
Professor Murray Whitelaw
Professor
School of Biological Sciences
Faculty of Sciences
Our laboratory studies how mammalian cells adapt to environmental and physiological perturbations. We are investigating the basic-Helix-Loop-Helix/PER-ARNT-SIM (bHLH/PAS) family of transcription factors, a set of proteins that function as intracellular stress sensors for hypoxia, toxin infiltration, infection and neuron hyperexcitation. Understanding the biochemical mechanisms which trigger activition of bHLH/PAS proteins, and subsequently how they regulate specific sets of target genes to facilitate cell survival and a return to homeostasis, is a central aim of our research. Our ambition is to advance knowledge of how various bHLH/PAS proteins protect against (or when misregulated, exacerbate) pathologies such as cancer, ischemia, metabolic diseases and neuropsychiatric disorders. A better molecular understanding of these disease states will underpin new therapeutic approaches and drug design strategies.
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Appointments
Date Position Institution name 1996 Teaching and Research Academic, levels B through E University of Adelaide 1991 - 1995 Guestforskare (guest reseacher/postdoctoral fellow) Karolinska Institute 1981 - 1984 Synthetic Organic Chemist ICI Australia -
Education
Date Institution name Country Title 1984 - 1989 Purdue University United States PhD 1977 - 1980 University of Melbourne Australia BSc(Hons) -
Postgraduate Training
Date Title Institution Country 1990 - 1990 Postdoctoral Fellow Purdue University United States -
Research Interests
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Journals
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Conference Items
Year Citation 2012 Hao, N., Shearwin, K., Dodd, I., Whitelaw, M., & Chapman-Smith, A. (2012). Reverse Bacterial Two Hybrid: A New Tool for Studying Dimeric Protein Interactions. Poster session presented at the meeting of ASBMB ComBio conference. Adelaide. 2009 Hao, N., Shearwin., Dodd, I., Whitelaw, M., & Chapman-Smith, A. (2009). Reverse Bacterial two Hybrid (RevB2H) method for studying protein-protein interactions. Poster session presented at the meeting of Network in Genes and Environment in Development (NGED) Forum. Palm Cove, Queensland. 2009 Hao, N., Shearwin, K., Dodd, I., Whitelaw, M., & Chapman-smith, A. (2009). A novel Reverse Bacterial two Hybrid (RevB2H) method for studying protein-protein interactions and screening for potential therapeutics. Poster session presented at the meeting of Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR) SA Scientific Meeting. Adelaide. -
Patents
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Theses
Year Citation 2012 Hao, N. (2012). Regulation of Eukaryotic Transcription by bHLH/PAS Transcription Factors AhR and Arnt. (PhD Thesis, The University of Adelaide). 2007 Hao, N. (2007). Searching for HIF-1α/Arnt PAS Domain Interacting Proteins. (The University of Adelaide).
National Health and Medical Research Council
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Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name 2019 Principal Supervisor Structure and function of basic-helix-loop-helix transcription factors Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Timothy Patrick Allen 2017 Principal Supervisor bHLH PAS and HD protein interactions in neuronal development and pathology Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Joseph James Rossi 2017 Co-Supervisor Protein Crystallography Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Rebecca Louise Frkic 2017 Co-Supervisor Role of Hypoxic Inducible Factors in Retinal Metabolism Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Cameron David Haydinger -
Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name 2014 - 2020 Co-Supervisor Investigating the Warburg effect and the role of pyruvate kinase M2 in retinal Müller glial cells Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Thaksaon Kittipassorn 2014 - 2019 Co-Supervisor Identification and Validation of SOXB1 Bound Developmental Enhancers Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ella Paulina Thomson 2013 - 2018 Co-Supervisor Characterising Novel Substrates of the Asparaginyl Hydroxylase FIH Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Jacqueline-Alba Fabrizio 2012 - 2017 Co-Supervisor A Role for Bivalent Genes in Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Mr Francisco Sadras 2011 - 2018 Co-Supervisor Investigating the Role of HIF-1 and HIF-2 Transcription Factors in Multiple Myeloma Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Natalia Magdalena Martin 2011 - 2017 Co-Supervisor Development and Applications of CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing Technology Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Fatwa Adikusuma 2009 - 2020 Co-Supervisor Deciphering the Transcriptional Mechanisms and Function of SOX3 in the Developing Embryonic Mouse Brain and Postnatal Testes Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Dale Christopher McAninch 2009 - 2016 Principal Supervisor Function and Regulation of Single-minded 1 and Single-minded 2 Transcription Factors in Disease Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Adrienne Sullivan 2008 - 2012 Principal Supervisor Regulation of Eukaryotic Transcription by bHLH/PAS Transcription Factors AhR and Arnt Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Nan Hao 2007 - 2012 Co-Supervisor Characterising Ankyrin Repeat Proteins as Substrates of the Asparaginyl Hydroxylase FIH Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Sarah Wilkins 2006 - 2011 Principal Supervisor Identification of Downstream Target Genes and Analysis of Obesity-Related Variants of the bHLH/PAS Transcription Factor Single-Minded 1 Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Anne Raimondo 2006 - 2012 Co-Supervisor Expression and Function of Npas4 During Early Development Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Tom Klaric 2006 - 2014 Principal Supervisor Regulation of Expression and Activity of the bHLH-PAS Transcription Factor NPAS4 Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr David Bersten 2006 - 2012 Co-Supervisor Regulation of the Rgs4 Gene by the Hypoxia Inducible Factors Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Sam Olechnowicz 2005 - 2011 Co-Supervisor Investigation into The Molecular Function of The Neuronal Hu RNA Binding Protein, HuCsv1 Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Peter McCarthy 2005 - 2011 Co-Supervisor Investigating Potential Post-Translational Modification of Factor-Inhibiting HIF (FIH-1) Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Karolina Lisy 2005 - 2016 Co-Supervisor Identification and Characterisation of Novel Substrates and Binding Partners of the Asparaginyl Hydroxylase, FIH Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Ms Rachel Hampton-Smith 2005 - 2006 Principal Supervisor The Role of Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3 in Early Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation Master of Science Master Full Time Mr Cameron McLean 2004 - 2010 Co-Supervisor The Deubiquitylating Enzyme USP9X Promotes the Polarity and Self-Renewal of Neural Progenitor Cells Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Lachlan Jolly 2004 - 2009 Principal Supervisor Gene Regulatory and Pro-Tumourigenic Mechanisms of the bHLH-PAS Transcription Factor SIM2s Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Alexandra Farrall 2004 - 2008 Co-Supervisor Substrate Specificity of Factor Inhibiting HIF-1 (FIH-1) Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Sarah Karttunen 2003 - 2005 Principal Supervisor Differential Function and Regulation of the Hypoxia Inducible Factors in the Rat Pheochromocytoma Cell Line Pc12 Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Anthony Fedele 2003 - 2009 Principal Supervisor The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor: Structural Analysis and Activation Mechanisms Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Fiona Whelan 2002 - 2004 Co-Supervisor Mechanisms of embryonic stem cell division and differentiation Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Josephine Amelia Wright 2001 - 2005 Principal Supervisor Characterising the Differential Regulation of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1a and 2a Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Cameron Bracken 1999 - 2004 Principal Supervisor CROSS-TALK BETWEEN SIM & OTHER bHLH/PAS FACTORS & THE SEARCH FOR SIM2 TARGET GENES Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Susan Lesley Woods 1999 - 2004 Principal Supervisor NOVEL MECHANISMS FOR ACTIVATION OF THE DIOXIN (ARYL-HYDROCARBON) RECEPTOR Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Sebastian Furness 1998 - 2003 Principal Supervisor INVESTIGATING THE ROLE OF ARNT ISOFORMS AS bHLH/PAS TRANSCRIPTIONAL REGULATORS Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Robyn Kewley 1998 - 2002 Principal Supervisor CHARACTERISING MECHANISMS OF REGULATION OF HYPOXIA-INDUCIBLE FACTORS Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr David Lando 1997 - 2003 Principal Supervisor Characterising the mechanism of Activation of the bHLH/PAS Dioxin Receptor Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Michael Lees
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