Annabel Sorby-Adams
School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science
College of Health
Dr Annabel Sorby-Adams is a Visiting Research Fellow in the School of Biomedicine and concurrent Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard University and the Massachusetts General Hospital whose research seeks to identify novel therapeutic targets and technologies to improve the management of stroke.Annabel completed her PhD in Medicine at the University of Adelaide in 2021, with her doctoral research awarded the Doctoral Medal and a Deans Commendation for Research Excellence. She commenced her first postdoctoral role at the University of Cambridge in January 2021 investigating the mechanisms underlying reperfusion injury post-stroke. In May 2022 she commenced her current role at Harvard University and the Massachusetts General Hospital on a Fulbright Fellowship to validate the efficacy of low field MRI in stroke diagnosis (Hyperfine Inc). Through ongoing affiliations with the University of Adelaide, University of Cambridge, and Harvard University, Annabel's research seeks to establish collaborative networks and advance international stroke research.
Research Overview
Every 2 seconds someone in the world suffers a stroke. One third of individuals affected will die and another third will be left permanently disabled as a result. The lasting effect of stroke on individuals and those close to them is devastating, impeding a survivor’s ability to walk, talk and see, while significantly compromising their mental health, wellbeing, and independence. Despite improvements in disease prevention and management, accumulating risk factors together with an ageing population contribute to an increasing lifetime risk. Given stroke is the second leading cause of death and leading cause of adult neurological disability, this is a significant cause for concern.
Ischaemic stroke, the most prevalent subtype, arises due to obstruction of vital oxygen-and nutrient-supplying blood to neuronal tissue, initiating a cascade of events ultimately resulting in cell death. Current treatments for ischaemic stroke are predicated upon recanalisation of the occluded vessel, with more brain tissue and subsequent function able to be salvaged if the stroke is detected and treatment is received expeditiously. However, whilst recanalisation can prove beneficial, the restoration of blood flow can paradoxically worsen injury, termed ischaemic reperfusion (I/R) injury. During I/R, reinstatement of oxygen to brain tissue initiates a process termed reverse electron transport, leading to a burst in reactive oxygen species, causing breakdown of intracellular structures including the plasma membrane, proteins, and DNA, exacerbating cell death.
My research focuses on the the mechanisms that underlie I/R injury post-stroke, from the mechanisms which take place at a cellular level, to their ultimate consequences, such as the development of brain swelling and subsequent rise in intracranial pressure. Using appropriate pre-clinical models, and with a cross-institutional approach between the University of Adelaide and Cambridge University, my research seeks to identify promising targets and develop new treatment strategies to improve the treatment of stroke.
Available Projects
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| Date | Position | Institution name |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 - ongoing | Postdoctoral Research Fellow | University of Cambridge |
| 2021 - ongoing | Visiting Research Fellow | The University of Adelaide |
| 2019 - 2020 | Research Assistant | Cambridge Univeristy |
| 2018 - 2020 | Guest Lecturer and Tutor | Univerisity of South Australia |
| 2016 - ongoing | Guest Lecturer and Tutor | The University of Adelaide |
| Date | Type | Title | Institution Name | Country | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Award | Fulbright Future Postdoctoral Fellowship | The Fulbright Comission | Australia | - |
| 2021 | Award | Dean's Commendation for Doctoral Thesis Excellence | The University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| 2020 | Award | Elizabeth Penfold Simpson Award | Brain Foundation | Australia | - |
| 2019 | Award | NIHR Stroke Research Workshop; Best Oral Presentation | National Institute of Health Research | United Kingdom | - |
| 2019 | Award | Channel 9 Young Achiever Award; Science and Technology Finalist | Seven News | Australia | - |
| 2018 | Award | Australian Society for Medical Research; People's Choice Award | Australian Society for Medical Research | Australia | - |
| 2018 | Achievement | Australian Institute of Policy and Science CSL Florey Next Generation Award; University Finalist | The University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| 2018 | Award | Klaus Reymann Young Scientist Award | 10th International Symposium on Neuroprotection and Neurorepair | Germany | - |
| 2018 | Award | Hans-Jürgen and Marianne Ohff Research Grant | The University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| 2017 | Award | Florey Medical Research Foundation CMAX Prize; Best Poster | The University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| 2016 | Award | Australasian Neuroscience Society Travel Award | Australasian Neuroscience Society Inc | - | - |
| 2016 | Scholarship | Australian Postgraduate Award | The University of Adelaide | - | - |
| 2016 | Scholarship | Peter Couche Foundation Supplementary Scholarship | The Peter Couche Foundation | Australia | - |
| 2015 | Award | Highest Aggregate Grade in Major: Pathology (School of Medicine) | The University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| 2015 | Award | Highest Aggregate Grade in Subject: Essentials of Pathology (School of Medicine) | The University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| 2015 | Award | Highest Aggregate Grade in Subject: Integrative Physiology (School of Medicine) | The University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| 2015 | Award | Bachelor of Health Sciences, Executive Dean's Certificate of Merit | The University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| Date | Institution name | Country | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 - 2021 | University of Adelaide | Australia | PhD in Medicine (Neuroscience) |
| 2015 - 2015 | University of Adelaide | Australia | Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) |
| 2011 - 2014 | The University of Adelaide | Australia | Bachelor of Health Sciences |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Goh, R., Ng, F., Jannes, J., Kleinig, T., Sorby-Adams, A., Suann, B., & Bacchi, S. (2025). Female Sex is associated with reduced thrombolytic administration in an Australian Stroke Cohort: A multicentre retrospective cohort study. Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, 34(4), 5 pages. |
| 2025 | Olchanyi, M. D., Schreier, D. R., Li, J., Maffei, C., Sorby-Adams, A., Kinney, H. C., . . . Edlow, B. L. (2025). Probabilistic Mapping and Automated Segmentation of Human Brainstem White Matter Bundles.. medRxiv. |
| 2025 | Bessen, M. A., Marian, O. C., O'Hare Doig, R. L., Sorby-Adams, A., Gayen, C. D., Kaukas, L. M., . . . Jones, C. F. (2025). Intraoperative ultrasound monitoring of spinal cord swelling and parenchymal changes in a porcine model of thoracic spinal cord injury. Experimental Neurology, 392, 13 pages. WoS1 |
| 2025 | Lee, J. J., Prag, H. A., Chary, K., Abe, J., Uno, S., Sorby-Adams, A., . . . Krieg, T. (2025). Local arterial administration of acidified malonate as an adjunct therapy to mechanical thrombectomy in ischemic stroke. Cardiovascular Research, 121(9), 1407-1418. Scopus1 WoS1 |
| 2025 | Johnson, I. P., Brigger, H., Smith, J., Peasley, E., Champagne, A., Littig, L., . . . de Havenon, A. (2025). Predicting White Matter Hyperintensity: Leveraging Portable MRI for Accessible Brain Health Screening. American Journal of Neuroradiology, 46(9), 1786-1792. Scopus2 Europe PMC2 |
| 2025 | Sorby-Adams, A., Keo, M., Guo, J., Daly, D., Ahern, R., Zachary, K., . . . Mukerji, S. S. (2025). Portable Low-Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging in People With Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, 10 pages. |
| 2024 | Sorby-Adams, A. J., Guo, J., Laso, P., Kirsch, J. E., Zabinska, J., Garcia Guarniz, A. L., . . . Kimberly, W. T. (2024). Portable, low-field magnetic resonance imaging for evaluation of Alzheimer’s disease. Nature Communications, 15(1), 12 pages. Scopus21 WoS18 Europe PMC21 |
| 2024 | Sorby-Adams, A. J., Marian, O. C., Bilecki, I. M., Elms, L. E., Yassi, N., Hood, R. J., . . . Turner, R. J. (2024). NK1 tachykinin receptor antagonist treatment reduces cerebral edema and intracranial pressure in an ovine model of ischemic stroke. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism, 44(10), 1759-1773. Scopus4 WoS1 Europe PMC1 |
| 2024 | Ham, A. S., Hacker, C. T., Guo, J., Sorby-Adams, A., Kimberly, W. T., & Mateen, F. J. (2024). Feasibility and tolerability of portable, low-field brain MRI for patients with multiple sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, 85, 105515. Scopus3 Europe PMC3 |
| 2024 | Sorby-Adams, A., Prime, T. A., Miljkovic, J. L., Prag, H. A., Krieg, T., & Murphy, M. P. (2024). A model of mitochondrial superoxide production during ischaemia-reperfusion injury for therapeutic development and mechanistic understanding. Redox Biology, 72, 8 pages. Scopus16 WoS14 Europe PMC10 |
| 2024 | Pucci, P., Lee, L. C., Han, M., Matthews, J. D., Jahangiri, L., Schlederer, M., . . . Turner, S. D. (2024). Targeting NRAS via miR-1304-5p or farnesyltransferase inhibition confers sensitivity to ALK inhibitors in ALK-mutant neuroblastoma. Nature Communications, 15(1), 19 pages. Scopus10 WoS9 Europe PMC8 |
| 2024 | Sorby-Adams, A., Guo, J., de Havenon, A., Payabvash, S., Sze, G., Pinter, N. K., . . . Kimberly, W. T. (2024). Diffusion-Weighted Imaging Fluid-Attenuated Inversion Recovery Mismatch on Portable, Low-Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging Among Acute Stroke Patients. Annals of Neurology, 96(2), 321-331. Scopus7 WoS8 Europe PMC7 |
| 2024 | Sorby-Adams, A., Prime, T. A., Miljkovic, J. L., Prag, H. A., Krieg, T., & Murphy, M. P. (2024). Corrigendum to “A model of mitochondrial superoxide production during ischaemia-reperfusion injury for therapeutic development and mechanistic understanding” [Redox Biol. 72 (2024) 103161](S221323172400137X)(10.1016/j.redox.2024.103161). Redox Biology, 74, 1 page. |
| 2024 | Toru Asahina, A., Lu, J., Chugh, P., Sharma, S., Sharma, P., Tan, S., . . . Slee, M. (2024). Prognostic significance of paramagnetic rim lesions in multiple sclerosis: A systematic review. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience, 129, 9 pages. Scopus3 WoS4 Europe PMC4 |
| 2023 | Mottahedin, A., Prag, H. A., Dannhorn, A., Mair, R., Schmidt, C., Yang, M., . . . Krieg, T. (2023). Targeting succinate metabolism to decrease brain injury upon mechanical thrombectomy treatment of ischemic stroke. Redox Biology, 59, 10 pages. Scopus41 WoS38 Europe PMC40 |
| 2023 | Sorby-Adams, A. J., Marian, O. C., Bilecki, I. M., Elms, L. E., Camargo, J., Hall, K., . . . Jones, C. F. (2023). Neurological scoring and gait kinematics to assess functional outcome in an ovine model of ischaemic stroke. Frontiers in Neurology, 14, 1071794-1-1071794-20. Scopus1 WoS1 Europe PMC2 |
| 2023 | Kimberly, W. T., Sorby-Adams, A. J., Webb, A. G., Wu, E. X., Beekman, R., Bowry, R., . . . Sheth, K. N. (2023). Brain imaging with portable low-field MRI. Nature Reviews Bioengineering, 1(9), 617-630. Scopus93 WoS83 Europe PMC56 |
| 2023 | Mazurek, M. H., Parasuram, N. R., Peng, T. J., Beekman, R., Yadlapalli, V., Sorby-Adams, A. J., . . . Sheth, K. N. (2023). Detection of Intracerebral Hemorrhage Using Low-Field, Portable Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients With Stroke. Stroke, 54(11), 2832-2841. Scopus19 WoS15 Europe PMC18 |
| 2023 | Kimberly, W. T., Sorby-Adams, A. J., Webb, A. G., Wu, E. X., Beekman, R., Bowry, R., . . . Sheth, K. N. (2023). Correction to: Brain imaging with portable low-field MRI (Nature Reviews Bioengineering, (2023), 1, 9, (617-630), 10.1038/s44222-023-00086-w). Nature Reviews Bioengineering, 1(9), 680. Scopus1 |
| 2021 | Sorby-Adams, A. J., Schneider, W. T., Goncalves, R. P., Knolle, F., & Morton, A. J. (2021). Measuring executive function in sheep (Ovis aries) using visual stimuli in a semi-automated operant system. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 351, 10 pages. Scopus3 WoS2 Europe PMC1 |
| 2021 | Sorby-Adams, A. J., Learoyd, A. E., Bath, P. M., Burrows, F., Farr, T. D., Leonard, A. V., . . . Trueman, R. C. (2021). Glyceryl trinitrate for the treatment of ischaemic stroke: Determining efficacy in rodent and ovine species for enhanced clinical translation. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism, 41(12), 0271678X2110189. Scopus9 WoS10 Europe PMC10 |
| 2019 | Sorby-Adams, A. J., Leonard, A., Elms, L. E., Marian, O. C., Hoving, J. W., Yassi, N., . . . Turner, R. J. (2019). Determining the temporal profile of intracranial pressure changes following transient stroke in an ovine model. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 13(JUL), 587-1-587-16. Scopus13 WoS13 Europe PMC12 |
| 2019 | Sorby-Adams, A. J., Leonard, A., Hoving, J. W., Yassi, N., Vink, R., Wells, A. J., & Turner, R. J. (2019). NK1-r antagonist treatment comparable to decompressive craniectomy in reducing intracranial pressure following stroke. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 13(JUL), 681-1-681-12. Scopus14 WoS14 Europe PMC12 |
| 2018 | Sorby-Adams, A., Vink, R., & Turner, R. (2018). Large animal models of stroke and traumatic brain injury as translational tools. American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 315(2), 165-190. Scopus87 WoS83 Europe PMC74 |
| 2017 | Sorby-Adams, A., Marcoionni, A., Dempsey, E., Woenig, J., & Turner, R. (2017). The role of neurogenic inflammation in blood-brain barrier disruption and development of cerebral oedema following acute central nervous system (CNS) injury. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 18(8), 24 pages. Scopus125 WoS114 Europe PMC96 |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Sorby-Adams, A. (2024). Substance P in stroke. In Substance P from Pain to Cancer (pp. 439-466). Elsevier. DOI |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Hu, X., Sorby-Adams, A., Barkhof, F., Taylor Kimberly, W., Puonti, O., & Iglesias, J. E. (2025). P-Count: Persistence-Based Counting of White Matter Hyperintensities in Brain MRI. In Lecture Notes in Computer Science Including Subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics Vol. 15239 LNCS (pp. 100-110). Springer Nature Switzerland. DOI |
| 2025 | Sorby-Adams, A., Sharkey, J., Prag, H., Turner, R., Skein, K., Guglietti, B., . . . Murphy, M. (2025). Attenuating Post-stroke Ischemia Reperfusion Injury: Establishing the Efficacy of Disodium Malonate in a Clinically Relevant Sheep Model. In STROKE Vol. 56 (pp. 2 pages). CA, Los Angeles: LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. DOI |
| 2025 | Bacchi, S., Goh, R., El-Masri, S., Sorby-Adams, A., Farnan, A., Kimberly, W. T., . . . Jannes, J. (2025). Which patients with acute ischaemic strokes requiring reperfusion therapy present without ambulance transport?. In STROKE Vol. 56 (pp. 2 pages). CA, Los Angeles: LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. DOI |
| 2025 | Ciaramitaro, C., Han, A., Nimjee, S., Forrest, C., Sorby-Adams, A., Kimberly, W. T., & Lee, V. (2025). The Performance of Portable Low-field Magnetic resonance imaging in Acute Ischemic Stroke. In STROKE Vol. 56 (pp. 2 pages). CA, Los Angeles: LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. DOI |
| 2025 | Sorby-Adams, A., Pinter, N., Kirsch, J., Jaikumar, V., Goldstein, J., Nelson, O., . . . Kimberly, W. T. (2025). Enhanced Stroke Detection with Multi-directional Diffusion Weighted Lowfield Magnetic Resonance Imaging. In STROKE Vol. 56 (pp. 2 pages). CA, Los Angeles: LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. DOI |
| 2025 | Teo, E., Sharkey, J., Chung, S. W., Grace, S., Hellerstedt, J., Petautschnig, S., . . . Dixon, B. (2025). Real-Time Detection of Cerebral Ischemia Using Optical Brain Pulse Monitoring in a Sheep Model of Stroke. In STROKE Vol. 56 (pp. 2 pages). CA, Los Angeles: LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. DOI |
| 2024 | Laso, P., Cerri, S., Sorby-Adams, A., Guo, J., Mateen, F., Goebl, P., . . . Iglesias, J. E. (2024). Quantifying White Matter Hyperintensity and Brain Volumes in Heterogeneous Clinical and Low-Field Portable MRI. In Proceedings International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging (pp. 1-5). IEEE. DOI Scopus12 |
| 2024 | Liu, P., Puonti, O., Sorby-Adams, A., Kimberly, W. T., & Iglesias, J. E. (2024). PEPSI: Pathology-Enhanced Pulse-Sequence-Invariant Representations for Brain MRI. In M. G. Linguraru, Q. Dou, A. Feragen, S. Giannarou, B. Glocker, K. Lekadir, & J. A. Schnabel (Eds.), Lecture Notes in Computer Science Including Subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics Vol. 15012 LNCS (pp. 676-686). MOROCCO, Palmeraie Conf Ctr, Marrakesh: SPRINGER INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING AG. DOI Scopus3 WoS1 |
| 2024 | Sorby-Adams, A., Kirsch, J., Guo, J., Nelson, O., Goldstein, J. N., Pitts, J., . . . Kimberly, W. T. (2024). Multi-Direction Diffusion Weighted Imaging on Portable, Low-Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging. In STROKE Vol. 55 (pp. 2 pages). AZ, Phoenix: LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. DOI WoS1 |
| 2024 | Sorby-Adams, A., Guo, J., Schleicher, R., Mazurek, M., Baldassano, S., Payavbash, S., . . . Kimberly, W. T. (2024). Portable, Low-Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Determining Mismatch Following Acute Ischemic Stroke. In STROKE Vol. 55 (pp. 1 page). AZ, Phoenix: LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. DOI |
| 2024 | Sharkey, J. M., Teo, E. J., Chung, S. W., Petautschnig, S., Grace, S. A., Hellerstedt, J., . . . Dixon, B. (2024). Non-invasive detection of stroke in sheep with optical brain pulse monitoring. In CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASES Vol. 53 (pp. 28). KARGER. WoS1 |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2017 | Sorby-Adams, A., Leonard, A., Thornton, E., Hunter, D., & Turner, R. (2017). Delayed NK1 tachykinin receptor antagonist treatment reduces ICP following stroke in an Ovine model. Poster session presented at the meeting of JOURNAL OF CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW AND METABOLISM. Int Soc Cerebral Blood Flow & Metab, Berlin, GERMANY: SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC. |
| 2015 | Sorby-Adams, A. J. (2015). Determining the temporal profile of cerebral oedema and elevated intracranial pressure following transient Ovine MCA occlusion. Poster session presented at the meeting of Australian Annual Neurotrauma Forum. |
Scholarships
| Year | Source | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Peter Couche Foundation Supplementary Scholarship | $33,000 |
| 2016 | Australian Postgraduate Award | $98,000 |
Overview
Since 2014 I have actively taught undergraduate courses at the University of Adelaide and University of South Australia. I am passionate about engaging young STEM learners, with a particular interest in neuroscience and human biology. A full summary of course contributions are provided below.
Medicine and Medical Sciences
— Tutor Human Anatomy and Physiology 1B (HLTH SC 1002)
— Tutor Human Anatomy and Physiology 1A (HLTH SC 1002)
— Lecturer, Tutor and Marker Essentials of Neuroscience (HLTH SC 1001)
— Lecturer and Tutor Neurological Diseases (PATHOL 3200)
— Lecturer, Tutor, Demonstrator Essentials of Pathology (PATHOL 3101)
— Tutor and Demonstrator Foundations of Human Neuroanatomy (ANAT SC 2006)
— Tutor Create, Communicate, Connect in Health Sciences (HLTH SC 1002)
— Tutor and Demonstrator Functional Human Neuroanatomy (ANAT SC 3103)
— Demonstrator Cells, Tissues and Development II (ANAT SC 2109)
Nursing
— Tutor Biology of Human Disease II (NURSING 2008)
— Marker Biology of Human Disease I (NURSING 2005)
| Date | Role | Committee | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 - ongoing | Representative | Stroke Coalition of Preclinical Researchers Engagement Committee | Stroke Coalition of Preclinical Researchers (Stroke CORE) | Australia |
| 2019 - ongoing | Treasurer | Stroke Society of Australasia Emerging Scientists and Clinicans Special Interest Group | Stroke Society of Australiasia | Australia |
| Date | Topic | Presented at | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 - ongoing | Developing a Porcine Survival Model of Thoracic Contusion Spinal Cord Injury | - | Adelaide Spinal Research Symposium | - |
| 2018 - ongoing | Methodology for Measuring Intrathecal Pressure Changes Following Spinal Cord Injury | - | Australian Neurotrauma Workshop | - |
Connect With Me
External Profiles
