ProfessorMary Collins
Head of School
Faculty of Medicine and Health
- Head of SchoolFaculty of Medicine and Health
RESEARCH INTERESTs
- GABA receptors
- Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors
The rapid advances in molecular biology and genetics have contributed towards the discovery and isolation of a large number of receptors and proteins that may be targets to treat various disease states. My team focuses on studying GABA and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and their involvement in anxiety, sleep disorders and learning and memory.
Structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies involving structural variations of both the agents and their receptor targets (termed complementary structure-activity studies) play important roles in drug design and development. Of particular focus is the structure-function studies of GABA and nicotinic receptors using site-directed mutagenesis in combination with reactive probes help identify amino acids that are important in the binding and function of receptors. In addition, animal models to evaluate the effects of important ligands establish a link between the in vitro and in vivo effects. Such studies are vital to the discovery of drugs that interact selectively with particular receptor subtypes and in receptors that may have inheritable mutations.
FUNDED RESEARCH
- GRANTRewarding Research 2024Faculty of Medicine and Health1 Jan 2024People funded by this grant:
- Collins M
- GRANTGABA-A receptor variants in developmental and epileptic encephalopathy: a bench to bedside approach.National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)1 Jan 2023People funded by this grant:
- Collins M,
- Lal D,
- Moller R,
- Liao V,
- Reid C
- GRANTPrecision medicines for GABA-A receptor variants in epilepsyNational Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)1 Jan 2020People funded by this grant:
- Collins M,
- Kothur K,
- Absalom N,
- Ahring JP,
- van Nieuwenhuijzen P
- GRANTCharacterising and exploiting d subunit-containing GABA-A receptors as novel targets for treating social disordersNational Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)1 Jan 2019People funded by this grant:
- Collins M,
- Bowen M,
- Neumann I
- GRANTA Complete Mouse Neuroscience Research set-upNational Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)1 Jan 2018People funded by this grant:
- Collins M,
- van Nieuwenhuijzen P
- GRANTElectrophysiology Facility for Cell Phenotyping and Drug DiscoveryAustralian Research Council (ARC)1 Jan 2018 - 31 Dec 2018People funded by this grant:
- Kassiou M,
- Collins M,
- Christie M,
- Adams D
- GRANTEngineered extrasynaptic GABAA receptors: Towards novel analgesicsAustralian Research Council (ARC)1 May 2017 - 31 Dec 2020People funded by this grant:
- Wilks A,
- Balle T,
- Collins M,
- Christophersen P
- GRANTThe awakening:GABA-A receptors as targets for improving motor functionNational Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)1 Jan 2017 - 31 Dec 2019People funded by this grant:
- Balle T,
- Ahring JP,
- Clarkson A,
- Collins M
- GRANTOxytocin as a novel antagonist of the intoxicating and addictive effects of alcohol (2015-038)National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)1 Jan 2016 - 31 Dec 2019People funded by this grant:
- Collins M,
- McGregor I,
- Clarkson A,
- Bowen M,
- Neumann I
- GRANTA Mouse Biotelemetry System for Stroke, Epilepsy and Sleep ResearchDVC Research1 Jan 2015People funded by this grant:
- Kassiou M,
- Collins M,
- Bowen M,
- Grunstein RR,
- McGregor I
- GRANTdelta-containing GABA-A receptors as targets for neuroprotectionNational Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)1 Jan 2015 - 31 Dec 2019People funded by this grant:
- Balle T,
- Vaughan C,
- Hanrahan J,
- Nicolazzo JA,
- Ahring JP
- GRANTgamma-Hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and alpha-containing GABA-A receptorsNational Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)1 Jan 2014People funded by this grant:
- McGregor I,
- Absalom NL,
- Hunt G,
- Collins M
- GRANTNew positive allosteric modulators of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors for treatment of cognitive impairment in ADHDNational Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)1 Jan 2014People funded by this grant:
- Collins M,
- Balle T,
- McLeod M
- GRANTStereotaxic frameNational Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)1 Jan 2014People funded by this grant:
- Christie M,
- Leamey C,
- van Nieuwenhuijzen P,
- Balle T,
- Arnold J
- GRANTSydney Neuroscience NetworkDVC Research1 Jun 2013People funded by this grant:
- Rong Y,
- Balleine B,
- Harris A,
- Kril J,
- Collins M
- GRANTAllosteric Targets on GABA-A ReceptorsNational Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)1 Jan 2013 - 31 Dec 2016People funded by this grant:
- Johnston G,
- Collins M,
- Hanrahan J
- GRANTMouse behavioural phenotyping batteryNational Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)1 Jan 2013People funded by this grant:
- Kassiou M,
- Christie M,
- Hunt N,
- Stone J,
- McGregor I
- GRANTUnderstanding delta-containing GABA-A receptor pharmacologyDVC Research1 Jan 2013People funded by this grant:
- Collins M
- GRANTExtrasynaptic GABA-A receptors as novel targets for gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid (GHB)National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)1 Jan 2011 - 31 Dec 2014People funded by this grant:
- Wellendorph P,
- Brauner-Osborne H,
- McGregor I,
- Hunt G,
- Collins M
- GRANTPreparative High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)1 Jan 2011People funded by this grant:
- Payne R,
- Collins M,
- Kassiou M,
- Jolliffe K
- GRANTBruker APEX II CCD Detector Fourth Generation APEX II ultra-low noise CCD X-ray detector with 16 megapixel chipNational Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)1 Jan 2009People funded by this grant:
- Hibbs D,
- Hanrahan J,
- Young P,
- Murray M,
- Collins M
- GRANTElucidating the Mode of Action of Nicotinic Receptor LigandsAustralian Research Council (ARC)1 Jan 2009People funded by this grant:
- McLeod M,
- Collins M