Dr Anna-Marie Babey

Biography

I obtained my PhD from McGill University in Montreal under the supervision of Prof Roberta Palmour on the development of cellular tolerance to methylxanthines such as theophylline and caffeine. I then moved to New York to undertake post-doctoral research with Prof Gavril Pasternak at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, investigating the ability of nitric oxide synthase inhibitors to prevent analgesic tolerance to morphine. I subsequently moved to Minneapolis for a research position with Prof Ping- Yee Law to investigate the contribution of different parts of the opioid receptor molecule to agonist efficacy. In 1998, I accepted a position at James Cook University in Townsville QLD, where I taught pharmacology, pathophysiology, physiology and neuroscience to pharmacy, medicine, nursing, biomedical science, science, veterinary medicine, physiotherapy and dentistry students. I joined the Pharmacy program at UNE at the start of October 2011.

Qualifications

BSc (Hon), PhD, GradCertEd

Teaching Areas

PHAR 222 Pharmacology 1

PHAR 232 Pharmacology for Research

PHAR320 Pharmacy Practice III (Imaging Techniques)

PHAR 330 Pharmacology 2

PHAR 340 Pharmacokinetics

PHAR 370 Molecular Basis of Therapeutics

PHAR 240 / PHAR 440 Drug Technologies and New Drug Therapies

Year 1 Joint Medical Program – Pharmacology

Year 2 Joint Medical Program – Pharmacology

Research Interests

A key focus of my research is the changes to signal transduction systems that underlie the development of tolerance to opioid analgesics.  My former Pharmacy Honours student Laura Gledhill and I recently published a review article on the mechanisms of opioid receptor tolerance that arose out of her Honours research project.  I have a strong interest in other drugs of abuse, but particularly the question of whether caffeine should be included in that group.  My interest in drug discovery screening of novel anti-tumour compounds led to 2 successful PhD completions and a publication, an area of research that I will resume in conjunction with members of the UNE Chemistry discipline. Additionally, I have an ongoing interest in Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, an X-linked genetic deficiency of the enzyme hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase that manifests with gouty arthritis, spasticity and self-mutilatory episodes in affected children.

My other key area of research interest is education, having had both grants and publications in this area. I was part of a successful Office of Teaching and Learning Grant shared with academics at 8 other universities in Australia, investigating pharmacology teaching across various degree programs including medicine, pharmacy, nursing and biomedical science.  Currently, I am member of the team evaluating core concepts in pharmacology.

• tolerance and dependence
• signal transduction
• drugs of abuse and addiction
• drug discovery
• Lesch-Nyhan syndrome

Publications

Memberships

Australasian Society for Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology (ASCEPT)

ASCEPT Education Forum Executive

International Union of Pharmacology Societies (IUPHAR)

Society for Neuroscience (SfN)

International Narcotics Research Conference (INRC)

International Brain Research Organization (IBRO)

Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA)