Red X iconGreen tick iconYellow tick icon

Principal Investigator

Dave Grattan 186x228Professor Dave Grattan

Professor Dave Grattan's biography
Email dave.grattan@otago.ac.nz
Tel +64 3 479 7442
Fax +64 3 479 7254
Department of Anatomy website

Research interests

My group within the Centre for Neuroendocrinology is interested in the neuroendocrine functions of the hormone prolactin, and in particular, the role of prolactin in the neuroendocrine and neurobiological adaptations of the maternal brain.

Specific interests include the control of appetite and body weight during pregnancy and obesity, plasticity in oxytocin neurons during late pregnancy and lactation, and role of prolactin in changes in mood and behaviour in the post-partum period.

Clinical conditions

  • Hyperprolactinaemia
  • Infertility
  • Post-partum anxiety
  • Post-partum depression

List of publications for Dave Grattan (Google Scholar)

Grattan Laboratory staff & students

Jenny Clarkson_webJenny Clarkson, Research Fellow
Neural circuits required for maternal adaptation to pregnancy
Email jenny.clarkson@otago.ac.nz

Teodora Georgescu_webTeodora Georgescu, Research Fellow
Cellular actions of prolactin on neurons
Email teodora.georgescu@otago.ac.nz

Matt Gillett_webMatt Gillett, PhD student
Email: matt.gillett@postgrad.otago.ac.n

Zin Khant Aung_webZin Khant-Aung, Scientific Officer
Hormonal regulation of metabolism
Email zin.khantaung@otago.ac.nz

Pene Knowles_webPene Knowles, Research Technician
Prolactin neuroendocrinology
Email pene.knowles@otago.ac.nz

Ilona Kokay_webIlona Kokay, Honorary Research Fellow
Prolactin receptor expression in the brain
Email ilona.kokay@otago.ac.nz

Sharon Ladyman_webSharon Ladyman, Senior Research Fellow
Regulation of energy homeostasis during pregnancy
Email sharon.ladyman@otago.ac.nz

Chantelle Murrell_webChantelle Murrell, PhD student
Email chantelle.murrell@postgrad.otago.ac.nz

Holly Phillipps_webHollian Phillipps, Research Fellow
Prolactin action in adult neurogenesis
Email holly.phillipps@otago.ac.nz

Mo Rizwan_webMohammed Rizwan, Research Fellow
Hypothalamic regulation of bodyweight and glucose metabolism
Email mohammed.rizwan@otago.ac.nz

Joe Yip_webJoe Yip, Research Fellow
Plasticity of neuroendocrine dopaminergic neurons and prolactin
Email joe.yip@otago.ac.nz

Andy Stewart, Honours student

Visit Our people for an alphabetical list of all Centre for Neuroendocrinology staff.

Research Funders

Publications

Brown, R. S. E., Jacobs, I. M., Khant Aung, Z., Knowles, P. J., Grattan, D. R., & Ladyman, S. R. (2023). High fat diet-induced maternal obesity in mice impairs peripartum maternal behaviour. Journal of Neuroendocrinology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/jne.13350

Smiley, K. O., Phillipps, H. R., Fang, C., Brown, R. S. E., & Grattan, D. R. (2023). Mating-induced prolactin surge is not required for subsequent neurogenesis in male mice. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 17, 1227726. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1227726

Goffin, V., Becu-Villalobos, D., Popovic, V., & Grattan, D. R. (2023). Editorial: Towards targeting prolactin signaling in human diseases: Stimulate or inhibit? Frontiers in Endocrinology, 14, 1213895. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1213895

Wall, E. G., Desai, R., Khant Aung, Z., Yeo, S. H., Grattan, D. R., Handelsman, D. J., & Herbison, A. E. (2023). Unexpected plasma gonadal steroid and prolactin levels across the mouse estrous cycle. Endocrinology, bqad070. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1210/endocr/bqad070

Hackwell, E. C. R., Ladyman, S. R., Brown, R. S. E., & Grattan, D. R. (2023). Mechanisms of lactation-induced infertility in female mice. Endocrinology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1210/endocr/bqad049

Back to top