Profile
I completed my BSc (Honours) at La Trobe University and my Ph.D. in Physiology from The University of Melbourne. I then completed postdoctoral training in physiology and gerontology at The University of Michigan, with Prof. John A. Faulkner, while a C.J. Martin Research Fellow of the National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC, 1995-1998).
I was awarded the AK McIntyre Medal from the Australian Physiological Society in 1995 for outstanding contributions to Australian physiology by a young investigator. I was later awarded an Australian Research Fellowship from the Australian Research Council (ARC) and a NHMRC RD Wright Fellowship before taking up a faculty position as Lecturer in the Department of Physiology at The University of Melbourne in 1999. I was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2001, promoted to Associate Professor and Reader in 2003, and promoted to full Professor in June 2008. I served as Deputy Head of Physiology for three consecutive years (2004-2006).
In 2008, I was awarded The University of Melbourne’s Research Higher Degree Supervision Award; which is given on an annual basis to the University’s leading postgraduate research supervisor across all fields of study. In 2009 I was awarded a Citation from the Australian Learning and Teaching Council for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning. I am fortunate to have trained many young scientists to research independence and my close mentoring style has produced success at all levels, nationally and internationally.
The research in my Basic and Clinical Myology Laboratory (www.physiology.unimelb.edu.au/lab-muscle/index.asp) is focussed on the study of muscle wasting particularly understanding the mechanisms responsible for altered skeletal muscle structure and function as a consequence of aging, muscle injury, neuromuscular diseases, and cancer cachexia. Our research is supported by multiple national grants from the NHMRC and ARC, international grants from the Muscular Dystrophy Association (USA) and the French Myopathies Association (AFM), and large research contracts from Pfizer Inc. (USA), Roche (Switzerland) and Merck & Co. Inc. (USA).
I am a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (USA). I served on the Council of the Australian Physiological Society (2005-2008) and was the organiser and host of the Society’s annual meeting in 2008.
I am Co-Founder and Director, Research Manager and Chairman of Health 1st Pty Ltd (www.fitness2live.com.au), Australia’s premier online provider of interactive web-based health and lifestyle programs to insurance, corporate and retail markets. I have authored more than 600 articles on different health topics on the Fitness2live website and many of these have also featured in national newspapers, magazines and health promotion newsletters.
Since 2002, every week on ABC Radio, (www.abc.net.au/overnights/) I engage listeners about the science behind health research, and have won a National Journalism Award from the National Asthma Council (2002) and been a Finalist for the Australian Government Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science (2006). I have been interviewed as a health expert on more than 400 occasions, and contributed to, or featured in, articles in national media, with several appearances on national television. My passion for health and fitness stems from my desire to translate our research and knowledge to the community, promoting the benefits of physical activity to people of all ages.
Teaching
536-308 Muscle & Exercise Physiology (Convenor)
536-311 Physiology: Molecular Basis of Physiology
513-121 Physiotherapy 1st Year
513-211 Physiotherapy 2nd Year
510-210 Medicine: Cardiorespiratory and Locomotion
516-307 Research Topics in Physiology
536-304 Research Topics in Physiology
421-693 Biomedical Engineering (Co-Convenor)
536-310 Physiology Research Topics
Service to the University, discipline
or community and recent presentations
Deputy Head of the Department of Physiology (2004-2006)
Head Start Leadership Program, Alumnus (2005)
Departmental Committee (2004-2006)
Postgraduate Convenor (2003 – present )
BSc Honours Convenor (2000 – 2003)
Selection Committee (Administrative, General, Research staff recruitment)
Faculty Board, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences (2006)
Faculty of Science Postgraduate Programs Committee (2007–2009)
Knowledge Transfer and Partnerships Advisory Group (2008 – present)
Science Academic Programs Committee (2009 –)
Society Memberships:
American College of Sports Medicine (Fellow, 1995 – present)
Australian Physiological Society (1989 – present; Councillor 2005–2008)
American Physiological Society (1995 – present)
Biophysical Society, U.S.A. (1995 – present)
National Strength and Conditioning Association, U.S.A. (1996 – present)
World Muscle Society (2001 – present)
Australian Society for Medical Research (2003 – present)
Editorial Board, Journal of Applied Physiology (2003 – present); Expert Opinion on Emerging Drugs (2009 –)
Research
Profile, Interests and Recent Publications
Our lab investigates the mechanisms underlying skeletal muscle wasting and weakness and develops and tests therapies to counteract muscle wasting disorders.
The lab’s research is focused on ageing (sarcopenia), muscle diseases (such as the muscular dystrophies), and cancer cachexia. We also investigate novel approaches for improving muscle repair after injury.
Our work has application for many other muscle wasting conditions including: sepsis and other forms of metabolic stress; denervation, disuse, inactivity, unloading or microgravity; burns, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; chronic kidney or heart failure; and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Our studies involve investigation of molecular pathways regulating muscle size and function with a translational approach of cell culture experiments complemented by studies utilizing different animal models for these muscle wasting conditions.
Our ultimate goal is to apply this information to human patients in collaborative studies with orthodontists and maxillofacial surgeons, anaesthetists, oncologists, critical care physicians, and plastic and reconstructive surgeons.
Recent Publications:
Lynch GS, Ryall JG. Role of β-adrenergic signaling in skeletal muscle structure and function: implications for muscle wasting and disease. Physiological Reviews 2008; 88: 729-767.
Ryall JG, Schertzer JD, Lynch GS. Cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying age-related skeletal muscle wasting and weakness. Biogerontology 2008; 9: 213-228.
Schertzer JD, van der Poel C, Shavlakadze T, Grounds MD, Lynch GS. Muscle specific overexpression of IGF-I improves E-C coupling in skeletal muscle fibers from dystrophic mdx mice. Am. J. Physiol. Cell Physiol. 2008; 294: C161-C168.
Ryall JG, Schertzer JD, Murphy KT, Allen AM, Lynch GS. Chronic β2-agonist administration impairs cardiac relaxation via reduced SR Ca2+-ATPase activity. Am. J. Physiol Heart Circ 2008; 294: H2587-H2595.
Stupka N, Schertzer JD, Bassel-Duby R, Olson EN, Lynch GS. Stimulation of calcineurin-Aα activity improves muscle pathophysiology in mdx dystrophic mice. Am. J. Physiol. Reg. Int. Comp. Physiol. 2008; 294: R983-R992.
Research
Funding
My laboratory is supported by a number of nationally- and internationally-competitive research grants:
G.S. Lynch, C.A. Harrison, P. Gregorevic
1/1/2009 – 31/12/2011
NHMRC Project
Targeting the TGF-β signalling pathway to improve muscle growth and development in muscular dystrophy
G.S. Lynch, A.P. Russell
1/1/2009 – 31/12/2011
NHMRC Project
The role of Notch signalling in muscular dystrophy
G.S. Lynch
1/1/2009 – 31/12/2011
Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd
Preclinical evaluation of muscular dystrophies as target diseases for new compounds
J.E. Church. G.S. Lynch
1/1/2009 – 31/12/2009
Rebecca L. Cooper Medical Research Foundation
Investigating the potential for erectile dysfunction drugs to enhance the repair of injured skeletal muscles in the elderly
G.S. Lynch
1/1/2009 – 31/12/2009
Association Français contre les Myopathies
Therapeutic potential of a new generation -agonist, formoterol, to attenuate muscle wasting, enhance muscle regeneration and improve function in muscle diseases
G.S. Lynch, P. Gregorevic
1/1/2008 – 31/12/2010
NHMRC Project
Targeting -adrenergic signalling to improve muscle regeneration in muscular dystrophy
G.S. Lynch, D.A. Williams
1/1/2008 – 31/12/2010
ARC Discovery-Project
Regulating calcium handling in skeletal muscle: Implications for muscle contraction, injury and repair, ageing and development.
G.S. Lynch, W.A. Morrison, G.W. Stevens,
1/1/2007 – 31/12/2009
NHMRC Project
Improving muscle function after injury: Novel tissue engineering strategies for exercise, surgery and sports medicine.
Supervisor
Mark Hargreaves
Currently
Supervised Staff/Students
James Ryall
Jennifer Trieu
Brendan Adams
Chris Van Der Poel
Sarah Turpin
Fiona Colarossi
Jarrod Church
Kate Murphy
Tim Naim
Rene Koopman
Ben Gleeson
Daniel Ham
Stefan Gehrig
Bertrand Leger
Marc Nicolas
