Dr Mike Garratt

Contact Details
- Phone
- +64 3 479 5465
- mike.garratt@otago.ac.nz
University Links
- Position
- Senior Lecturer
- Department
- Department of Anatomy
- Research summary
- Life history evolution, biology of ageing
Research
Our research is interested in how reproduction influences life-history, health and ageing. This includes physiological effects of gonadal-derived hormones, consequences of mating, and even impacts of social pheromone perception on life-history trajectory. A related research theme explores how sex-specific aspects of reproduction cause sexual-dimorphism in lifespan, and influence the effectiveness of interventions developed to improve healthy ageing.
Most experimental work is conducted in mice, which provides access to molecular-genetic techniques to directly manipulate physiology controlling development, reproduction and ageing. We also use comparative approaches to identify evolutionary and mechanistic drivers of diversification in life history on an interspecies scale, and have several collaborative projects that probe links between reproduction and ageing in wild animals.
Publications
Agbor Epse Muluh, E., McCormack, J. C., Mo, Y., Garratt, M., & Peng, M. (2024). Gustatory and olfactory shifts during pregnancy and the postpartum period: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Physiology & Behavior, 273, 114388. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114388
Garratt, M., Neyt, C., Ladyman, S. R., Pyrski, M., Zufall, F., & Leinders-Zufall, T. (2023). Sensory detection of female olfactory cues as a central regulator of energy metabolism and body weight in male mice. iScience, 26, 106455. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106455
McCormack, J. C., Roberts, R., Garratt, M., Wang, T., Hayes, J., & Peng, M. (2023). Longitudinal study of Energy, Neurosensory and Eating Responses durinG pregnancY (ENERGY cohort): A study protocol. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2023.01.033
Herrera, J. J., Pifer, K., Louzon, S., Leander, D., Fiehn, O., Day, S. M., … Garratt, M. (2023). Early or late-life treatment with acarbose or rapamycin improves physical performance and affects cardiac structure in aging mice. Journals of Gerontology Series A, 78(3), 397-406. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glac221
Isola, J. V. V., Veiga, G. B., de Brito, C. R. C., Alvarado‑Rincón, J. A., Garcia, D. N., Zanini, B. M., … Garratt, M., … Stout, M. B. (2022). 17α-estradiol does not adversely affect sperm parameters or fertility in male mice: Implications for reproduction-longevity trade-offs. GeroScience. doi: 10.1007/s11357-022-00601-8
Gaillard, J.-M., Garratt, M., & Lemaître, J.-F. (2017). Senescence in mammalian life history traits. In R. P. Shefferson, O. R. Jones & R. Salguero-Gómez (Eds.), The evolution of senescence in the tree of life. (pp. 126-155). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/9781139939867.007
Chapter in Book - Research
Agbor Epse Muluh, E., McCormack, J. C., Mo, Y., Garratt, M., & Peng, M. (2024). Gustatory and olfactory shifts during pregnancy and the postpartum period: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Physiology & Behavior, 273, 114388. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114388
Journal - Research Article
Garratt, M., Neyt, C., Ladyman, S. R., Pyrski, M., Zufall, F., & Leinders-Zufall, T. (2023). Sensory detection of female olfactory cues as a central regulator of energy metabolism and body weight in male mice. iScience, 26, 106455. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106455
Journal - Research Article
Herrera, J. J., Pifer, K., Louzon, S., Leander, D., Fiehn, O., Day, S. M., … Garratt, M. (2023). Early or late-life treatment with acarbose or rapamycin improves physical performance and affects cardiac structure in aging mice. Journals of Gerontology Series A, 78(3), 397-406. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glac221
Journal - Research Article
Garratt, M., Erturk, I., Alonso, R., Zufall, F., Leinders-Zufall, T., Pletcher, S. D., & Miller, R. A. (2022). Lifespan extension in female mice by early, transient exposure to adult female olfactory cues. eLIFE. Advance online publication. doi: 10.7554/eLife.84060
Journal - Research Article
Isola, J. V. V., Veiga, G. B., de Brito, C. R. C., Alvarado‑Rincón, J. A., Garcia, D. N., Zanini, B. M., … Garratt, M., … Stout, M. B. (2022). 17α-estradiol does not adversely affect sperm parameters or fertility in male mice: Implications for reproduction-longevity trade-offs. GeroScience. doi: 10.1007/s11357-022-00601-8
Journal - Research Article
Debarba, L. K., Jayarathne, H. S. M., Miller, R. A., Garratt, M., & Sadagurski, M. (2021). 17-a-estradiol has sex-specific effects on neuroinflammation that are partly reversed by gonadectomy. Journals of Gerontology Series A. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glab216
Journal - Research Article
Garratt, M., Try, H., & Brooks, R. C. (2021). Access to females and early life castration individually extend maximal but not median lifespan in male mice. GeroScience, 43, 1437-1446. doi: 10.1007/s11357-020-00308-8
Journal - Research Article
Sugrue, V. J., Zoller, J. A., Narayan, P., Lu, A. T., Ortega-Recalde, O. J., Grant, M. J., … Bond, D. M., … Garratt, M., … Hore, T. A., & Horvath, S. (2021). Castration delays epigenetic aging and feminizes DNA methylation at androgen-regulated loci. eLIFE, 10, e64932. doi: 10.7554/eLife.64932
Journal - Research Article
Garratt, M., Try, H., Smiley, K. O., Grattan, D. R., & Brooks, R. C. (2020). Mating in the absence of fertilization promotes a growth-reproduction versus lifespan trade-off in female mice. PNAS, 117(27), 15748-15754. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2003159117
Journal - Research Article
Herrera, J. J., Louzon, S., Pifer, K., Leander, D., Merrihew, G. E., Park, J. H., … Garratt, M. (2020). Acarbose has sex-dependent and -independent effects on age-related physical function, cardiac health, and lipid biology. JCI Insight, 5(21), e137474. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.137474
Journal - Research Article
Lemaître, J.-F., Ronget, V., Tidière, N., Allainé, D., Berger, V., Cohas, A., … Garratt, M., … Gaillard, J.-M. (2020). Sex differences in adult lifespan and aging rates of mortality across wild mammals. PNAS, 117(15), 8546-8553. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1911999117
Journal - Research Article
Gale, T. J., Garratt, M., & Brooks, R. C. (2019). Female mice seek refuge from castrated males, but not intact or vasectomized males, mitigating a socially-induced glucocorticoid response. Physiology & Behavior, 211, 112678. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.112678
Journal - Research Article
Garratt, M., Leander, D., Pifer, K., Bower, B., Herrera, J. J., Day, S. M., … Miller, R. A. (2019). 17-α estradiol ameliorates age-associated sarcopenia and improves late-life physical function in male mice but not in females or castrated males. Aging Cell, 18(2), e12920. doi: 10.1111/acel.12920
Journal - Research Article
Harrison, D. E., Strong, R., Alavez, S., Astle, C. M., DiGiovanni, J., Fernandez, E., … Garratt, M., … Miller, R. A. (2019). Acarbose improves health and lifespan in aging HET3 mice. Aging Cell, 18(2), e12898. doi: 10.1111/acel.12898
Journal - Research Article
Tyshkovskiy, A., Bozaykut, P., Borodinova, A. A., Gerashchenko, M. V., Ables, G. P., Garratt, M., … Gladyshev, V. N. (2019). Identification and application of gene expression signatures associated with lifespan extension. Cell Metabolism, 30(3), 573-593. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2019.06.018
Journal - Research Article
Gale, T., Garratt, M., & Brooks, R. C. (2018). Perceived threats of infanticide reduce maternal allocation during lactation and lead to elevated oxidative damage in offspring. Functional Ecology, 32(9), 2158-2169. doi: 10.1111/1365-2435.13146
Journal - Research Article
Garratt, M., Lagerborg, K. A., Tsai, Y.-M., Galecki, A., Jain, M., & Miller, R. A. (2018). Male lifespan extension with 17‐α estradiol is linked to a sex‐specific metabolomic response modulated by gonadal hormones in mice. Aging Cell, 17(4), e12786. doi: 10.1111/acel.12786
Journal - Research Article
Ronget, V., Gaillard, J.-M., Coulson, T., Garratt, M., Gueyffier, F., Lega, J.-C., & Lemaître, J.-F. (2018). Causes and consequences of variation in offspring body mass: Meta-analyses in birds and mammals. Biological Reviews, 93(1), 1-27. doi: 10.1111/brv.12329
Journal - Research Article
Brooks, R. C., & Garratt, M. G. (2017). Life history evolution, reproduction, and the origins of sex-dependent aging and longevity. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1389(1), 92-107. doi: 10.1111/nyas.13302
Journal - Research Article
Cady, G., Landeryou, T., Garratt, M., Kopchick, J. J., Qi, N., Garcia-Galiano, D., … Sadagurski, M. (2017). Hypothalamic growth hormone receptor (GHR) controls hepatic glucose production in nutrient-sensing leptin receptor (LepRb) expressing neurons. Molecular Metabolism, 6(5), 393-405. doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2017.03.001
Journal - Research Article
Garratt, M., Bower, B., Garcia, G. G., & Miller, R. A. (2017). Sex differences in lifespan extension with acarbose and 17-α estradiol: Gonadal hormones underlie male-specific improvements in glucose tolerance and mTORC2 signaling. Aging Cell, 16(6), 1256-1266. doi: 10.1111/acel.12656
Journal - Research Article
Garratt, M., Nakagawa, S., & Simons, M. J. P. (2017). Life-span extension with reduced somatotrophic signaling: Moderation of aging effect by signal type, sex, and experimental cohort. Journals of Gerontology Series A, 72(12), 1620-1626. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glx010
Journal - Research Article
Ronget, V., Garratt, M., Lemaître, J.-F., & Gaillard, J.-M. (2017). The ‘evo-demo’ implications of condition-dependent mortality. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 32(12), 909-921. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2017.09.003
Journal - Research Article
Garratt, M., Kee, A. J., Palme, R., & Brooks, R. C. (2016). Male presence can increase body mass and induce a stress-response in female mice independent of costs of offspring production. Scientific Reports, 6(23538). doi: 10.1038/srep23538
Journal - Research Article
Garratt, M., Nakagawa, S., & Simons, M. J. P. (2016). Comparative idiosyncrasies in life extension by reduced mTOR signalling and its distinctiveness from dietary restriction. Aging Cell, 15(4), 737-743. doi: 10.1111/acel.12489
Journal - Research Article
Garratt, M., & Brooks, R. C. (2015). A genetic reduction in antioxidant function causes elevated aggression in mice. Journal of Experimental Biology, 218(2), 223-227. doi: 10.1242/jeb.112011
Journal - Research Article
Garratt, M., Lemaître, J.-F., Douhard, M., Bonenfant, C., Capron, G., Warnant, C., … Gaillard, J.-M. (2015). High juvenile mortality is associated with sex-specific adult survival and lifespan in wild roe deer. Current Biology, 25(6), 759-763. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.11.071
Journal - Research Article
Gibson, A. B., Garratt, M., & Brooks, R. C. (2015). Experimental evidence that litter size imposes an oxidative challenge to offspring. Journal of Experimental Biology, 218(24), 3911-3918. doi: 10.1242/jeb.116327
Journal - Research Article
Garratt, M., Pichaud, N., Glaros, E. N., Kee, A. J., & Brooks, R. C. (2014). Superoxide dismutase deficiency impairs olfactory sexual signaling and alters bioenergetic function in mice. PNAS, 111(22), 8119-8124. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1322282111
Journal - Research Article
Aloise King, E. D., Garratt, M., & Brooks, R. (2013). Manipulating reproductive effort leads to changes in female reproductive scheduling but not oxidative stress. Ecology & Evolution, 3(12), 4161-4171. doi: 10.1002/ece3.786
Journal - Research Article
Garratt, M., Bathgate, R., de Graaf, S. P., & Brooks, R. C. (2013). Copper-zinc superoxide dismutase deficiency impairs sperm motility and in vivo fertility. Reproduction, 146(4), 297-304. doi: 10.1530/REP-13-0229
Journal - Research Article
Garratt, M., Gaillard, J.-M., Brooks, R. C., & Lemaître, J.-F. (2013). Diversification of the eutherian placenta is associated with changes in the pace of life. PNAS, 110(19), 7760-7765. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1305018110
Journal - Research Article
Garratt, M., Pichaud, N., Aloise King, E. D., & Brooks, R. C. (2013). Physiological adaptations to reproduction. I. Experimentally increasing litter size enhances aspects of antioxidant defence but does not cause oxidative damage in mice. Journal of Experimental Biology, 216(15), 2879-2888. doi: 10.1242/jeb.082669
Journal - Research Article
Pichaud, N., Garratt, M., Ballard, J. W. O., & Brooks, R. C. (2013). Physiological adaptations to reproduction. II. Mitochondrial adjustments in livers of lactating mice. Journal of Experimental Biology, 216(15), 2889-2895. doi: 10.1242/jeb.082685
Journal - Research Article
Garratt, M., McArdle, F., Stockley, P., Vasilaki, A., Beynon, R. J., Jackson, M. J., & Hurst, J. L. (2012). Tissue-dependent changes in oxidative damage with male reproductive effort in house mice. Functional Ecology, 26(2), 423-433. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2011.01952.x
Journal - Research Article
Garratt, M., Stockley, P., Armstrong, S. D., Beynon, R. J., & Hurst, J. L. (2011). The scent of senescence: Sexual signalling and female preference in house mice. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 24(11), 2398-2409. doi: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02367.x
Journal - Research Article
Garratt, M., Vasilaki, A., Stockley, P., McArdle, F., Jackson, M., & Hurst, J. L. (2011). Is oxidative stress a physiological cost of reproduction? An experimental test in house mice. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 278(1708), 1098-1106. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2010.1818
Journal - Research Article
McCormack, J. C., Roberts, R., Garratt, M., Wang, T., Hayes, J., & Peng, M. (2023). Longitudinal study of Energy, Neurosensory and Eating Responses durinG pregnancY (ENERGY cohort): A study protocol. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2023.01.033
Journal - Research Other
Garratt, M. (2020). Why do sexes differ in lifespan extension? Sex-specific pathways of aging and underlying mechanisms for dimorphic responses. Nutrition & Healthy Aging, 5, 247-259. doi: 10.3233/NHA-190067
Journal - Research Other
Lemaître, J.-F., Garratt, M., & Gaillard, J.-M. (2020). Going beyond lifespan in comparative biology of aging. Advances in Geriatric Medicine & Research, 2(2), e200011. doi: 10.20900/agmr20200011
Journal - Research Other
Garratt, M., & Stout, M. B. (2018). Hormone actions controlling sex-specific life-extension. Aging, 10(3), 293-294. doi: 10.18632/aging.101396
Journal - Research Other
Dantzer, B., & Garratt, M. (2017). Sex differences in telomeres and lifespan in Soay sheep: From the beginning to the end. Molecular Ecology, 26(12), 3090-3092. doi: 10.1111/mec.14129
Journal - Research Other
Garratt, M., Brooks, R. C., Lemaître, J.-F., & Gaillard, J.-M. (2014). Female promiscuity and maternally dependent offspring growth rates in mammals [Brief communication]. Evolution, 68(4), 1207-1215. doi: 10.1111/evo.12333
Journal - Research Other
Speakman, J. R., & Garratt, M. G. (2014). Oxidative stress as a cost of reproduction: Beyond the simplistic trade-off model. BioEssays, 36(1), 93-106. doi: 10.1002/bies.201300108
Journal - Research Other
Gale, T., Gibson, A. B., Brooks, R. C., & Garratt, M. (2013). Exposure to a novel male during late pregnancy influences subsequent growth of offspring during lactation [Short communication]. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 26(9), 2057-2062. doi: 10.1111/jeb.12192
Journal - Research Other
Garratt, M., & Brooks, R. C. (2012). Oxidative stress and condition-dependent sexual signals: More than just seeing red. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 279(1741), 3121-3130. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2012.0568
Journal - Research Other