Lecturer Dr. Michael O'Connor

Research Lecturer in Regenerative Medicine

• Biography
• Areas of Research / Teaching Expertise
• Grants / Current Projects
• Awards and Recognition
• Selected Publications
• Memberships

Biography

Michael is interested in using human stem cells to better understand normal human development and disease progression. His current research activity makes use of human pluripotent stem cells (i.e. cells that can produce any cell type of the body) to learn more about cataract, a variety of conditions that involve degradation of the ocular lens leading to blindness.

Michael obtained his PhD from the University of Sydney in 2005, creating an animal-based culture system that can regenerate functional ocular lenses in the laboratory. Upon completing his PhD Michael undertook postdoctoral studies in Vancouver (Canada), where he identified new genes and mechanisms that help maintain the developmental potential of human pluripotent stem cells. Michael has received numerous awards for his work in both the lens and human pluripotent stem cell fields, and together these diverse areas of expertise provide a unique opportunity to understand lens and cataract development using human cells.

Throughout his career, Michael has also maintained an interest in translating academic research findings into biotechnology or clinical applications, through interactions with both Australian and Canadian biotechnology companies.

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Areas of Research / Teaching Expertise

• Regenerative Medicine
• Pluripotent Stem Cells
• Lens Development
• Cataract

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Grants / Current Projects

2010
Differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells to ocular lens epithelium.
University of Western Sydney establishment grant.

2006
Investigation of human embryonic stem cell culture conditions using gene expression profiling analysis.
Canadian Institutes of Health Research Industry Fellowship, CND$150,000

2001
Reconstruction of the mammalian lens.
NHMRC Dora Lush Biomedical Scholarship, $63,000

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Awards and Recognition

• Canadian Stem Cell Network Travel Award, 2009
• International Consortium of Stem Cell Networks Travel Award, 2009
• Invited Finalist, 10th Annual Royan Institute Award, 2009
• Invited Finalist, STEM CELLS Journal, 3rd Annual Young Investigator Award, 2008
• International Society for Cellular Therapy Special Travel Award, 2005
• Santos Travel Grant, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Conference, 2004
• 1st Prize, 6th International Conference on Cellular Engineering, 2003
• John Irvine Hunter Research Prize, University of Sydney, Australia, 2003

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Selected Publications

O'Connor, MD. Kardel, M. Eaves, CJ. Functional assays for human embryonic stem cell pluripotency. Methods in Molecular Biology: "Embryonic Stem Cell Therapy for Osteodegenerative Diseases". In Press.

O’Connor, MD. Kardel, M. Iosfina, I. Youssef, D. Lu, M. Li, MM. Vercauteren, S. Nagy, A. Eaves, CJ. Alkaline phosphatase-positive colony formation is a sensitive, specific and quantitative indicator of undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells. Stem Cells. 2008. 26:1109-16.

Morin, R. O’Connor, MD. Griffith, M. Kuchenbauer, F. Delaney, A. Prabhu, A-L. Zhao, Y. McDonald, H. Zeng, T. Hirst, M. Eaves, CJ. Marra, MA. Application of massively parallel sequencing to microRNA profiling and discovery in human embryonic stem cells. Genome Res. 2008. 18:610-21.

Ungrin, M. O’Connor, MD. Eaves, CJ. Zandstra, P. Phenotypic analysis of human embryonic stem cells. In: Current Protocols in Stem Cells. 2007. 2:1B.3.1-1B.3.25.

Hirst, M. Delaney, A. Rogers, SA. Schnerch, A. Persaud, DR. O'Connor, MD. et. al. LongSAGE profiling of nine human embryonic stem cell lines. Genome Biol. 2007. 8(6):R113.

O’Connor, MD. Wederell, ED. de Iongh, R. Lovicu, FJ. McAvoy, JW. Generation of Transparency and Cellular Organization in Lens Explants. Exp. Eye Res. 2008. 86(5):734-45.

O’Connor, MD. McAvoy JW. In vitro generation of functional lens-like structures with relevance to age-related nuclear cataract. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. 2007. 48(3):1245-52.

Wederell, ED. Brown, H. O’Connor, MD. Chamberlain, CG. McAvoy, JW. de Iongh, RU. Laminin-binding integrins in rat lens morphogenesis and their regulation during fibre differentiation. Exp. Eye Res. 2005. 81(3):326-39.

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Memberships

• Canadian Stem Cell Network Policy Development Committee Inaugural Member, 2006-2008
• Organizing Committee, Human embryonic stem cell workshop, International Consortium of Stem Cell Networks, Cairns, Australia, 2007
• Member of the International Society for Stem Cell Research, 2005-ongoing

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