Macdonald J Christie 11th Australian Peptide Conference 2015

Macdonald J Christie

Macdonald (Mac) Christie is the Professor of Pharmacology and Associate Dean Research (Sydney Medical School) at the University of Sydney where he completed a PhD in 1983, followed by postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Melbourne, MIT and Vollum Institute in Oregon. He has been a continuing academic at the University of Sydney since 1990 and a NHMRC SPRF since 2003. He was previously Director (Basic Research) and Professor at the Pain Management Research Institute, Royal North Shore Hospital, and Director of Pain and Addiction Research at the Brain and Mind Research Institute, all associated with the University of Sydney. He is a neuropharmacologist with expertise in ion channel and synaptic physiology and pharmacology of opioid and related peptides. His team is investigating the molecular mechanisms responsible for tolerance at the µ-opioid receptor, action-related learning and plasticity in the cortico-striatal network, and studying novel GPCR mechanisms to treat neural hyper-excitation in chronic pain. His studies on novel peptides and intracellular signal bias aim to develop novel therapeutics for pain and addiction that could potentially preferentially divert signaling toward pathways associated with increased analgesic efficacy and lower rates of tolerance and/or fewer adverse effects. As a Chief Investigator on a NHMRC Program Grant, he is leading collaborative research (with researchers at the University of Queensland and at RMIT) on the development and discovery of novel analgesics based on conotoxins. He has over 200 publications with an H-index (GS) of 60.