Research interests
• The role of ABC-lipid transporters in health and disease, including cardiovascular disease and inflammation in the lung (in collaboration with Prof. Alaina Ammit, UTS and Woolcock Institute, Sydney).

ABC-transporters are membrane proteins involved in the translocation of substrates across cellular membranes. A number of lipid transporters, including ABCA1 and ABCG1, are involved in removing cholesterol and other lipids from cells, a process that is important in the maintenance of cellular lipid homeostasis. Disregulation of cholesterol homeostasis is of interest to a number of diseases including atherosclerosis, which causes cardiovascular disease and neurogenerative diseases. The basic mechanisms by which these transporters operate is poorly understood, as is their post-translational regulation. These aspects are under investigation in the Gelissen lab, including the role of E3-ubiquitin ligases in the modulation of transporter function.

• New insights into the contribution of ABC-transporters to the export of amyloid-beta peptides from cells in the brain (in collaboration with A/Prof. Richard Callaghan, ANU Canberra).

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and is a large growing burden on our health system. A critical factor is the accumulation of amyloid-beta (Ab) peptides in the brain, which are toxic to neurons and impair synaptic function. The mechanism of export of Ab peptides from neurons and removal via efflux across the blood brain barrier (BBB) endothelium has been poorly elucidated. Several members of the ABC transporter family have been implicated in this process, including ABCB1 (better known as P-glycoprotein) and lipid transporters such as ABCG1 and ABCG4. This project investigates common mechanisms by which these transporters are regulated and why this specific ABC-transporter mediated clearance pathway may be compromised in AD.