Profile
Mary Wlodek graduated with a BSc(Hons) and MSc in Physiology from the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario Canada and PhD in Physiology from Monash University, Melbourne Australia. Postdoctoral research experience included positions at Department of Physiology, Monash University and subsequently at the Perinatal Research Centre, Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne. Mary was awarded the inaugural R Douglas Wright Fellowship in the Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne and a Lectureship. In 2002, Mary was involved in the Academic Women and Leadership and Management Program. Mary was promoted to Associate Professor in 2004.
In 2007 Mary was appointed as Associate Dean of the Melbourne School of Graduate Research.
Qualifications:
BSc(Hons)
MSc
PhD
Teaching
536-250 Endocrinology and Reproduction Lectures (Biomedical Science)
536-301 Cardiovascular Health: Genes and Hormones (Science)
Service to the University, discipline
or community and recent presentations
Associate Dean, Melbourne School of Graduate Research
Member University Research Higher Degrees Committee
Member Department of Physiology Committee
NH&MRC Grant Review Panel (2004-2007; Deputy Chair in 2006)
Editorial Board, Journal of Endocrinology
Ad Hoc Member, Society for Gynecologic Investigation Council
Invited Presentations:
What are the critical nutritional environments for small babies in the programming of growth and disease Fetal Physiology Symposium; Society For Gynecological Investigation. San Diego, CA, USA, 2008
International Congress on Developmental Origins of Health and Disease. Perth, Australia, 2007
Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand. Plenary Session: Growing babies: Melbourne, Australia, 2007
Experimental Biology, American Society for Nutrition Presidential Symposium, Plenary Session: San Francisco, USA, 2006
International Society of Hypertension Satellite Symposium, International Symposium on Lifestyle Related Diseases - Perspectives for Primary Prevention and Treatment in Animal Models and Humans, Nishinomiya, Japan, 2006
Research
Profile, Interests and Recent Publications
Small size at birth for gestational age occurs in 10% of human pregnancies in developed societies. This results from restricted growth of the fetus, which primarily reflects a poor environment within the uterus, commonly due to placental insufficiency. Recent human studies have confirmed that being born small is associated with the increased risk of developing adult diseases. Growing evidence suggests that the nutrition provided to the baby via the mother’s milk during lactation, and rapid growth of the baby after birth, are both critical factors influencing the programming of adult disease.
Our laboratory has made novel and significant contributions to understanding the importance of the nutritional environment provided by the placenta to the baby before birth and that of the mother’s milk after birth in the programming of adult diseases. We are the first to demonstrate that placental compromise in rats, which causes slow fetal growth, also adversely affects breast development, milk quality and supply, which further impair growth after birth.
We are exploring how a reduction in the number of functioning units (nephrons) of the kidney, alterations in key genes involved in kidney and heart development and changes in blood vessel reactivity are associated with rat offspring born small developing hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Exploring the development of the pancreas and mitochondria of small pups will further our understanding of how and when these offspring develop insulin resistance and diabetes. We are able to manipulate nutrition for a rat pup born small after birth by altering the quality and quantity of nutrition they consume after birth (by cross-fostering) and subsequently exploring disease consequences. We are also exploring the mechanisms that result in abnormal mammary development leading to low milk quality and quantity and aim to develop treatments to improve milk production and growth of offspring.
We aim to identify developmental stages during which nutritional or other interventions may have beneficial consequences. These studies will enable us to identify individuals at increased risk of developing later diseases and provide the scientific basis for the design and testing of appropriately targeted early life interventions. Identification of groups of individuals at risk of developing adult diseases will become increasingly important due to the ever-increasing incidence and earlier age at onset of these diseases.
Recent Publications:
Wlodek, M.E., Westcott, K.T., O’Dowd, R., Serruto, A., Wassef, L., Moritz, K.M. and Moseley, J.M. Uteroplacental restriction in the rat impairs fetal growth in association with alterations in placental growth factors including PTHrP. Am. J. Physiol. 288:R1620-R1627, 2005.
Di Nicolantonio, R., Koutsis, K., Westcott, K.T. and Wlodek, M.E. Lack of evidence for a role for either the in utero or suckling periods in the exaggerated salt preference of the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat. Physiol. Behav. 86:500-507, 2005.
Di Nicolantonio, R., Koutsis, K., Westcott, K.T. and Wlodek, M.E. Relative Contribution of the prenatal versus postnatal period on development of hypertension and growth rate of the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat. Clin. Exp. Pharmacol. Physiol. 33:9-16, 2006.
Reti, N.G., Lappas, M., Riley, C., Wlodek, M.E., Permezel, M., Walker, S., Rice, G.E. Why do membranes rupture at term? Evidence of increased cellular apoptosis in the supracervical fetal membranes. Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol.196: 484.e1-484.e10, 2007.
Reti, N., Lappas, M., Berthold, H. Riley, C., Wlodek, M.E., Henschke, P., Permezel, M., Walker, S., Rice, G. Effect of high oxygen on placental function in explant cultures. Cell. Tissue. Res.328:607-616, 2007.
Vodstrcil, L.A., Wlodek, M.E., Parry, L.J. The effects of uteroplacental restriction on the relaxin-family receptors, Lgr7 and Lgr8, in the uterus of late pregnant rats. Reprod. Fert. Develop. 19:530-538, 2007.
Wlodek, M.E., Mibus, A.L., Tan, A., Siebel, A.L., Owens, J.A. and Moritz, K. A normal lactational environment restores nephron endowment and prevents hypertension after placental restriction in the rat. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol.18:1688-1696, 2007.
Subject of “JASN This Month’s Highlights” J. Am. Soc. Nephrol.18:1617-1618, 2007 and the “JASN Editorial”J. Am. Soc. Nephrol.18:1626-1629, 2007.
Ping, S., Trieu, J., Wlodek, M. and Barrett, G. The effects of estrogen on basal forebrain cholinergic neurons and spatial learning. J. Neurosci. Res. In Press accepted Oct 31, 2007.
O’Dowd, R.A., Kent, J.C., Moseley, J.M. and Wlodek, M.E. The effects of uteroplacental insufficiency and reducing litter size on maternal mammary function and postnatal offspring growth. Am J Physiol (Regul Integr Comp Physiol) In Press accepted Dec 2 2007
Wlodek, M.E., Westcott, K.T., Siebel, A.L., Owens, J.A. and Moritz, K.A. Growth restriction induced before or after birth reduces nephron endowment and increases blood pressure in the male rat. Kidney International In press accepted Feb 7, 2008
Research
Funding
Diabetes Australia Research Trust, Are postnatal nutrition and the intrauterine environment important for early skeletal muscle development and function? ME Wlodek, AL Siebel, G McConell, G Wadley 2008
NH&MRC, Can exercise and improved nutrition normalise rat skeletal muscle mitochondrial biogenesis following growth restriction. G McConell, ME Wlodek, G Wadley, 2007 - 2009
National Heart Foundation, Can exercise and improved nutrition normalise myocardial mitochondrial biogenesis following fetal growth restriction in rats? G Wadley , ME Wlodek, G McConell, 2007 – 2008
Diabetes Australia Research Trust, Being born small programs gestational diabetes and poor milk quality: mechanisms for the transmission of diabetes to the next generation. ME Wlodek, JA Owens, AL Siebel, 2007
Geoffrey Gardiner Dairy Foundation, Optimising the bone response to dietary calcium: a physiological approach. J Wark, ME Wlodek, D Myers, 2007
William Buckland Foundation, Development and function of the pancreas is compromised in growth-restricted offspring. AL Siebel, ME Wlodek, 2007
NH&MRC, Perinatal and intergenerational influences on adult diabetes. ME Wlodek, 2006 - 2008
NH&MRC, Perinatal programming of cardiovascular and renal diseases. ME Wlodek, M Tare, KM Moritz, 2006 - 2008
Supervisor
Mark Hargreaves
Currently
Supervised Staff/Students
Linda Gallo
Rhianna Laker
Rachael Odowd
Amy Mibus
Andrew Jefferies
Lenka Vodstrcil
Tania Romano
Marc Mazzuca
Sarah Heywood
Tze Guan
Kerryn Westcott
Andrew Siebel
Melanie Tran
