Associate Professor Ailsa McGregor

Contact Details

Phone: +64 3 479 7240
Email: ailsa.mcgregor@otago.ac.nz

University Links

Position: Associate Professor in Clinical Pharmacology and Associate Dean Research
Qualifications: BSc(Hons)(Aberd) PhD(Glas)
Research summary: Neuropharmacology, neurodegeneration and repair
Teaching: Basic and Clinical Pharmacology
Memberships: Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists
Clinical: A randomized trial of varenicline for the treatment of cognitive and effective symptoms in Huntington’s Disease (VCAS-HD), funded by The New Zealand Pharmacy Education and Research Fund and The Oakley Mental Health Foundation.

Research

My area of interest is neurodegenerative diseases, neuroprotection and repair, in particular the development of disease models with clinically relevant endpoints as a basis for investigating potential therapies.

My research focuses on pharmacological enhancement of motor recovery after stroke and cholinergic dysfunction in Huntington's Disease and vascular dementia.

Publications

Nair, S., Smith, A., & McGregor, A. (2024, September). Stroke recovery is most challenging for Pacific Peoples: Is pattern of prescribing medications to blame? Verbal presentation at the Pacific Islands Health Research Symposium, Nadi, Fiji. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Li, Y., Li, G., Peng, C., Shi, X., Peng, F., McGregor, A., & Xie, X. (2024). Berberrubine, an attractive derivative of berberine with multiple pharmacological activities. Arabian Journal of Chemistry. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.arabjc.2024.106045 Journal - Research Article

Nair, S., Yin, E., Smith, A., & McGregor, A. (2022, November). Exposure to antipsychotic medication is detrimental to the functional status of NZ stroke patients. Verbal presentation at the School of Pharmacy Research Day, Dunedin, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Hounsell, J., Liebergreen, N., King, M., & McGregor, A. L. (2022). Exploring the awareness of people affected by Huntington's disease towards regenerative therapies. New Zealand Medical Journal, 135(1557), (pp. 103). Retrieved from https://journal.nzma.org.nz/ Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Chen, S., Bennet, L., & McGregor, A. L. (2022). Delayed citalopram administration reduces brain inflammation and enhances skilled motor function after ischaemic stroke in 'MacGreen' mice. European Journal of Neuroscience, 55, 1344-1355. doi: 10.1111/ejn.15601 Journal - Research Article

2024

Journal - Research Article

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

2022

Journal - Research Article

McGregor, A. L., Hoque, M. R., Nickel, S., Smith, A. J., & Atiquzzaman, M. (2022). Anti-epileptic medication exposure influences functional status in New Zealand stroke patients: A retrospective population-level study. Drugs: Real World Outcomes, 9, 165-173. doi: 10.1007/s40801-021-00280-5

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

2021

Journal - Research Article

Nair, S., Chen, S., Gupta, D., Smith, A. J., & McGregor, A. L. (2021). Higher BMI confers a long-term functional status advantage in elderly New Zealand European stroke patients. Journal of Stroke & Cerebrovascular Diseases, 30(5), 105711. doi: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2021.105711

2020

Journal - Research Article

Narayan, P., Reid, S., Scotter, E. L., McGregor, A. L., Mehrabi, N. F., Singh-Bains, M. K., Glass, M., … Dragunow, M. (2020). Inconsistencies in histone acetylation patterns among different HD model systems and HD post-mortem brains. Neurobiology of Disease, 146, 105092. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105092

Shome, A., McGregor, A., Cavadino, A., & Mountjoy, K. G. (2020). Central administration of β-MSH reduces body weight in obese male Pomc^tm1/tm1 mice. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta: General Subjects, 1864, 129673. doi: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2020.129673

Thakkar, P. C., McGregor, A. L., Barber, P. A., Paton, J. F. R., Barrett, C. J., & McBryde, F. D. (2020). Therapeutic relevance of elevated blood pressure after ischemic stroke in the hypertensive rats. Hypertension, 75, 740-747. doi: 10.1161/hypertensionaha.119.14219

Other Research Output

McGregor, A. (2020, March). Found in translation: Targeting post-stroke inflammation. Neurological Foundation of New Zealand Brain Awareness Month Otago Brain Day, Dunedin, New Zealand. [Public Seminar].

2019

Journal - Research Article

Thakkar, P., McGregor, A., Barber, P. A., Paton, J. F. R., Barrett, C., & McBryde, F. (2019). Hypertensive response to ischemic stroke in the normotensive Wistar rat: Mechanisms and therapeutic relevance. Stroke, 50, 2522-2530. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.119.026459

Hubbard, K., Shome, A., Sun, B., Pontré, B., McGregor, A., & Mountjoy, K. G. (2019). Chronic high-fat diet exacerbates sexually-dimorphic Pomc^tm1/tm1 mouse obesity. Endocrinology, 160(5), 1081-1096. doi: 10.1210/en.2018-00924

2018

Journal - Research Article

Mountjoy, K. G., Caron, A., Hubbard, K., Shome, A., Grey, A. C., Sun, B., … McGregor, A., … Elmquist, J. K. (2018). Desacetyl-α-melanocyte stimulating hormone and α-melanocyte stimulating hormone are required to regulate energy balance. Molecular Metabolism, 9, 207-216. doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2017.11.008

2017

Journal - Research Article

Kang, W., Svirskis, D., Sarojini, V., McGregor, A. L., Bevitt, J., & Wu, Z. (2017). Cyclic-RGDyC functionalized liposomes for dual-targeting of tumor vasculature and cancer cells in glioblastoma: An in vitro boron neutron capture therapy study. Oncotarget, 8(22), 36614-36627. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.16625

Chen, S., Bennet, L., & McGregor, A. L. (2017). Delayed varenicline administration reduces inflammation and improves forelimb use following experimental stroke. Journal of Stroke & Cerebrovascular Diseases, 26(12), 2778-2787. doi: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2017.06.051

McGregor, A. L., D'Souza, G., Kim, D., & Tingle, M. D. (2017). Varenicline improves motor and cognitive deficits and decreases depressive-like behaviour in late-stage YAC128 mice. Neuropharmacology, 116, 233-246. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.12.021

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Wolfe, K. M., McGregor, A. L., & Kerr, D. S. (2017). Anti-inflammatory characteristics exhibited by heterocyclic cyclohexanone curcumin derivatives against LPS-induced inflammation. Proceedings of the Australasian Neuroscience Society 37th Annual Scientific Meeting. Retrieved from http://ans2017.aomevents.com.au

Wolfe, K. M., McGregor, A. L., & Kerr, D. S. (2017). Anti-inflammatory characteristics exhibited by heterocyclic cyclohexanone curcumin derivatives against LPS-induced inflammation. In B. Leitch (Ed.), Proceedings of the 35th International Australasian Winter Conference on Brain Research. (pp. 65). AWCBR. Retrieved from http://www.otago.ac.nz/awcbr/index.html

McGregor, A. L., Chen, S., Kurniawan, N., & Bennett, L. (2017). Delayed varenicline administration increases inflammation and white matter damage and is detrimental to functional recovery after stroke. In B. Leitch (Ed.), Proceedings of the 35th International Australasian Winter Conference on Brain Research. (pp. 28). AWCBR. Retrieved from http://www.otago.ac.nz/awcbr/index.html

McBryde, F., Thakkar, P., McGregor, A., Paton, J., & Barrett, C. (2017). The cardiovascular response to stroke in normal and hypertensive rats: Therapeutic or pathological? FASEB Journal, 31(Suppl. 1), 1011.3. [Abstract]

2016

Journal - Research Article

McGregor, A. L., Dysart, J., Tingle, M. D., Russell, B. R., Kydd, R. R., & Finucane, G. (2016). Varenicline improves motor and cognitive symptoms in early Huntington’s disease. Neuropsychiatric Disease & Treatment, 12, 2381-2386. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S111083

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Chen, S., Bennet, L., & McGregor, A. L. (2016). Delayed administration of citalopram is associated with long-lasting motor improvements and promotes brain remodelling in an experimental model of stroke. Proceedings of the Society for Neuroscience 46th Annual Meeting. 425.15/II2. SfN. Retrieved from https://www.sfn.org/

McGregor, A. L., D'Souza, G., & Tingle, M. D. (2016). Varenicline produces long-lasting improvements in motor function and modulates neuroinflammation in YAC128 mice. In B. Leitch (Ed.), Proceedings of the 34th International Australasian Winter Conference on Brain Research. (pp. 30). AWCBR. Retrieved from http://www.otago.ac.nz/awcbr

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

McGregor, A. (2016, June). Can a drug that helps smokers quit control Huntington's disease symptoms? Verbal presentation at the 10th Annual Brain Health Research Centre Conference: The Developing Brain, Dunedin, New Zealand.

2015

Journal - Research Article

Kamal, T., Green, T. N., Morel-Kopp, M.-C., Ward, C. M., McGregor, A. L., McGlashan, S. R., … Kalev-Zylinska, M. L. (2015). Inhibition of glutamate regulated calcium entry into leukemic megakaryoblasts reduces cell proliferation and supports differentiation. Cellular Signaling, 27, 1860-1872. doi: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2015.05.004

Chen, S., Bennet, L., & McGregor, A. L. (2015). MacGreen mice: A novel tool to investigate inflammation following experimental stroke. Journal of Experimental Stroke & Translational Medicine, 8, 1-10.

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

D'Souza, G., Tingle, M., & McGregor, A. (2015). Varenicline improves motor, cognitive and psychiatric symptoms in the YAC128 transgenic mouse model of Huntington's disease. Proceedings of the 48th Annual Winter Conference on Brain Research (WCBR). (pp. 140-141). Retrieved from http://www.winterbrain.org/documents/wcbr-2015.pdf

2014

Journal - Research Article

Fourie, C., Kim, E., Waldvogel, H., Wong, J. M., McGregor, A., Faull, R. L. M., & Montgomery, J. M. (2014). Differential changes in postsynaptic density proteins in postmortem Huntington's disease and Parkinson's disease human brains. Journal of Neurodegenerative Diseases, 2014, 938530. doi: 10.1155/2014/938530

Yung, R., Seyfoddin, V., Guise, C., Tijono, S., McGregor, A., Connor, B., & Ching, L.-M. (2014). Efficacy against subcutaneous or intracranial murine GL261 gliomas in relation to the concentration of the vascular-disrupting agent, 5,6-dimethylxanthenone-4-acetic acid (DMXAA), in the brain and plasma. Cancer Chemotherapy & Pharmacology, 73(3), 639-649. doi: 10.1007/s00280-014-2395-y

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Chen, S., Bennet, L., & McGregor, A. L. (2014). Delayed administration of citalopram is associated with long-lasting improvements in skilled motor function after stroke. In B. Leitch & J. Shemmell (Eds.), Proceedings of the 32nd International Australasian Winter Conference on Brain Research. 32, (pp. 77). AWCBR. Retrieved from https://web.psy.otago.ac.nz/awcbr/proceedings.html

McGregor, A. L., D'Souza, G., & Tingle, M. (2014). Varenicline improves motor, cognitive and psychiatric symptoms in the YAC128 transgenic mouse model of Huntington's disease. In B. Leitch & J. Shemmell (Eds.), Proceedings of the 32nd International Australasian Winter Conference on Brain Research. 32, (pp. 74). AWCBR. Retrieved from https://web.psy.otago.ac.nz/awcbr/proceedings.html

Kim, D., Mountjoy, K., & McGregor, A. (2014). Finding new therapeutic strategies for acute stroke: Asking the brain for direction. In B. Leitch & J. Shemmell (Eds.), Proceedings of the 32nd International Australasian Winter Conference on Brain Research. 32, (pp. 64). AWCBR. Retrieved from https://web.psy.otago.ac.nz/awcbr/proceedings.html

2013

Journal - Research Article

Maucksch, C., McGregor, A. L., Yang, M., Gordon, R. J., Yang, M., & Connor, B. (2013). IGF-I redirects doublecortin-positive cell migration in the normal adult rat brain. Neuroscience, 241, 106-115. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.03.021

2012

Journal - Research Article

Evans, J., Sun, Y., McGregor, A., & Connor, B. (2012). Allopregnanolone regulates neurogenesis and depressive/anxiety-like behaviour in a social isolation rodent model of chronic stress. Neuropharmacology, 63(8), 1315-1326. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2012.08.012

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

McGregor, A., & Clarkson, A. (2012, September). Animal models of stroke [Workshop]. Verbal presentation at the New Zealand Applied Neurosciences Conference (NZANC), Auckland, New Zealand.

2009

Journal - Research Article

Gordon, R. J., McGregor, A. L., & Connor, B. (2009). Chemokines direct neural progenitor cell migration following striatal cell loss. Molecular & Cellular Neuroscience, 41(2), 219-232. doi: 10.1016/j.mcn.2009.03.001

2007

Journal - Research Article

McColl, B. W., McGregor, A. L., Wong, A., Harris, J. D., Amalfitano, A., Magnoni, S., … Horsburgh, K. (2007). APOE ε3 gene transfer attenuates brain damage after experimental stroke. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism, 27(3), 477-487. doi: 10.1038/sj.jcbfm.9600361

Gordon, R. J., Tattersfield, A. S., Vazey, E. M., Kells, A. P., McGregor, A. L., Hughes, S. M., & Connor, B. (2007). Temporal profile of subventricular zone progenitor cell migration following quinolinic acid–induced striatal cell loss. Neuroscience, 146(4), 1704-1718. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2007.03.011

2005

Journal - Research Article

Milne, S. A., McGregor, A. L., McCulloch, J., & Sharkey, J. (2005). Increased expression of macrophage receptor with collagenous structure (MARCO) in mouse cortex following middle cerebral artery occlusion. Neuroscience Letters, 383, 58-62. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2005.03.065

2004

Journal - Research Article

Kerr, L. E., McGregor, A. L., Amet, L. E. A., Asada, T., Spratt, C., Allsopp, T. E., … Sharkey, J. (2004). Mice overexpressing human caspase 3 appear phenotypically normal but exhibit increased apoptosis and larger lesion volumes in response to transient focal cerebral ischaemia. Cell Death & Differentiation, 11, 1102-1111. doi: 10.1038/sj.cdd.4401449

2003

Journal - Research Other

MacLeod, M. R., Ramage, L., McGregor, A. L., & Seckl, J. R. (2003). Reduced NMDA-induced apoptosis in neurons lacking ataxia telangiectasia mutated protein. NeuroReport, 14(2), 215-217. doi: 10.1097/00001756-200302100-00011

2001

Journal - Research Other

McCarter, J. F., McGregor, A. L., Jones, P. A., & Sharkey, J. (2001). FK 506 protects brain tissue in animal models of stroke. Transplantation Proceedings, 33, 2390-2392.

2000

Journal - Research Article

Owens, J., Tebbutt, A. A., McGregor, A. L., Kodama, K., Magar, S. S., Perlman, M. E., … McCulloch, J. (2000). Synthesis and binding characteristics of N-(1-naphthyl)-N′-(3-[¹²⁵I]-iodophenyl)-N′-methylguanidine ([¹²⁵I]-CNS 1261): A potential SPECT agent for imaging NMDA receptor activation. Nuclear Medicine & Biology, 27(6), 557-564. doi: 10.1016/S0969-8051(00)00102-5

1999

Journal - Research Article

Wiessner, C., Allegrini, P. R., Rupalla, K., Sauer, D., Oltersdorf, T., McGregor, A. L., … van der Putten, H. (1999). Neuron-specific transgene expression of Bcl-X_L but not Bcl-2 genes reduced lesion size after permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice. Neuroscience Letters, 268(3), 119-122. doi: 10.1016/S0304-3940(99)00392-4