Dr Georgina Caruana - Researcher Profile

Biography

Dr Georgina Caruana is a Lecturer and Research Fellow with the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology. Her research focuses on the molecular and genetic regulation of kidney development.

Qualifications

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Institution: University of Adelaide

Year awarded: 2005

Publications

Books

Moritz, K.M., Wintour-Coghlan, M.E., Black, M.J., Bertram, J.F., Caruana, G., 2008, Factors influencing mammalian kidney development - implications for health in adult life, Springer, USA.

Journal Articles

Caruana, G., Farlie, P.G., Hart, A.H., Bagheri-Fam, S., Wallace, M.J., Dobbie, M.S., Gordon, C.T., Miller, K.A., Whittle, B., Abud, H.E., Arkell, R.M., Cole, T.J., Harley, V.R., Smyth, I.M., Bertram, J.F., 2013, Genome-Wide ENU Mutagenesis in Combination with High Density SNP Analysis and Exome Sequencing Provides Rapid Identification of Novel Mouse Models of Developmental Disease, PLoS ONE [P], vol 8, issue 3, Public Library of Science, USA, pp. 1-13.

Sun, Y.Y., Qu, X., Zhang, X., Caruana, G., Bertram, J.F., Li, J., 2013, Glomerular endothelial cell injury and damage precedes that of podocytes in adriamycin-induced nephropathy, PLoS ONE [P], vol 8, issue 1, Public Library of Science, USA, pp. 1-12.

Walker, K.A., Cai, X., Caruana, G., Thomas, M.C., Bertram, J.F., Kett, M.M., 2012, High nephron endowment protects against salt-induced hypertension, American Journal of Physiology - Renal Fluid and Electrolyte Physiology [E], vol 303, issue 2, American Physiological Society, USA, pp. F253-F258.

Walker, K., Sims-Lucas, S., Caruana, G., Cullen-McEwen, L., Li, J., Sarraj, M., Bertram, J., Stenvers, K., 2011, Betaglycan is required for the establishment of nephron endowment in the mouse, PLoS ONE [P], vol 6, issue 4 (Art. No: e18723), Public Library of Science, USA, pp. 1-10.

Sorocos, K., Kostoulias, X., Cullen-McEwen, L., Hart, A., Bertram, J., Caruana, G., 2011, Expression patterns and roles of periostin during kidney and ureter development, Journal Of Urology [P], vol 186, issue 4, Elsevier Science Inc., USA, pp. 1537-1544.

Li, J., Qu, X., Yao, J., Caruana, G., Ricardo, S.D., Yamamoto, Y., Yamamoto, H., Bertram, J.F., 2010, Blockade of endothelial-mesenchymal transition by a Smad3 inhibitor delays the early development of streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy, Diabetes [P], vol 59, issue 10, American Diabetes Association, USA, pp. 2612-2624.

Sims-Lucus, S., Young, R.J., Martinez, G., Taylor, D., Grimmond, S.M., Teasdale, R.D., Little, M.H., Bertram, J.F., Caruana, G., 2010, Redirection of renal mesenchyme to stromal and chondrocytic fates in the presence of TGF-beta2, Differentiation [P], vol 79, issue 4-5, Elsevier Ltd, UK, USA, pp. 272-284.

Walker, K.A., Caruana, G., Bertram, J.F., McInnes, K.J., 2009, Sexual dimorphism in mouse metanephroi exposed to 17beta-estradiol in vitro, Nephron Experimental Nephrology, vol 111, issue 2, S. Karger AG, Switzerland, USA, Netherlands, pp. 42-50.

Sims-Lucas, S., Caruana, G., Dowling, J.P., Kett, M.M., Bertram, J.F., 2008, Augmented and accelerated nephrogenesis in TGF-beta2 heterozygous mutant mice, Pediatric Research, vol 63, issue 6, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, USA, pp. 607-612.

Mitchell, E.K., Taylor, D., Woods, K., Davis, M., Nelson, A.L., Teasdale, R., Grimmond, S.M., Little, M.H., Bertram, J.F., Caruana, G., 2006, Differential gene expression in the developing mouse ureter, Gene Expression Patterns, vol 6, issue 5, Elsevier Science, Amsterdam Netherlands, pp. 519-538.

Caruana, G., Young, R.J., Bertram, J.F., 2006, Imaging the embryonic kidney, Nephron Experimental Nephrology, vol 103, issue 2, Karger, Basel Switzerland, pp. e62-e68.

Frese, K.K., Latorre, I.J., Chung, S., Caruana, G., Bernstein, A., Jones, S.N., Donehower, L.A., Justice, J.M., Garner, C.C., Javier, R.T., 2006, Oncogenic function for the Dlg1 mammalian homolog of the Drosophila discs-large tumor suppressor, The EMBO Journal, vol 25, issue 6, Nature Publishing Group, New York USA, pp. 1406-1417.

Caruana, G., Cullen-McEwen, L.A., Nelson, A.L., Mantzioros, X.P., Woods, K., Gardiner, B., Davis, M., Taylor, D., Teasdale, R., Grimmond, S.M., Little, M.H., Bertram, J.F., 2006, Spatial gene expression in the T-stage mouse metanephros, Gene Expression Patterns, vol 6, Elsevier Science BV, Amsterdam Netherlands, pp. 807-825.

Naim, E., Bernstein, A., Bertram, J.F., Caruana, G., 2005, Mutagenesis of the epithelial polarity gene, discs large 1, perturbs nephrogenesis in the developing mouse kidney, Kidney International, vol 68, issue 3, Nature Publishing Group, New York USA, pp. 955-965.

Challen, G.A., Gardiner, B., Caruana, G., Kostoulias, X., Martinez, G., Crowe, M., Taylor, D., Bertram, J.F., Little, M.H., Grimmond, S.M., 2005, Temporal and spatial transcriptional programs in murine kidney development, Physiological Genomics, vol 23, issue 9, American Physiological Society, USA, pp. 159-171.

Cullen-McEwen, L.A., Caruana, G., Bertram, J.F., 2005, The where, what and why of the developing renal stroma, Nephron Experimental Nephrology, vol 99, issue 1, S Karger AG, Switzerland, pp. e1-e8.

Nguyen, M.M., Nguyen, M.L., Caruana, G., Bernstein, A., Lambert, P.F., Greip, A.E., 2003, Requirement of PDZ-containing proteins for cell cycle regulation and differentiation in the mouse lens epithelium, Molecular and Cellular Biology, vol 23, issue 24, American Society for Microbiology, Washington USA, pp. 1-12.

Caruana, G., 2002, Genetic studies define MAGUK proteins as regulators of epithelial cell polarity, Internation Journal of Developmental Biology, vol 46, issue 4, UBC Press, Spain, pp. 511-518.

Klocker, N., Bunn, R.C., Schnell, E., Caruana, G., Bernstein, A., Nicoll, R.A., Bredt, D.S., 2002, Synaptic glutamate receptor clustering in mice lacking the SH3 and GK domains of SAP97, European Journal of Neuroscience, vol 16, Blackwell Publishing, Oxford UK, pp. 1517-1522.

Other

Moritz, K.M., Caruana, G., Wintour, E.M., 2009, Development of the kidneys and urinary tract, Fetal Medicine: Basic science and clinical practice, vol monograph, Elsevier Ltd, UK, pp. 147-156.

Grants

Title:

Genomic Studies on Mouse Kidney Development.

Investigators:

Caruana, G, Bertram, J

Funding:

(2002 - 2006). Kidney Health Australia.

Title:

Identification of nephron inducing factors.

Investigators:

Bertram, J, Caruana, G

Funding:

(2003 - 2007). Kidney Health Australia.

Title:

Nephron endowment: Are more nephrons necessarily better?.

Investigators:

Bertram, J, Kett, M, Caruana, G, Armitage, J

Funding:

(2010 - 2013). Heart Foundation.

Title:

The role of the epithelial polarity gene, dlg1, during nephrogenesis and renal function.

Investigators:

Caruana, G

Funding:

(2006 - 2009). Kidney Health Australia.

Title:

Towards renal regeneration: Isolation, characterization, and functional analysis of renal stem cells.

Investigators:

Bertram, J, Caruana, G, Perkins, A, Pera, M, Anderson, W

Funding:

(2002 - 2006). National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA.

Title:

Understanding the causes of childhood congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract.

Investigators:

Bertram, J, Caruana, G, Heloury, Y, James, P

Funding:

(2012 - 2016). National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

Postgraduate Research Supervisions

Completed Supervision

Student:

Kostoulias, X.

Program of Study:

The identification of novel genes invloved in metanephric development through spatial expression profiling and functional studies. (PHD) 2005.

Supervisors:

Bertram, J (Joint-Co), Caruana, G (Joint).

Student:

Mitchell, E.

Program of Study:

Structural and molecular studies on the development of the mouse ureter and ureteric tree. (PHD) 2006.

Supervisors:

Bertram, J (Main), Caruana, G (Associate).

Student:

Sims-Lucas, S.

Program of Study:

Investigating the role of transforming growth factor-b2 in mouse metanephric development. (PHD) 2007.

Supervisors:

Bertram, J (Main), Caruana, G (Associate).

Student:

Walker, K.

Program of Study:

The development and function of high nephron endowment. (PHD) 2010.

Supervisors:

Bertram, J (Main), Caruana, G (Associate), Stenvers, K (Associate), Kett, M (Associate).