Dr Lin Kooi Ong

Biography

Dr Ong is currently employed as a Research Associate at the University of Newcastle, where he is investigating the mechanisms of synthesis of the catecholamines in lymphocytes for ultimate use in predictive test for Parkinson’s disease under the supervision of A/Prof. Phillip Dickson.

Dr Ong has recently completed his PhD in medical biochemistry in 2012, whereby he used animal models of stress, molecular biology and biochemical techniques to examine the mechanisms of regulation of tyrosine hydroxylase in vivo. He has reported using a range of stressors including glucoprivation, social defeat, footshock or immobilization stress in rats that tyrosine hydroxylase is acutely activated in vivo in the locus coeruleus and adrenal medulla by increasing TH phosphorylation within an hour and without any TH protein synthesis. He has recently reported that early life stress induced by lipopolysaccharide or maternal separation can lead to changes in the regulation of tyrosine hydroxylase in adult life. The work completed during his PhD resulted in a number of publications in peer reviewed journals. In addition, he has received a number of travel awards to attend national and international meetings to present his work.

Qualifications

• PhD (Medical Biochemistry), University of Newcastle, 2012
• Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences (Hons), University of Newcastle, 2008
• Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences, University of Newcastle, 2007

Research

Research keywords

• Parkinson's disease
• protein phosphorylation
• signal transduction
• stress animal models
• tyrosine hydroxylase

Research expertise

My research is focused on the regulation of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme in catecholamine synthesis. I have reported that TH is acutely activated in the different brain regions and adrenal medulla by increasing TH phosphorylation, without any TH protein synthesis within an hour using a range of stressors including glucoprivation, social defeat, footshock or immobilization stress in rats. I have provided evidence that different catecholaminergic cells respond differently in term of the temporal profiles of TH phosphorylation, presumably due to differences in the frequency of cell firing and/or the nature of the neurotransmitters released onto these cells, which in turn led to differential activation of signal transduction pathways.

I have also recently reported that early life immune exposure can lead to changes in the regulation of TH in the adrenal medulla after the immune challenge and these changes remain persistent in adult life. I have provided evidence that early life immune exposure has long-term consequence and could play a role in predisposing to neurological disorders in adults.

My focus recently has been on investigating how this regulation of TH plays a role in Parkinson's disease. This involved the investigation of the regulation of TH in the lymphocytes for ultimate use in predictive test for Parkinson's disease.

I also have an interest in the effect of early life stress induced by maternal separation on the sympatho-adrenomedullary system.

Collaboration

Associate Professor Ann Goodchild, Macquarie University

Professor Margaret Morris, University of New South Wales

Associate Professor Deborah Hodgson, University of Newcastle

Languages

• English
• Hokkien
• Malay

Fields of Research

Centres and Groups

Group

• Hunter Medical Research Institute - Brain and Mental Health

Teaching

Teaching keywords

• Human Anatomy and Physiology
• Medical Biochemistry
• Neuroscience

Teaching expertise

Neuroscience

Medical biochemistry