Dr Kate Thompson (Research Fellow)

Email: Katherine.Thompson@med.monash.edu.au
Phone: +61 (03) 9903 0702

Dr Kate Thompson is a NHMRC Peter Doherty post-doctoral research fellow and lecturer in the Department of Anatomical Pathology, Alfred Hospital and the Department of Medicine, Monash University. Her research to date has provided important insights into the pathogenesis of HIV/AIDS and has resulted in the publication of 9 papers in high impact international journals, as well as 17 presentations at international and national conferences. She was recently the recipient of the Franz Nissl Young Investigator Award, given to a young neuroscientist in recognition of an outstanding research contribution to Neuropathology. Kate collaborates with the Dept. Neurology and Dept. Comparative Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA, on a range of projects investigating the pathogenesis of HIV in the central nervous system. Kate has also been a Coordinator for the Australian National NeuroAIDS Brain and Tissue Bank and the National Neural Tissue Resource Centre, Australian Brain Bank Network.

At the Centre for Ethics in Medicine and Society, Kate’s research considers the ethical dimension of scientific practises. The project examines the ethical experiences and conduct of scientists in the medical research environment.

Publications

Churchill MJ, Gorry PR, Cowley D, Lal L, Sonza S, Purcell DFJ, Thompson KA, Gabuzda D, McArthur JC, Pardo CA, Wesselingh SL. Use of laser capture microdissection to detect integrated HIV-1 DNA in macrophages and astrocytes from autopsy brain tissues. J NeuroVirol 12(2): 146-152 (2006) (Impact Factor (IF) 2.902).

Thompson KA, Churchill MJ, Gorry PR, Sterjovski J, Oelrichs RB, Wesselingh SLMcLean CA. Astrocyte specific viral strains in human immunodeficiency virus dementia. Ann Neurol 56: 873-877 (2004) (IF 8.097).

Cherry CL, Lal L, Thompson KA, McLean CA, Ross LL, Hernandez J, Wesselingh SL, McComsey GA. Increased adipocyte apoptosis in lipoatrophy improves within 48 weeks of switching patients from stavudine to abacavir or zidovudine. JAIDS 38(3): 263-267 (2005) (IF 3.902).

McComsey GA, Paulsen D, Tyler J L, Hessenthaler S, Hoppel CL, Williams V, Fisher RL, Cherry CL, White-Owen C, Thompson KA, Ross ST, Hernandez JE, Ross, LL. Improvements in lipoatrophy, mitochondrial DNA content and adipose tissue apoptosis levels after replacement of stavudine with either abacavir or zidovudine. AIDS 19(1): 15-23 (2005) (IF 5.893).

Gorry PR, Ong C, Thorpe J, Bannwarth S, Thompson KA, Gatignol A, Wesselingh SL, Purcell DFJ. Astrocyte infection by HIV-1: mechanisms of restricted virus replication, and role in the pathogenesis of HIV-1-associated dementia. Current HIV Research 1: 463-473 (2003) (IF 1.571).

Thompson KA, Gahan ME, Kent SJ, Purcell DFJ, McLean CA, Preiss S, Dale CJ, Wesselingh SL. Decreased neurotropism of nef/LTR deleted simian immunodeficiency virus. J NeuroVirol 9: 442-451 (2003) (IF 2.902).

Wesselingh SL, Thompson KA. Immunopathogenesis of HIV-associated dementia. Curr Op Neurol 14: 375-379 (2001) (IF 4.017).

Thompson KA, McArthur JC, Wesselingh SL. Correlation between neurological progression and astrocyte apoptosis in HIV-associated dementia. Ann Neurol 49: 745-752 (2001) (IF 8.097).

Thompson KA, Blessing WW, Wesselingh SL. Herpes simplex replication and dissemination is not increased by corticosteroid treatment in a rat model of focal herpes encephalitis. J NeuroVirol 6: 25-32 (2000) (IF 2.902).