Macarena Bermudez Gonzalez
NHMRC Grant-Funded Researchr A
Adelaide Medical School
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD (as Co-Supervisor) - email supervisor to discuss availability.
Dr. Macarena Gonzalez is part of the Ovarian Cell and Embryology group within the Robinson Research Institute and the School of Biomedicine.
Macarena is interested in exploring the ways in which our lifestyle and environment influence pre-implantation embryo development, and how these early life events determine offspring health trajectory. An overlapping area of interest is the development of new therapies to improve reproductive success in humans and the agriculture industry.
Her current research revolves around the impact of aging on gamete quality and embryo development. Since the father’s contribution to these events has been largely overlooked, aiming to uncover the biological mechanisms by which paternal aging affects sperm quality, and the subsequent embryo development during pregnancy, as well as assessing the potential of novel drugs to improve the effects of aging on fertility.
Current projects available for Third Year and Honours students:
- New strategies to improve semen cryopreservation in men and livestock.
- Analysis of Fetal development and organogenesis in a mouse model of advanced paternal age.
- Epigenetic determinants of fetal programming in mice.
- Male health in later life.
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Appointments
Date Position Institution name 2022 - 2023 Postdoctoral researcher University of Adelaide 2019 - 2021 NHMRC Postdoctoral researcher University of Adelaide -
Awards and Achievements
Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount 2024 Award 2024 Robinson Research Institute Travel grant Robinson Research Institute Australia $2000 2024 Award Lalor Foundation Merit Award Society for the Study of Reproduction United States USD$500 2017 Award Lalor Foundation Merit Fellowship The Lalor Foundation - Advancing Research and Innovation in Reproductive Health United States $500.00 2016 Scholarship NHMRC PhD scholarship National Health and Medical Research Council Australia - 2015 Scholarship Centre for Research Excellence on the origins, outcomes and optimal management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome PhD top-up scholarship. Centre for Research Excellence on the origins, outcomes and optimal management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Australia AUD 6000.00 2013 Scholarship Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences Divisional PhD scholarship Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide Australia - 2008 Scholarship Undergraduate Student International Exchange program Full-fee scholarship from the University of Granada Universidad de Granada Spain - -
Language Competencies
Language Competency English Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review French Can read and understand spoken Italian Can read, speak and understand spoken Spanish; Castilian Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review -
Education
Date Institution name Country Title University of Adelaide Australia PhD in Medicine University of Granada Spain Bsc (Hons) in Biology -
Research Interests
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Journals
Title: Reversing fetal growth restriction for better pregnancy and child health.
Investigators: Bermudez Gonzalez M; Bianco-Miotto T; Habibi N; Robker R
Funding scheme: Channel 7 CRF - Research Grant
Description: We aim to demonstrate that fetal growth restriction and birth defects induced by paternal aging, are due to changes in gene expression and epigenetic markers. We have shown that the fetal growth restriction associated with older fathers is normalised by treatment with the novel therapeutic BGP-15. We will investigate gene expression and epigenetic patterns in fetal brain, heart, liver and kidney from pregnancies sired by male mice that are either young, old or old treated with BGP-15. This data will allow us to identify regulatory pathways and epigenetic markers of fetal growth restriction and organogenesis defects in pregnancies from old fathers; as well as uncovering potential therapeutic mechanisms targeted by BGP-15 treatment in reversing fetal growth restriction and hence reducing child morbidity and mortality.
Funder name: Channel 7 Children's Research Foundation of SA Inc
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Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name 2024 Co-Supervisor Understanding the contribution of sperm non-coding RNA in early embryogenesis. Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Joshua Caryl Deluao -
Other Supervision Activities
Date Role Research Topic Location Program Supervision Type Student Load Student Name 2021 - ongoing Principal Supervisor Restoring Sperm Quality after Cryopreservation using Mitochondrial Therapy The University of Adelaide, FertilitySA - Honours Full Time Tanisha Prashar 2020 - ongoing Co-Supervisor Therapeutic options to improve fertility and embryo development for obese females. University of Adelaide - Honours Full Time Elisha Williams 2017 - ongoing Co-Supervisor Oxidative stress during oocyte maturation and pre-implantation embryo development University of Adelaide - Honours Full Time Catherine Dimasi
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Committee Memberships
Date Role Committee Institution Country 2020 - 2021 Chair Early & Middle Career Researcher Council Robinson Research Institute Australia 2019 - 2022 Representative Early & Middle Career Researcher Council Robinson Research Institute Australia 2019 - 2020 Co-Chair Early and Middle Career Researcher Council Robinson Research Institute Australia 2018 - 2018 Member Local organizing committee at the 50th Annual Meeting of the Society for Reproductive Biology The Society for Reproductive Biology Australia 2017 - ongoing Co-Chair The Robinson Research Institute Symposium The Robinson Research Institute Australia
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External Profiles
