About

Qualifications

PhD

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Research

Research Interests

The primary objective of the research our group is involved in is to understand the neurobiological mechanisms through which stress operates and in turn how exposure to stress increases vulnerability to various psychiatric illnesses such as depression.  Our research makes uses of a large variety of techniques spanning from the analysis of individual genes of interest through to the behavioural level.  Our research laboratories, situated at with the School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, are ideally equipped with state of the art equipment to undertake these multi-level investigations.

Research Interests

Refereed Journal Articles

In Press

Walker FR, Masters LM, Dielenberg RA, Day TA.   Coping with defeat: acute glucocorticoid and forebrain responses to social defeat vary with defeat episode behaviour. Neuroscience.2009

In Print

Walker, F.R., et al., Strain differences in coping behaviour, novelty seeking behaviour, and susceptibility to socially conditioned fear: A comparison between Wistar and Sprague Dawley rats. Stress, 2009: p. 1.

Beig, M.I., et al., Blockade of 5HT2A receptors suppresses hypothermic but not cardiovascular responses to psychosocial stress. Neuroscience, 2009. (d.o.i: 10.106).

Walker, F.R., B. Knott, and D.M. Hodgson, Neonatal endotoxin exposure modifies the acoustic startle response and circulating levels of corticosterone in the adult rat but only following acute stress. J Psychiatr Res, 2009. 42(13): p. 1094-103.

Walker, F.R., N.A. Hodyl, and D.M. Hodgson, Neonatal bacterial endotoxin challenge interacts with stress in the adult male rat to modify KLH specific antibody production but not KLH stimulated ex vivo cytokine release. J Neuroimmunol,2008.

Walker, F.R., et al., Individual differences predict susceptibility to conditioned fear arising from psychosocial trauma. J Psychiatr Res, 2008. 42(5): p. 371-83.

Hodyl, N.A., et al., Modelling prenatal bacterial infection: functional consequences of altered hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis development. Behav Brain Res, 2007. 178(1): p. 108-14.

Day, T.A. and F.R. Walker, More appraisal please: a commentary on Pfaff et al. (2007) "Relations between mechanisms of CNS arousal and mechanisms of stress". Stress, 2007. 10(4): p. 311-3; discussion 314-5.

Walker, F.R., et al., Individual differences in glucose homeostasis: do our early life interactions with bacteria matter? Brain Behav Immun, 2006. 20(4): p. 401-9.

Walker, F.R., et al., Early life host-bacteria relations and development: long-term individual differences in neuroimmune function following neonatal endotoxin challenge. Physiol Behav, 2006. 87(1): p. 126-34.

Walker, F.R., J. March, and D.M. Hodgson, Endotoxin exposure in early life alters the development of anxiety-like behaviour in the Fischer 344 rat. Behav Brain Res, 2004. 154(1): p. 63-9.

Walker, F.R., et al., A profile of the immediate endocrine, metabolic and behavioural responses following a dual exposure to endotoxin in early life. Physiol Behav, 2004. 83(3): p. 495-504.

Hodgson Deborah Maree, Knott Brendon Gregory, Walker Frederick Rohan, 'Neonatal Endotoxin Exposure Influences HPA Responsivity and Impairs Tumour Immunity in Fischer 344 Rats in Adulthood', Pediatric Research, 50:6 750-755 (2001)

Refereed Conference Proceedings

Hinwood Madeleine, Walker Frederick Rohan, Day Trevor Anthony, 'Characterisation of fosB response in rat forebrain following exposure to chronic social stress (Poster)', 7th IBRO 2007 World Congress of Neuroscience Program, Melbourne (2007) [E3]

Walker Frederick Rohan, Hinwood Madeleine, Masters Louise Marie, Dielenberg Robert, Day Trevor Anthony, 'Individual differences predict susceptibility to conditioned fear arising from psychosocial trauma (Poster)', 7th IBRO 2007 World Congress of Neuroscience Program, Melbourne (2007) [E3]

Masters Louise Marie, Walker Frederick Rohan, Dielenberg Robert, Day Trevor Anthony, 'Psychosocial stress: individual differences in coping behaviour, hpa axis activation and limbic system activation patterns (Poster)', 7th IBRO 2007 World Congress of Neuroscience Program, Melbourne (2007) [E3]

Walker Frederick Rohan, Masters Louise Marie, Dielenberg Robert, Day Trevor Anthony, 'Individual differences in coping strategy predict glucocorticoid responses to psychosocial stress', Proceedings of the Australian Neuroscience Society, Sydney, NSW (2006) [E3]

Hodyl Nicolette Anne, Krivanek Klara, Walker Frederick Rohan, Feltis Brooke Belinda, Hodgson Deborah Maree, 'A Developmental Profile of the Effects of Prenatal Endotoxin Exposure on Neuroendocrine and Immune Function', Australian Neuroscience Society: Proceedings of the 25th Annual "Silver Jubilee" Meeting, Perth, Australia (2005) [E3]

Beck Alison Kate, Hodyl Nicolette Anne, Krivanek Klara, Knott Brendon Gregory, Walker Frederick Rohan, Hodgson Deborah Maree, 'Impact of Neonatal Endotoxin Exposure on Nociception in the F344 Rat: A Developmental Perspective', Australian Neuroscience Society: Proceedings of the 25th Annual "Silver Jubilee" Meeting, Perth, Australia (2005) [E3]

Krivanek Klara, Hodyl Nicolette Anne, Walker Frederick Rohan, Hodgson Deborah Maree, 'Maternal and Foetal Immune and Neuroendocrine Response to Type 1 and Type 2 Immune Stimuli', "Before and Beyond Birth" Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand 9th Annual Congress, Adelaide, Australia (2005) [E3]

Hodyl Nicolette Anne, Krivanek Klara, Walker Frederick Rohan, Hodgson Deborah Maree, 'Neuroendocrine, Immune and Nociceptive Responses in Offspring Exposed to an Immune Challenge Prenatally', "Before and Beyond Birth" Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand 9th Annual Congress, Adelaide, Australia (2005) [E3]

Knott Brendon Gregory, Walker Frederick Rohan, Hodgson Deborah Maree, 'Postnatal Bacterial Infection as a Predictor of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: Physiological and Behavioural Correlates in the Rodent', Pediatric Research: Placenta and Intrauterine Growth, V58(5) suppl: Proceedings of 3rd International Congress on Developmental Origins of Health & Disease, Toronto, Canada (2005) [E3]

Hodyl Nicolette Anne, Walker Frederick Rohan, Owens Julie, Hodgson Deborah Maree, 'Exposure to a Bacterial Infection During Pregancy alters Fetal Development with Consequences for Glucose Metabolism', The Endocrine Society of Australia Proceedings 2003, Melbourne, Victoria (2003) [E3]

Hodgson Deborah Maree, Mears Cristina Erin Pritchard, Walker Frederick Rohan, 'Immune activation during pregnancy alters offspring's endocrine and immune responses in adulthood', Pediatric Research, Brighton, UK (2003) [E3]

Hodgson Deborah Maree, Mears Cristina Erin Pritchard, Walker Frederick Rohan, 'Impact of immune activation during pregnancy on offspring's endocrine and immune responses in adulthood', Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, Amelia Island, Florida (2003) [E3]

Walker Frederick Rohan, Hodyl Nicolette Anne, Hodgson Deborah Maree, 'Neonatal Bacterial Endotoxin Exposure Alters Glucose Metabolism, Leptin Production and Body Mass Index Across Development in the Fischer 344 Rat', The Endocrine Society of Australia Proceedings 2003, Melbourne, Victoria (2003) [E3]

Walker Frederick Rohan, Hodgson Deborah Maree, 'Neonatal endotoxin exposure alters metabolic and immune responses in adulthood', Pediatric Research, Brighton, UK (2003) [E3]

Walker Frederick Rohan, Brogan Antonia Elizabeth, Hodgson Deborah Maree, 'Neonatal endotoxin exposure alters mother-pup interactions and is associated with anxiety-like behaviour in adulthood', Brain Behaviour, and Immunity, Amelia Island, Florida (2003) [E3]

Hodgson Deborah Maree, Brown A, Walker Frederick Rohan, 'Exposure to bacterial endotoxin in early life alters immunological responsivity in adulthood', Brain, Behavior, and Immunity vol 16, no.2, April 2002, Wisconsin, USA (2002) [E3]

Walker Frederick Rohan, Hodgson Deborah Maree, 'Neonatal Bacterial endotoxin exposure alters pro-inflammatory and febrile responses in adult rodents', The Endocrine Society of Australia, Adelaide, South Australia (2002) [E3]

Hodgson Deborah Maree, March James Richard, Walker Frederick Rohan, 'Neonatal Exposure to Bacterial Endotoxin is Associated with Increased Anxiety-Related Behavior and Altered Metabolic Responsivity in Adulthood', Brain, Behavior, and Immunity vol 16, no.2, April 2002, Wisconsin, USA (2002) [E3]

Hodgson Deborah Maree, Hodyl Nicolette Anne, Walker Frederick Rohan, 'Neuroendocrine programming of cancer: the role of pre natal and postnatal physiological stressors', Conference supplements: The Endocrine Society of Australia, Adelaide, Australia (2002) [E3]

Hodyl Nicolette Anne, Walker Frederick Rohan, Hodgson Deborah Maree, 'Prenatal endotoxin exposure reduces stress response of pre-weaned guinea pigs in sex-specific manner', Conference Supplements : The Endocrine Society of Australia, Adelaide, South Australia (2002) [E3]

Hodgson Deborah Maree, Knott Brendon Gregory, Walker Frederick Rohan, Allen T, 'Neonatal Stress Potentiates HPA Activity and Enhances Tumor Metastasis in Adult Rodents', The Endocrine Society of Australia: Proceedings 2001, Queensland (2001) [E3]

Hodgson Deborah Maree, Rosengren Sally Marie, Walker Frederick Rohan, 'Exposure to neonatal stress potentiates hypothalmic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) responsivity and impairs tumor immunity and wound healing in the adult rat', International Journal of Behavioural Medicine, (2000) [E3]

Hodgson Deborah Maree, Rosengren Sally Marie, Walker Frederick Rohan, 'Neonatal stress exposure impairs wound healing and tumor immunity in the adult rat', Psychoneuroendocronology, (2000) [E3]

Hodgson Deborah Maree, Rosengren Sally Marie, Walker Frederick Rohan, 'Neonatal stress potentiates hypothalmic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) responsivity and impairs wound healing and tumor resistance in the adult rat', Brain Behavior and Immunity, Brisbane Australia (2000) [E3]

Grants and Funding

Dr Frederick Walker 2008, University of Newcastle Research Fellowship Project grant   $15000

Dr Frederick Walker 2008, Hunter Medical Research Institute Project Grant: A novel approach to developing new treatments for anxiety: Identification of neural pathways underlying resistance and susceptibility to anxiety disorders.   $25000

Dr Frederick Walker 2007, National Health & Medical Research Council Peter Doherty Fellowship, New treatments for depression: Identification of neural pathways underlying resistance and susceptibility to depression   $274000

Research Supervision

3 x PhD students

2 x Honours

1 x 3yr project student

2 x Research Assistants

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Other

Membership of Societies and Professional Bodies

Australian Neuroscience Society