Fetal & Neonatal Lung Development Laboratory

Group Members

Research Staff

Dr. Stuart Hooper - Group Leader (NH&MRC Senior Research Fellow)
Dr. Megan Wallace (NH&MRC Senior Research Officer)
Dr. Kelly Crossley (NH&MRC Research Officer)
Alison Thiel (Research Assistant)
Gosia Zieba (Research Assistant)
Valerie Zahra (Research Assistant)

PhD & MSc Students

Sharon Flecknoe
Megan Probyn
Belinda Joyce ^*
Graham Polglase
Keiji Suzuki ^*
Jessica Faggian
Gurhan Halil

Honours Students

Foula Sozo
Mary Hanna ^*

^*We also have strong ties with Prof. Richard Harding and Dr. Megan Cock with many collaborative projects and co-supervised students.

Research Outline

Inadequate lung development is the major cause of death and disease in the newborn infant. This can be due to inappropriate development during fetal life, or due to premature birth in which there has been insufficient time for lung development to occur

During fetal life the lungs are filled with a fluid that is produced by the lungs and which maintains the lungs in a distended state. The degree to which lungs are expanded by liquid is vital for normal lung development. Reductions in the degree of lung distension cause lung growth and development to cease, whereas increases in lung distension accelerate the normal growth and development of the lung. At the time of birth, however, this liquid must be cleared to enable the newborn infant to initiate air breathing.

Infants born prematurely or with inadequately developed lungs often require resuscitation and ventilation at birth. Although this is necessary for the survival of the premature infant, it often causes damage to the immature lung and can prolong the infants' dependence upon mechanical ventilation. Furthermore, these immature lungs must grow and develop in an environment that is very different to that during fetal life and at a time when the lungs are required for gas exchange.

Immature Lung	Mature Lung
Not conducive to gas exchange Thick blood gas barrier Low compliance Immature epithelial cells Low surfactant levels Small area for gas exchange Poorly vascularized High resistance to blood flow	Conducive to gas exchange Thin blood gas barrier Highly compliant Mature epithelial cells Adequate surfactant Large area for gas exchange Highly vascular Low resistance to blood flow

Our group investigates many aspects of lung development in both the fetus and newborn. Specifically we have projects investigating:

• the molecular mechanisms by which lung expansion induces lung growth

• the factors controlling the phenotype of alveolar epithelial cells in the fetus and newborn

• the maturation of the extracellular matrix components in the lung

• the control of pulmonary vascular resistance and pulmonary blood flow during fetal life and its transition at birth

• the effect of premature birth on lung growth, lung maturation and lung function

• techniques of resuscitation and ventilation that reduce injury of the premature lung.

Research Grants

Publications