptin neuron projections and expression patterns are unaltered in prenatally androgenized female mice modeling PCOS. Journal of the Endocrine Society, 7(Suppl. 1), (pp. A649-A650). doi: 10.1210/jendso/bvad114.1213 Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Kamstra, K., van der Burg, C., Quertermous, H. M., Muncaster, S., Todd, E. V., Jasoni, C. L., … Gemmell, N. J. (2023). Neuroanatomy of a sex changing fish: The New Zealand spotty wrasse (Notolabrus celidotus) brain atlas. New Zealand Journal of Zoology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/03014223.2023.2216939 Journal - Research Article

Watanabe, Y., Fisher, L., Campbell, R. E., & Jasoni, C. L. (2023). Defining potential targets of prenatal androgen excess: Expression analysis of androgen receptor on hypothalamic neurons in the fetal female mouse brain. Journal of Neuroendocrinology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/jne.13302 Journal - Research Article

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