Dr Suzie Miller

BSc (Hons) (Monash), PhD (Monash)

Senior Research Officer - Department of Physiology

Profile

Dr Miller completed her PhD at Monash University in 1999 and gained a postdoctoral position at University College London to study fetal neurodevelopment and neuroprotective strategies. Dr Miller returned to Monash University in 2001 and is now based in the Clinical and Experimental Perinatal Research Group. The main interests of the Clinical and Experimental Perinatal Research Group are to better understand the mechanisms and changes which occur in compromised pregnancies, such as fetal growth restriction, acute hypoxia/ birth asphyxia or infection, with a view to implementing therapeutic strategies to protect the fetus and newborn.

Research Interests

Over 280,000 babies are born in Australia each year. A significant proportion of these pregnancies are adversely affected by hypoxia (lack of oxygen) or infection. Dr Miller focuses on what happens in the developing fetal brain when pregnancies are compromised by chronic fetoplacental hypoxia/ intrauterine growth restriction, acute hypoxia or infection.

Intrauterine Growth Restriction
In humans, fetuses affected by intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) are at significant risk or morbidity and mortality in the perinatal period and in surviving infants there is a strong association with reduced cognitive function in childhood. At present there are no clinical treatments that can reduce the adverse effects of IUGR and improve fetal / neonatal wellbeing. Research in this field aims at reducing oxidative stress and inflammation which occur subsequent to placental insufficiency, with the long-term aim of protecting the fetal brain in IUGR pregnancies.

Infection
Cerebral palsy is the most common cause of childhood disability and presently there is no cure. The origins of cerebral palsy are not fully understood but are likely to lie in the fetal developmental period, however presently, all treatment options involve therapies in the postnatal period. Periventicular Leukomalacia (PVL) is the most common pathology associated with cerebral palsy, and describes a form of white matter brain damage. The etiology of white matter damage may be multifactorial, but there is a strong association between intrauterine infection during pregnancy, white matter damage and subsequent development of cerebral palsy. Dr Miller is particularly interested in the progression of fetal brain injury in response to intrauterine infection and whether the brain can be protected with different treatments which could include anti-inflammatories, antioxidants or stem cells.

Acute Hypoxia / Birth Asphyxia
A severe reduction in oxygen availability prior to, or during birth, is a leading cause of perinatal brain injury. Brief episodes of asphyxia during the process of birth are relatively common due to mechanical compression of the uterus and the umbilical cord. However, during the course of labour, asphyxic episodes can become severe and prolonged and in such circumstances are major causes of death and morbidity. The brain injury resulting from birth asphyxia is termed Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy and the aim of studies in this area is to administer treatments in the newborn period which reduce the progression of brain damage.

Antenatal Glucocorticoids
Antenatal glucocorticoids are administered to pregnant women who show signs of preterm labour, to mature the fetal lungs in preparation for birth. However in addition to these life-saving effects on the fetal lungs, glucocorticoids also have many actions on other organs, including the brain. In normal and IUGR pregnancies, Dr Miller is investigating how maternal glucocorticoid administration affects blood flow to the developing brain and how normal brain development may be altered by the metabolic actions of glucocorticoids.

Publications

Link to PubMed (US National Library of Medicine) for publications by Dr Miller

Teaching Interests

Dr Miller presents lectures to 3rd year Science/ Biomedical Science students in the Developmental Physiology course and neurodevelopment lectures to the Graduate Diploma in Reproductive Science students. Dr Miller also supervises research projects undertaken by Honours and PhD students in the field of Fetal and Neonatal Research.

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