The University of Newcastle, Researcher report.

Researcher: Conjoint A/Prof Tamas Zakar
School: School of Medicine and Public Health
Commenced with Institution: 28-SEP-1999
Personal URL:

Funded Projects

Please note, only grants administered through the University of Newcastle Research Office are recorded here. For a more complete picture of the researcher's grant history a Personal URL may be supplied, above.

Research Team Initial Year Duration (Years) Funding Body/Client Award Type Title of Project Collaborating Partners Total Cash $ Total Inkind $
Professor Roger Smith;Conjoint Pr Ian Symonds;Dr Andrew Bisits;Conjoint A/Prof Tamas Zakar;Dr John Fitter;Dr Eng Chan;Dr Richard Nicholson;Dr Giavanna Angeli;Dr Kaushik Maiti;Dr Jonathan Paul;Assoc. Prof Jonathan Hirst;Miss Hannah Palliser;Conjoint Pr Eugenie Lumbers 1 National Health & Medical Research Council Equipment/Infrastructure - Equipment Grant LED fluorescence illuminators and filter set (525nm + 575DF20) for LAS3000 image analysis system   9600  
Professor Roger Smith;Assoc. Prof Vicki Clifton;Conjoint A/Prof Tamas Zakar;Dr Richard Nicholson;Dr Mark Read;Dr Eng Chan;Dr John Fitter;Dr Andrew Bisits;Assoc. Prof Jonathan Hirst;Miss Hannah Palliser;Conjoint Pr Ian Symonds 1 National Health & Medical Research Council Equipment/Infrastructure - Equipment Grant Beta Radiation Counter Instrument facility   25670  
Conjoint A/Prof Tamas Zakar;Dr Andrew Bisits 2008 1 John Hunter Hospital Charitable Trust Fund Project - Research Grant Promoter methylation regulating PGHS-2 expression in the amnion   15208  
Conjoint Pr Eugenie Lumbers;Conjoint A/Prof Tamas Zakar;Assoc. Prof Jonathan Hirst;Professor Brian Morris 2008 3 National Health & Medical Research Council Project - Project Grant The role of the intrauterine (pro) renin/(pro)renin receptor system in prostaglandin synthesis in pregnancy   468750  
Conjoint A/Prof Tamas Zakar;Assoc. Prof Jonathan Hirst 2007 1 University of Newcastle Project - Near Miss The hormonal regulation of birth   20000  
Conjoint A/Prof Tamas Zakar;Assoc. Prof Jonathan Hirst 2007 1 University of Newcastle Project - Pilot Grant Prostaglandin Transporters Controlling Prostaglandin Metabolism in the pregnant Uterus   7166  
Conjoint Pr Eugenie Lumbers;Conjoint A/Prof Tamas Zakar 2007 1 Hunter Medical Research Institute Project - Project Grant Regulation of prostaglandin synthesis by the prorenin/renin system in preterm labour   20000  
Dr Richard Nicholson;Professor Roger Smith;Conjoint A/Prof Tamas Zakar 2007 1 University of Newcastle Project - Near Miss Identification of regulatory protein interactions on the CRH promoter   20000  
Conjoint A/Prof Tamas Zakar;Dr Andrew Bisits;Mrs Carolyn Mitchell 2007 2 John Hunter Hospital Charitable Trust Fund Project - Research Grant Epigenetic regulation of prostaglandin H synthase-2 expression in the human amnion in vivo   24500  
Conjoint A/Prof Tamas Zakar 2006 1 University of Newcastle Project - Near Miss The control of birth by progesterone and prostaglandins   9837  
Laureate Pr Robert Aitken;Professor Roger Smith;Assoc. Prof Eileen McLaughlin;Dr Brett Nixon;Dr Shaun Roman;Assoc. Prof Vicki Clifton;Conjoint Pr Warwick Giles;Conjoint A/Prof Tamas Zakar;Assoc. Prof Jonathan Hirst;Dr Richard Nicholson;Conjoint Pr Ian Symonds 2006 3 University of Newcastle Centre - Priority Research Centre PRC - Priority Research Centre for Reproductive Science   206000  
Conjoint A/Prof Tamas Zakar;Dr Mark Read 2005 1 University of Newcastle Project - Project Grant The Role of Intrauterine Prostaglandin Metabolism in Labour Onset   8000  
Conjoint A/Prof Tamas Zakar 2005 1 University of Newcastle Project - Project Grant Regulation of Progesterone Receptor Expression by Prostaglandins at Birth   10000  
Conjoint A/Prof Tamas Zakar;Dr Andrew Bisits 2005 1 John Hunter Hospital Charitable Trust Fund Project - Research Grant Characterisation of changing protein profiles in maternal plasma and gestational tissues with preterm and term labour   6250  
Conjoint A/Prof Tamas Zakar;Dr Stephen Cole 2003 1 John Hunter Hospital Charitable Trust Fund Project - Research Grant Analysis of protein patterns between preterm and term pregnancies   9650  
Professor Roger Smith;Assoc. Prof Vicki Clifton;Conjoint A/Prof Tamas Zakar;Dr Andrew Bisits 2003 1 University of Newcastle Project - Special Project Grant Use of SELDI-TOF-MS to identify proteins relevant to human labour   17000  
Conjoint A/Prof Tamas Zakar;Conjoint Pr Warwick Giles 2003 3 National Health & Medical Research Council Project - Project Grant Regulation of Prostaglandin Endoperoxide Synthase-2 in the Human Fetal Membranes at Birth   240000  
Conjoint A/Prof Tamas Zakar;Dr Ian Wright 2002 1 John Hunter Children`s Hospital Research Foundation Project - Research Grant (Defunct) Prediction of Birth by Prostaglandin Metabolite Levels in Urine.   24000  
Conjoint A/Prof Tamas Zakar 2002 1 Bonnie Babes Foundation Project - Research Grant The role of the constitutive prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase-1 enzyme in idiopathic preterm labour.   13000  
Dr Sam Mesiano;Conjoint A/Prof Tamas Zakar 2002 1 University of Newcastle Project - Project Grant Steroid regulation of prostaglandin synthesis and metabolism in the pregnant uterus   7000  
Conjoint A/Prof Tamas Zakar 2001 1 University of Newcastle Project - Project Grant Prostaglandin Endoperoxide Synthase and Birth.   12000  
Conjoint A/Prof Tamas Zakar 2000 1 University of Newcastle Project - Project Grant Prostaglandin Endoperoxide Synthase Expression in Guinea Pig Fetal Membranes During Pregnancy and at Birth.   11500  
Conjoint A/Prof Tamas Zakar;Assoc. Prof Vicki Clifton 2000 1 Hunter Medical Research Institute Project - Research Grant Glucocorticoid regulation of prostaglandin pathways involved in pre-term labour.   20000  
Conjoint A/Prof Tamas Zakar 1999 1 University of Newcastle Project - New Staff Grant Regulation of Prostaglandin Endoperoxide H Synthase Gene Expression in the Human Fetal Membranes at Birth.   10000  

Research Higher Degree Supervision

For a more complete picture of the researcher's supervision history a Personal URL may be supplied at the top of this page.

Current Student Supervision

Program Supervision Level Research Topic
PhD (Reproductive Medicine) Co-Supervisor Fetal and New Born Health - Role of steroids in protecting the developing brain
M Philosophy (ReproductiveMed) Principal Supervisor Epigenetic Regulation of Prostaglandin Synthesis at Birth

Total Equivalent Full-time Student Units (EFTSU):

Supervision Level EFTSU
Masters 0.250
PhD 0.200

Student Completions

NB - the completions shown here are only those for the University of Newcastle obtained since 2001.

Program Year Research Topic
M MedSc (Medicine) [R] 2006 Progesterone Receptors in Human Gestational Tissues at Term Before and After the Onset of Labour
PhD (Reproductive Medicine) 2006 Regulation of Intrauterine Prostaglandin Synthesis and Inactivation in the Pregnant Guinea Pig
PhD (Reproductive Medicine) 2006 The Control of Prostaglandin Synthesis and Degradation in the Human Fetal Membranes during Pregnancy and Labour

Research Publications

Please note, the publications listed here:
(1) relate to the researcher's position at the University of Newcastle only
(2) are for selected categories of publications, and
(3) relate to publication year 1998, onwards.
For a more complete picture of the researcher's publication history a Personal URL may be supplied at the top of this page.

Journal Article

Welsh Toni Neree, Hubbard Sonya Amanda, Mitchell Carolyn Margaret, Mesiano Sam, Zarzycki Pawel Konrad, Zakar Tamas, ’Optimization of a solid phase extraction procedure for prostaglandin E-2, F-2 alpha and their tissue metabolites’, Prostaglandins & Other Lipid Mediators, 83 304-310 (2007) [C1]

Smith Roger, Van Helden Dirk Ferdinand, Hirst Jonathan James, Zakar Tamas, Read Mark A, Chan Eng Cheng, Palliser Hannah Kate, Grammatopoulos D, Nicholson Richard Charles, Parkington H C, ’Pathological interactions with the timing of birth and uterine activation’, Australian & New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 47 430-437 (2007) [C1]

Zakar Tamas, Hertelendy F, ’Progesterone withdrawal: key to parturition’, American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 196 289-296 (2007) [C1]

Johnson Renee Frances, Mitchell Carolyn Margaret, Giles Warwick Bruce, Bisits Andrew Michael, Zakar Tamas, ’Mechanisms regulating prostaglandin H-2 synthase-2 mRNA level in the amnion and chorion during pregnancy’, Journal of Endocrinology, 188 603-610 (2006) [C1]

Murphy Vanessa Evonne, Gibson Peter Gerard, Giles Warwick Bruce, Zakar Tamas, Smith Roger, Kessell C G, Clifton Vicki Lee, ’Inflammatory factors have sex-specified effects on fetal growth in humans’, Ceska Gynekologie, 16 - (2005) [C3]

Welsh Toni Neree, Mitchell Carolyn Margaret, Walters William Allen, Mesiano Sam, Zakar Tamas, ’Prostaglandin H2 Synthase-1 and -2 Expression in Guinea Pig Gestation Tissues During Late Pregnancy and Parturition’, Journal of Physiology, 569 903-912 (2005) [C1]

Madsen Gemma Marguerita, Zakar Tamas, Manuelpillai Ursula, Wallace E, Kwek K, Yeo G S, Smith Roger, Mesiano Sam, ’Intracrine Control of Estrogen Action in Human Gestational Tissues at Parturition’, Society for Gynecologic Investigation. Journal, 11 213-219 (2004) [C1]

Madsen Gemma Marguerita, Zakar Tamas, Ku Chun Ying, Sanborn Barbara, Smith Roger, Mesiano Sam, ’Prostaglandins Differentially Modulate Progesterone Receptor-A and -B Expression in Human Myometrial Cells: Evidence for Prostaglandin-Induced Functional Progesterone Withdrawal’, Endocrinology and Metabolism, 89 1010-1013 (2004) [C1]

Hertelendy Frank, Zakar Tamas, ’Prostaglandins and the myometrium and cervix’, Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, 70 207-222 (2004) [C1]

Johnson Renee Frances, Mitchell Carolyn Margaret, Murphy Vanessa Evonne, Wang Yang, Akinsanya K, Smith Roger, Zakar Tamas, ’Proteomic analyss of proteins in the human amnion during late gestation and labor’, reproductive Sciences, 11 - (2004) [C3]

Johnson Renee Frances, Mitchell Carolyn Margaret, Clifton Vicki Lee, Zakar Tamas, ’Regulation of 15-Hydroxyprostaglandin Dehydrogenase (PGDH) Gene Activity, Messenger Ribonucleic Acid Processing, and Protein Abundance in the Human Chorion in Late Gestation and Labour’, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 89 5639-5648 (2004) [C1]

Hertelendy F, Zakar Tamas, ’Regulation of Myometrial Smooth Muscle Functions’, Current Pharmaceutical Design, 10 2499-2517 (2004) [C1]

Murphy Vanessa Evonne, Gibson Peter Gerard, Giles Warwick Bruce, Zakar Tamas, Smith Roger, Bisits Andrew Michael, Kessell Carolyn G, Clifton Vicki Lee, ’Maternal Asthma Is Associated with Reduced Female Fetal Growth’, American Journal of Respiratory & Critical Care Medicine, 168 1317-1323 (2003) [C1]

Welsh Toni Neree, Zakar Tamas, Mesiano Sam, Zarzycki Pawel Konrad, ’Separation of bioactive prostaglandins and their metabolites by reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography’, Journal Of Planar Chromatography-Modern TLC, 16 95-101 (2003) [C1]

Smith Roger, Mesiano Sam, Clifton Vicki Lee, Chan Eng Cheng, Zakar Tamas, Nicholson Richard Charles, Giles Warwick Bruce, Bisits Andrew Michael, ’The Pathway to Human Birth’, Editorial Medica Panamericana, 9 43-51 (2003) [C1]

Johnson Renee Frances, Mitchell Carolyn Margaret, Giles Warwick Bruce, Walters William Allen, Zakar Tamas, ’The control of prostaglandin endoperoxide H-synthase-2 expression in the human chorion laeve at term’, Journal Of The Society For Gynecologic Investigation, 10 222-230 (2003) [C1]

Murphy Vanessa Evonne, Zakar Tamas, Smith Roger, Giles Warwick Bruce, Kessell C G, Clifton Vicki Lee, ’Maternal asthma affects fetal growth in a gender specific manner and is associated with reduced placental 11beta-HSD2 activity and altered sensitivity to cortisol’, Reproductive Sciences, 9 - (2002) [C3]

Murphy Vanessa Evonne, Zakar Tamas, Smith Roger, Giles Warwick Bruce, Gibson Peter Gerard, Clifton Vicki Lee, ’Reduced 11 -Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 2 Activity Is Associated with Decreased Birth Weight Centile in Pregnancies Complicated by Asthma’, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 87(4) 1660-1668 (2002) [C1]

Murphy Vanessa Evonne, Zakar Tamas, Gibson Peter Gerard, Giles Warwick Bruce, Smith Roger, Clifton Vicki Lee, ’Pleacental 11beta-HSD2 activity in asthmatic women’, Reproductive sciences, - - (2001) [C3]

Chapter in Book

Smith Roger, Mesiano Sam, Nicholson Richard Charles, Clifton Vicki Lee, Zakar Tamas, Chan Eng Cheng, Bisits Andrew Michael, Giles Warwick Bruce, ’The Regulation of Human Parturition’, Birth, Distress and Disease: Placental-Brain Interactions, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 77-90 (2005) [B1]

Smith Roger, Mesiano Sam, Nicholson Richard Charles, Zakar Tamas, Chan Eng Cheng, Bisits Andrew Michael, Clifton Vicki Lee, Giles Warwick Bruce, ’Control of the length of gestation: lessons from women’, Preterm Birth, RCOG Press, London, 13-27 (2004) [B1]

Conference Publication

Mitchell Carolyn Margaret, Johnson Renee F, Giles W, Zakar Tamas, ’Glucocorticoid receptor, pCREB-1 and CBP binding to the prostaglandin endoperoxide H synthase (PGHS-2) promoter in term amnion in vivo’, Reproductive Sciences (Scientific Program & Abstracts: 54th Annual Meeting, SGI), Reno, Nevada (2007) [E3]

Mitchell Carolyn Margaret, Welsh T, Davidson A, Zakar Tamas, ’Labour related changes in progesterone receptor isoform expression in guinea pig myometrium: A potential mechanism for functional progesterone withdrawal’, Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, Melbourne (2007) [E3]

Mitchell Carolyn Margaret, Johnson Renee Frances, Zakar Tamas, ’Analysis of chromatin structure and NF kappa B transcription factor binding in the prostaglandin endoperoxide H synthase (PGHS-2) promoter in term fetal membranes (Poster presentation)’, Journal of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation (Vol. 13, no. 2: 667) Scientific Program and Abstracts 53rd Annual Meeting - March 22-25, 2006 Toronto, Ontario, Toronto, Ontario (2006) [E3]

Mitchell Carolyn Margaret, Johnson Renee Frances, Giles Warwick Bruce, Zakar Tamas, ’Chromatin structure and NFKB binding in the prostaglandin endoperoxide H synthase (PGHS-2) promoter in term fetal membranes’, Endocrine Journal-Continuation of Endocrinologia Japonica, Queensland, Australia (2006) [E3]

Madsen Gemma Marguerita, Zakar Tamas, Chan Eng Cheng, Yeo G S, Kwek K, Mesiano Sam, ’Prostaglandin Receptor Expression in Human Myometrium Before and After the Onset of Term Labor’, Prostaglandin Receptor Expression in Human Myometrium Before and After the Onset of Term Labor, Texas (2004) [E3]

Murphy Vanessa Evonne, Gibson Peter Gerard, Giles Warwick Bruce, Zakar Tamas, Smith Roger, Kessell C G, Clifton Vicki Lee, ’Sex-specific changes in placental function and fetal growth and development in pregnancies complicated by ashtma’, Endocrine Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting, Adelaide, 22-25 Sept, 2002, Adelaide (2002) [E3]

Murphy Vanessa Evonne, Zakar Tamas, Smith Roger, Giles Warwick Bruce, Gibson Peter Gerard, Clifton Vicki Lee, ’A potential mechnism for growth retardation in pregnancies complicated by asthma’, Endocrine Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting, Gold Coast, 9-12 Sept, 2001, Gold Coast (2001) [E3]

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