Background

Dr Annie McDougall completed her PhD in 2012, investigating molecular factors involved in fetal lung development. She has over seven years' experience as a post-doctoral biomedical scientist working at Monash University and the Ritchie Centre. Annie’s research was focused on investigating the cellular and molecular factors involved normal lung development and neonatal lung and cerebellar injury. Her research utilised various models, such as primary cell cultures, knock-out mice and animal models of adverse perinatal conditions, including IUGR and ventilator-induced lung injury. In 2019 Annie undertook a Masters of Public Health, and has made the career transition from the bench to applied public health research. Her research interests include global health, improving outcomes for women and babies, maternal medicine development, guideline development, preterm birth and maternal mental health.

Annie is an active member of the perinatal research community. From 2014 – 2018, Annie co-chaired the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand Early Career Researchers committee. In addition, she is a community champion volunteer with Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PANDA) and has previously volunteered with the United Nations Development Programme, researching and preparing UNDP reports on the effects of tobacco control on the Sustainable Development Goals in LMICs.

Appointments

• 2014-2018 Co-chair, Early Career Researchers committee, Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand

Positions

• 2021 – current Research Officer, Global Women’s and Newborn Health, Burnet Institute
• 2020 – 2021 Health and Medical Research Pre-submission Grant Advisor, The Granted Group
• 2016-2019 Post-doctoral research associate, Fetal and Neonatal health group, The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research
• 2012-2015 Post-doctoral research associate, Improving Perinatal Outcomes (NHMRC Program Grant – AI), Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University and The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research

Qualifications

• 2019 – current Master of Public Health (Monash University)
• 2007 – 2012 PhD (Monash University); Doctoral thesis title: The role of Trop2 in fetal lung development; Supervisors: Dr. Megan Wallace and Professor Stuart Hooper
• 2003-2006 Bachelor of Science with Honours (First Class; Highest ranked student) Monash University; Honours thesis title: TROP2 – a potential mediator of fetal lung development

Awards

• McDougall, ARA. (2014-2015). David Henderson-Smart Scholarship, The Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand. “Trop2: A novel regulator of cerebellar granule cell migration”. $5000/yr.
• McDougall, ARA, Moss, TJM, Wallace, MJ and Nold, M. (2014). Centre for Neonatal Research and Education, University of Western Australia, Project seed funding. “Identifying novel targets for increasing surfactant production in preterm infants.” $10,000
• 2014 Cerebral Palsy Alliance Highest commended abstract ($1000), Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand, Perth, Australia
• 2011 Best oral presentation ($500), Fetal and Neonatal workshop of Australia and New Zealand, Hobart, Australia
• 2011 International Biomedical Science Award ($5000), Golden Key Honour Society. Only one award is given globally, per year.
• 2010 Young Investigator Award ($1000), Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand (best presentation, basic science)
• 2010 Poster Prize first place (PhD student; $300), Healthy Start to Life annual13 scientific meeting
• 2010 Best presentation (Fourth year student; $300), Monash Institute of Medical Research, Postgraduate Student Symposium
• McDougall, ARA. (2009). NGED laboratory interchange travel grant ($2000) – to visit and learn techniques in the laboratories of Dr. Carole Mendelson, UT Southwestern Medical Centre, Dallas USA
• 2007 Australian Postgraduate Award and Postgraduate excellence award, (The Postgraduate excellence award was a $5000/year top-up of the APA scholarship) Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health science
• 2006 G.D. Thorburn Prize for top Honours student in Physiology, Monash University
• 2004-2005 Faculty of Science Dean’s list member, Monash University
• 2005 Prize for top 3rd year student in Physiology, Monash University
• 2004 MacLab award for top 2nd year student in Physiology, Monash University

Projects (3)

Current (2)

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  New Target Product Profiles for pre-eclampsia prevention and treatment

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  WHO recommendations on antenatal corticosteroids and tocolytics for improving preterm birth outcomes

Past (1)

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  New Target Product Profiles for the Prevention and Treatment of Preterm Birth

Publications (21)

2020 (1)

• Glucocorticoid signalling drives reduced versican levels in the fetal mouse lung.
  Kelly L Short, A Daniel Bird, Bennet K L Seow, Judy Ng, Annie R A McDougall, Megan J Wallace, Stuart B Hooper, Timothy J Cole
  J Mol Endocrinol. 2020 Apr; 64(3):155-164

2019 (1)

• Identification of Betamethasone-Regulated Target Genes and Cell Pathways in Fetal Rat Lung Mesenchymal Fibroblasts.
  Bennet K L Seow, Annie R A McDougall, Kelly L Short, Megan J Wallace, Stuart B Hooper, Timothy J Cole
  Endocrinology. 2019 Aug; 160(8):1868-1884

2018 (3)

• Glucocorticoids influence versican and chondroitin sulphate proteoglycan levels in the fetal sheep lung.
  Annie R A McDougall, Amanda J Fosang, Jessica Faggian, Megan J Wallace, Kelly J Crossley, Timothy J Cole, Stuart B Hooper
  Respir Res. 2018 Aug; 19(1):155
• Intrauterine Growth Restriction Affects Cerebellar Granule Cells in the Developing Guinea Pig Brain.
  Mary Tolcos, Annie McDougall, Amy Shields, Yoonyoung Chung, Rachael O'Dowd, Ann Turnley, Megan Wallace, Sandra Rees
  Dev Neurosci. 2018 May; 40(2):162-174
• Uncovering the Mechanisms Underlying Congenital Lung Malformations. Can We Improve Treatments?
  Annie R A McDougall
  Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2018 May; 197(10):1246-1247

2017 (3)

• Elevated airway liquid volumes at birth: a potential cause of transient tachypnea of the newborn.
  Erin V McGillick, Katie Lee, Shigeo Yamaoka, Arjan B Te Pas, Kelly J Crossley, Megan J Wallace, Marcus J Kitchen, Robert A Lewis, Lauren T Kerr, Philip DeKoninck, Janneke Dekker, Marta Thio, Annie R A McDougall, Stuart B Hooper
  J Appl Physiol (1985). 2017 Nov; 123(5):1204-1213
• Erythropoietin Protects Against Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Microgliosis and Abnormal Granule Cell Development in the Ovine Fetal Cerebellum.
  Annie R A McDougall, Nadia Hale, Sandra Rees, Richard Harding, Robert De Matteo, Stuart B Hooper, Mary Tolcos
  Front Cell Neurosci. 2017 Jul; 11:224
• Intrauterine Growth Restriction Alters the Postnatal Development of the Rat Cerebellum.
  McDougall A.R.A. · Wiradjaja V. · Azhan A. · Li A. · Hale N. · Wlodek M.E. · Hooper S.B. · Wallace M.J. · Tolcos M
  Dev Neurosci. 2017 Jan; 39(1-4):215-227

2016 (4)

• Lung Growth and Maturation (Book Chapter)
  Harding, R, McDougall, ARA, Hooper, SB
  in Fetal Medicine: Basic Science and Clinical Practice 3rd edition. Editors Pandya, PP, Wapner, RJ, Oepkes, D and Sebire, N. Elvesier. 2016 Jul
• Creb1 regulates late stage mammalian lung development via respiratory epithelial and mesenchymal-independent mechanisms.
  N Antony, A R McDougall, T Mantamadiotis, T J Cole, A D Bird
  Sci Rep. 2016 May; 6:25569
• Differential short-term regional effects of early high dose erythropoietin on white matter in preterm lambs after mechanical ventilation.
  Samantha K Barton, Annie R A McDougall, Jacqueline M Melville, Timothy J M Moss, Valerie A Zahra, Tammy Lim, Kelly J Crossley, Graeme R Polglase, Mary Tolcos
  J Physiol. 2016 Mar; 594(5):1437-1449
• Single Sustained Inflation followed by Ventilation Leads to Rapid Cardiorespiratory Recovery but Causes Cerebral Vascular Leakage in Asphyxiated Near-Term Lambs.
  Kristina S Sobotka, Stuart B Hooper, Kelly J Crossley, Tracey Ong, Georg M Schmolzer, Samantha K Barton, Annie R A McDougall, Suzie L Miller, Mary Tolcos, Claus Klingenberg, Graeme R Polglase
  PLoS One. 2016 Jan; 11(1):e0146574

2015 (4)

• Human Amnion Epithelial Cells Modulate Ventilation-Induced White Matter Pathology in Preterm Lambs.
  Samantha K Barton, Jacqueline M Melville, Mary Tolcos, Graeme R Polglase, Annie R A McDougall, Aminath Azhan, Kelly J Crossley, Graham Jenkin, Timothy J M Moss
  Dev Neurosci. 2015 Feb; 37(4-5):338-348
• Ventilation onset prior to umbilical cord clamping (physiological-based cord clamping) improves systemic and cerebral oxygenation in preterm lambs.
  Graeme R Polglase, Jennifer A Dawson, Martin Kluckow, Andrew W Gill, Peter G Davis, Arjan B Te Pas, Kelly J Crossley, Annie McDougall, Euan M Wallace, Stuart B Hooper
  PLoS One. 2015 Feb; 10(2):e0117504
• Glucocorticoid regulation of lung development: lessons learned from conditional GR knockout mice.
  A Daniel Bird, Annie R A McDougall, Bennet Seow, Stuart B Hooper, Timothy J Cole
  Mol Endocrinol. 2015 Feb; 29(2):158-171
• Trop2: From development to disease
  Annie R.A. McDougall Mary Tolcos Stuart B. Hooper Timothy J. Cole Megan J. Wallace
  Developmental Dynamics. 2015 Feb; 244(2):99-109

2014 (2)

• Physical, Endocrine and Growth Factors in Lung Development. (Book Chapter)
  Wallace, MJ, Hooper, SB and McDougall, ARA
  in The Lung: Development, Ageing and the Environment, 2nd Edition. Editors Harding, R and Pinkerton, K. Elvesier/Academic Press Biomedical Books.. 2014 Jul
• Mesenchymal glucocorticoid receptor regulates the development of multiple cell layers of the mouse lung.
  A Daniel Bird, Yuen L Choo, Stuart B Hooper, Annie R A McDougall, Timothy J Cole
  Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2014 Feb; 50(2):419-428

2013 (2)

• Trop2 regulates motility and lamellipodia formation in cultured fetal lung fibroblasts.
  Annie R A McDougall, Stuart B Hooper, Valerie A Zahra, Timothy J Cole, Camden Y Lo, Timothy Doran, Megan J Wallace
  Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2013 Oct; 305(7):L508-L521
• cAMP response element binding protein1 is essential for activation of steroyl co-enzyme a desaturase 1 (Scd1) in mouse lung type II epithelial cells.
  Nisha Antony, Jacqui R Weir, Annie R A McDougall, Theo Mantamadiotis, Peter J Meikle, Timothy J Cole, Anthony D Bird
  PLoS One. 2013 Apr; 8(4):e59763

2011 (1)

• The oncogene Trop2 regulates fetal lung cell proliferation.
  Annie R A McDougall, Stuart B Hooper, Valerie A Zahra, Foula Sozo, Camden Y Lo, Timothy J Cole, Tim Doran, Megan J Wallace
  Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2011 Oct; 301(4):L478-L489