Edith Cowan University
Parkinsons Centre

People

Dr Meghan Thomas

Role

Dr Meghan Thomas founded the Parkinson’s Centre (ParkC) in November 2007. She oversees the coordination of the committees, the academic team, collaborative engagements, general staff, postgraduate students and other interested parties. Dr Thomas has substantial input in to the development and implementation of all of Parkinson’s Centre (ParkC) research streams and is actively involved in the Parkinson’s community. Dr Thomas is also the lead investigator on an ARC grant that is focused on applying stem cells therapeutically.

Biography

Dr Meghan Thomas completed a Bachelor of Science at Edith Cowan University (ECU), and then obtained a first class Honours degree through the University of Western Australia (UWA). In 2005 under the supervision of Dr Mel Ziman (ECU) and Prof Lyn Beazley (UWA), she was awarded her PhD. Supported by a Woodside Neurotrauma Research Program PhD Excellence Award, she completed almost half of her doctoral work in the University of Cambridge Brain Repair Centre, UK, working with Drs Roger Barker and Maeve Caldwell on stem cell replacement therapies for Parkinson’s disease patients.

She has demonstrated that a gene (critical in the differentiation of a specific type of nerve cell during development) initiated 100% of stem cells grown in tissue culture to differentiate into nerve cells. Dr Thomas’s research has demonstrated that the gene is expressed in a greater number of cells if the adult brain is injured. Most neuroscientists seeking to apply stem cells therapeutically have concentrated exclusively on the stem cells themselves.   Dr Thomas realized that changes within the host tissue, damaged by trauma or disease, were being ignored. Her proof-of-principle experiments illustrated the importance of matching stem cell genetic read-out to that of the host. The novelty of Dr Thomas’ research approach is reflected in her gaining in 2006 an Australian Research Council Discovery grant; the scheme is highly competitive with only two grants being awarded in that year for neuroscience Australia-wide.

Dr Thomas is interested in progressing this research so that it can benefit the 8,000 West Australians living with Parkinson’s disease. To this end her current laboratory research is focused on understanding the genetic changes that occur in a Parkinsonian brain combined with developing strategies for neurosurgical delivery. She establishing the Parkinson’s Centre (ParkC) in the belief that it will be through a cross-disciplinary research approach that major advances in the causes, preventative measures and possible cures for Parkinson’s will be achieved. Dr Thomas’ commitment to Parkinson’s research has also seen her becoming heavily involved in Parkinson’s Western Australia, specifically with the support group for early onsetters.

Publications

  1. Meghan Thomas, P Tyers, SE Lazic, RA Barker, L Beazley, M Ziman. Graft outcomes influenced by co-expression of Pax7 in graft and host tissue. Journal of Anatomy. Accepted (Impact Factor = 2.58)
  2. Meghan Thomas*, Judith A. Blake*, Jennifer A. Thompson*, Robert White*, Melanie Ziman* Perplexing Pax: From Puzzle to Paradigm. Developmental Dynamics. 237:2791-2803. (Impact Factor = 3.169) *equal first authors
  3. Meghan Thomas, Roger A Barker, Lyn D Beazley, Melanie R Ziman (2007). Pax7 expression in the adult rat superior colliculus following optic nerve injury. NeuroReport. 18:105-109. (Impact Factor = 2.137; Citations = 1)
  4. Meghan Thomas, Lyn Beazley, Melanie Ziman. (2006). A multiphasic role for Pax7 in tectal development. Experimental Brain Research. 169:266-271. (Impact Factor = 2.302; Citations = 3)
  5. Meghan Thomas, Stan Lazic, Lyn Beazley, Melanie Ziman. (2004). Expression profiles suggest a role for Pax7 in the establishment of tectal polarity and map refinement. Experimental Brain Research. 157:263-273. (Impact Factor = 1.967; Citations = 6)
  6. M.R. Ziman, Meghan Thomas, P. Jacobsen, L. Beazley. (2001). A key role of Pax7 transcripts in determination of muscle and nerve cells. Experimental Cell Research. 268:220-229. (Impact Factor = 3.949; Citations = 10)

Grants

2008, ECU Early Career Research Grant. Cruise, K.E., Thomas, M., Bucks, R.S., & Loftus, A.M. (2008). ‘Profiling non-motor symptoms in early Parkinson's disease’.

2008-2010, ECU Office of Research and Innovation and the Vario Health Institute. M. Thomas. ‘Parkinson’s Centre (ParkC)’.

2007 - 2009, Australian Research Council Discovery Project. M. Thomas, M. Ziman, L. Beazley, R. Barker `Neurological cell replacement therapies: improving outcomes by matching developmental profiles of transplanted cells with the damaged brain area’.

2006, West Australian Institute for Medical Research Neurotrauma Research Program Grant. M. Ziman, L. Beazley, R. Barker, M. Thomas `Matching the developmental transcription factor profiles of transplanted cells and host injured brain regions is crucial for successful cell transplant therapies’.

2005, Edith Cowan University Faculty Small Grant. M. Thomas `Genetically matching graft cells and injured brain regions is crucial for successful CNS cell replacement therapies’.

2005, Edith Cowan University Early Career Researcher Grant. M. Thomas and M. Ziman `Maximising the potential of stem cells used in cell replacement therapies to treat neurodegenerative disease and brain injury’.

2005, University of Western Australia Research Grants Scheme. M. Thomas `The potential of Pax7 to drive differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSSCs) into region-specific neuronal subtypes for brain grafts’.

2004, Edith Cowan University /University of Western Australia Postdoctoral Fellowship. M. Ziman, L. Beazley, M. Thomas `Pax7 and progenitor cell transplant strategies’.

Contact Details

Parkinson's Research Centre (ParkC)
Vario Health Institute
Faculty of Computing, Health, & Sciences
Edith Cowan University
270 Joondalup Drive
JOONDALUP   WA   6027

Tel: 618 6304 3560
Fax: 618 6304 2499

Email: m.thomas@ecu.edu.au

Links