Dr Julie Merriman-Jones

Biography

I carried out my PhD with Prof David Whittingham and Prof John Carroll at the Medical Research Council Experimental Embryology & Teratology Unit (MRC EETU), at St George's Hospital Medical School, London, which I completed in 1995. My first post-doctoral position I worked with Dame Anne McLaren at the John Gurdon Institute (formerly known as Wellcome/CRC Institute), Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, until 1997. I then changed careers and worked in clinical trials, employed by Quintiles Corportation (formerly Innovex UK), and worked for companies such as GSK, Wyeth, Astra Zeneca & Novartis, until 2003 when I had a career break. In 2008 I returned to academia to work with Prof Keith Jones, University of Newcastle, Australia.

Qualifications

• Doctor of Philosophy, University of London, 1995
• Bachelor of Science (Honours), University of East London, 1990

Research

Research keywords

• Embryology
• Ovary
• Reproduction

Research expertise

During my PhD, titled "Factors influencing the development of mammalian oocytes in vitro" I cultured ovarian primary follicles from immature mice in a collagen matrix. The aim of this was to produce oocytes that were fully grown that were capable of undergoing meiotic maturation in vitro (IVM) from an immature germinal vesicle stage oocyte to become a mature egg denoted by the extrusion of the first polar body (PB1). These mature eggs were then subsequently fertilized in vitro (IVF) using capacitated spermatozoa to create 2-cell embryos, which then be transferred to oviducts pseudopregnant female mice, and the number of viable embryos were observed. The viability of these in vitro grown oocytes to develop to 2-cell embryos were altered due to varying IVM conditions. These eggs were capable of undergoing parthenogenetic activation (using a strontium based medium) and generated Ca2+ oscillations in response to sperm, as observed in normal fertilization events. This work was carried out under the supervision of Prof David Whittingham and Prof John Carrol.

During my first post-doctoral placement, I worked with Dame Anne McLaren at the Gurdon Institute (formerly Wellcome/CRC Research Institute), Cambridge, working on primordial germ cells (PGCs). This involved collecting male and female PGCs from 11.5-14.5 dpc embryos (carrying a Lac-Z gene) and then culturing them in vitro with undifferenitiated or differentiated (determined by embryo age), in both male and female embryonic gonads. This was to determine if the male or female PGCs from undifferentiated gonads, could be influenced by their immediate environment (ie change female PGCs which would become oocytes and cause them to develop into male spermatogonia) by co-culturing PGCs of the same or opposite sex, and also using different ages.

Here in Prof Keith Jones lab, I am interested in the aging process and how this affects female reproductive development, and to try and determine the cause for the increase in aneuploidy. I have been involved with a long term aging study (aging induced by unilateral ovariectomy), looking at egg quality and aneuploidy from young to very old mice. I am also involved in looking at the effects of smoking on egg quality and subsequent reproductive problems.

I have gained considerable expertise during my PhD and my two post-doctoral placements, to undertake research in the field of embryology and female reproduction. I continue to learn new techniques such as confocal microscopy and micro injection of oocytes, to further enhamce my expertise.

Collaboration

At the University of Newcastle, I collaborate with Prof Eileen McLaughlin, Laureate Prof John Aitken, A/Prof Phil Hansbro & Prof Roger Smith.

I also have a collaboration with A/Prof Moira O'Bryan at Monash University, and Prof Alan McNeilly at the MRC Unit in Edinburgh, Scotland UK.

Fields of Research

Centres and Groups

Centre

• PRC - Priority Research Centre for Reproductive Science (RS)