I am primarily interested in how the nervous system is able to change structurally and functionally to facilitate adaptive behaviour throughout the lifespan. I have approached this question by studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms that determine male and female typical neural development and adult function. This area of study provides a unique context in which to study the relationship between plasticity of the nervous system and behaviour. Within this field, my research to date has mainly focused on how hormones influence growth, wasting and cell death in neuromuscular systems that mediate mammalian sexual reflexes.This line of research has relevance to several aspects of human health, including spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (Kennedy's disease), which is a male specific neuromuscular disorder. I currently hold a grant from NIH to investigate the role of androgen receptor in muscle fibers in neuromuscular cell death.
Research Associates
With continuously accumulating data on sequenced genes, understanding their in vivo function has become a crucial task of modern biology. Transgenic mouse modeling is now an important tool to facilitate this task. But conventional knock-out/knock-in mouse models may result in embryonic or neonatal lethality and will consequently preclude and obscure some of the studies. I am interested in generating transgenic mouse systems which can “turn-on” or “turn-off” the target gene in a temporally and spatially controllable manner. In this way, we can dissect the function of any target gene at any developmental stage. My current studies include: to generate inducible transgenic mouse models which can drive the transgene expression specifically in skeletal muscles, or in motor neurons, and to study the genetic function of androgen receptor in skeletal muscles. My research interests also cover biodiversity conservation, systematic biology, phylogeny, and molecular mechanism of retinal degeneration.
Transgenic mice (Tg) overexpressing androgen receptor (Ar) in skeletal muscle develop neuromuscular atrophic phenotype that includes myopathic and neuropathic features typical of Kennedy Disease. I am interested in investigating the etiology of neuromuscular atrophy in these Tg by using microarrays to identify the functional classes of genes affected by overexpressing Ar, to find out how these genes relate to Kennedy Disease and to test the improvement of neuromuscular atrophy by a genetic therapeutic approach. The patterns of gene expression in two transgenic founding lines have been identified and the results showed dysfunction of several cellular processes in muscle, including protein metabolism, ion physiology, transcriptional regulation, insulin signaling pathway and carbohydrate metabolism. These results indicate potential strategies for therapeutic intervention to ameliorate neurodegeneration.
Postdoctoral Fellows
I am a postdoctoral fellow currently working with Dr. Nancy Forger at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. In collaboration with Dr. Monks, we are investigating the role of differences in neuron number in sexually differentiated social behaviors. I am also interested in how social status, in turn, affects neural morphology.
I completed my PhD at UBC in 2006 in the field of applied animal behaviour and have been a postdoctoral fellow in the Monks lab since September 2006. The projects that I am currently working on are focused in two main areas: 1) determining how androgens mediate sexual differentiation of the SNB neuromuscular system during early development, and 2) examining the effects of social stress and stress hormones on male sexual behaviour and anatomy.
Lab Technician
Marijana joined the lab in October 2006. She works as a technician with a primary focus on human androgen receptors (HAR) overexpressed in rat skeletal muscle. Marijana completed her Masters degree in Biology at the University of Zagreb, Croatia. After that she moved to Switzerland where she worked in several research labs at the University of Zurich. In summer 2005 she moved with her family to Canada.
Graduate Students
Our lab has developed transgenic mouse lines that model certain aspects of a neuromuscular disorder known as spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. I am currently characterizing histopathology in skeletal myofibers of these animals using transmission electron microscopy and a series of histologic stains. Additionally I am investigating mechanisms of pathogenesis by looking at the role of testosterone in the observed pathology.
Undergraduate Students
My name is Bianca Bier and I am in my 4th year pursuing a specialist in Psychology, a major in Law, Crime, and Deviance, and a minor in Sociology. Within the psychology discipline, I am specifically interested in neuropsychology and biopsychology. For my thesis project with Prof. Ashley Monks, I am examining the role of brainstem nuclei in the inhibition of penile reflexes. This is achieved through cannulation surgery, which allows lidocaine to be administered to the nuclei. Lidocaine acts to temporarily numb the specific area so penile reflex testing can occur when the nuclei is active or inactive. This research will reveal additional information on the neurological aspects of sexual function.
In a broad sense, and like others in the lab, I am interested in how hormones influence the nervous system. My research primarily focuses on the realm of developmental neuroendocrinology. My undergraduate thesis attempted to determine the site of androgen activity that is necessary for the development of a sexually dimorphic neuromuscular system. I am also studying a strain of transgenic rats that overexpress androgen receptor in skeletal muscle fibers, and how this enhanced androgen activity contributes to neuronal development. In my spare time I enjoy going to the gym, sports, and playing guitar in my band.
The Bulbocavernosus (BC) and Levator Ani (LA) are sexually dimorphic muscles which attach to the base of the phallus and regulate penile erection. Spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus (SNB) motoneurons innervate the BC/LA muscles and are also sexually dimorphic. During perinatal development females exhibit increased SNB motoneuron cell death, resulting in vestigial BC/LA muscles in adulthood. Several lines of research suggest that masculinization of the BC/LA and SNB system are a result of circulating androgens in males during development which act on androgen receptors (AR). My thesis is looking at where these AR are with respect to the muscle fibers.
I am a fourth year undergraduate working towards my bachelor of science (honours), specializing in Psychology. I have been with the Monks lab since 2005 and am involved in studying sexual differentiation in the central nervous system. I am also interested in psychopathology and volunteer with the mentally distressed and Alzheimer's patients. Following completion of my H.Bsc. I intend to study medicine and continue researching the brain and behavior.