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Contact Details

Phone
+64 3 479 7354
Email
colin.brown@otago.ac.nz
Position
Professor
Department
Department of Physiology
Qualifications
BSc(Hons) PhD
Research summary
Neuroendocrinology

Research

Our research group principally uses electrophysiology and immunohistochemistry to determine how the brain controls birth, lactation, food intake and water balance. We currently focus on the control of the secretion of the hormone, oxytocin, which is necessary for birth and lactation, and is involved in driving increased food intake during pregnancy. We are also investigating how vasopressin (anti-diuretic hormone) neurons prevent water loss in the urine to protect from dehydration and how malfunction of vasopressin neurons might contribute to the development of hypertension.

Publications

Ludwig, M., Leng, G., & Brown, C. H. (2026). Electrophysiological recording of hypothalamic brain regions in vivo using the transpharyngeal surgical approach in the rat [Review]. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 38(4), e70177. doi: 10.1111/jne.70177 Journal - Research Article

Sethi, S., Cheong, I., Bussey, C. T., Schwenke, D. O., Erickson, J. R., Brown, C., & Lamberts, R. R. (2026). Central regulation of the heart in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Journal of Molecular & Cellular Cardiology, 211. doi: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2025.11.012 Journal - Research Article

Murrell, C. L., Barad, Z., Wallace, R. S., Erickson, J. R., Brown, C. H., & Augustine, R. A. (2025). Mapping O-linked glycosylation in the rat hypothalamus in pregnancy and lactation. Journal of Neuroendocrinology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/jne.70076 Journal - Research Article

Small, J., Adler, P. K., Perkinson, M. R., & Brown, C. H. (2024, August-September). TRPV regulation of vasopressin neuron activity. Poster session presented at the 18th New Zealand Medical Sciences Congress (MedSci), Queenstown, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)

Nakandalage Dona, K. E. N., Tripp, I. T., Brown, C. H., & Kim, J. S. (2024, August-September). Retrograde tracing of CRH and vGlut2 projections to the rostral ventrolateral medulla. Poster session presented at the 18th New Zealand Medical Sciences Congress (MedSci), Queenstown, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)

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