Associate Professor Janet Keast

Associate Professor, Director of Basic Research, Pain Management Research Institute
Medicine, Northern Clinical School
Kolling Institute of Medical Research

E25 - Royal North Shore Hospital
The University of Sydney
NSW 2006 Australia

T:+61 2 9926 4995
F:+61 2 9927 7105
E:

Research interests

Visceral pain, spinal cord injury, steroids, neurotrophic factors, nerve regeneration, autonomic and sensory innervation of urogenital organs

Publications

2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003

2009

  
  • Kalous, A., Osborne, P., Keast, J. Spinal cord compression injury in adult rats initiates changes in dorsal horn remodeling that may correlate with development of neuropathic pain. The Journal of Comparative Neurology. 2009; 513:668-684. [Abstract]
  • Nangle, M., Keast, J. Deafferentation and axotomy each cause neurturin-independent upregulation of c-Jun in rodent pelvic ganglia. Experimental neurology. 2009; 215:271-80. [Abstract]
  • McLachlan, E., Keast, J., Anderson, C. Spinal autonomic preganglionic neurons: the visceral efferent system of the spinal cord. In: The Spinal Cord: A Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Text and Atlas. United States: Academic Press 2009. p. 115-129.

2008

  
  • Xu, S., Cheng, Y., Keast, J., Osborne, P. 17{beta}-Estradiol activates ER{beta} signalling and inhibits TRPV1 activation by capsaicin in adult rat nociceptor neurons. Endocrinology. 2008; 149:5540-8. [Abstract]
  • Yan, H., Keast, J. Neurturin regulates postnatal differentiation of parasympathetic pelvic ganglion neurons, initial axonal projections, and maintenance of terminal fields in male urogenital organs. The Journal of Comparative Neurology. 2008; 507:1169-1183. [Abstract]
  • Forrest, S., Keast, J. Expression of receptors for glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor family ligands in sacral spinal cord reveals separate targets of pelvic afferent fibers. The Journal of Comparative Neurology. 2008; 506:989-1002. [Abstract]

2007

  
  • Kalous, A., Osborne, P., Keast, J. Acute and chronic changes in dorsal horn innervation by primary afferents and descending supraspinal pathways after spinal cord injury. The Journal of comparative neurology. 2007; 504:238-253. [Abstract]
  • Nangle, M., Keast, J. Reduced efficacy of nitrergic neurotransmission exacerbates erectile dysfunction after penile nerve injury despite axonal regeneration. Experimental neurology. 2007; 207:30-41. [Abstract]
  • Purves-Tyson, T., Arshi, M., Handelsman, D., Cheng, Y., Keast, J. Androgen and estrogen receptor-mediated mechanisms of testosterone action in male rat pelvic autonomic ganglia. Neuroscience. 2007; 148:92-104. [Abstract]
  • Brock, J., Handelsman, D., Keast, J. Postnatal androgen deprivation dissociates the development of smooth muscle innervation from functional neurotransmission in mouse vas deferens. The Journal of physiology. 2007; 581:665-678. [Abstract]

2006

  
  • Wanigasekara, Y., Keast, J. Nerve growth factor, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor and neurturin prevent semaphorin 3A-mediated growth cone collapse in adult sensory neurons. Neuroscience. 2006; 142:369-79. [Abstract]
  • Nangle, M., Keast, J. Loss of nitrergic neurotransmission to mouse corpus cavernosum in the absence of neurturin is accompanied by increased response to acetylcholine. British journal of pharmacology. 2006; 148:423-33. [Abstract]
  • Llewellyn-Smith, I., Weaver, L., Keast, J. Effects of spinal cord injury on synaptic inputs to sympathetic preganglionic neurons. Progress in brain research. 2006; 152:11-26. [Abstract]
  • Keast, J. Plasticity of pelvic autonomic ganglia and urogenital innervation. International review of cytology. 2006; 248:141-208. [Abstract]
  • Palma, C., Keast, J. Structural effects and potential changes in growth factor signalling in penis-projecting autonomic neurons after axotomy. BMC neuroscience [electronic resource]. 2006; 7:41. [Abstract]

2005

  
  • Llewellyn-Smith, I., Dicarlo, S., Collins, H., Keast, J. Enkephalin-immunoreactive interneurons extensively innervate sympathetic preganglionic neurons regulating the pelvic viscera. The Journal of comparative neurology. 2005; 488:278-289. [Abstract]
  • Wanigasekara, Y., Keast, J. Neurturin has multiple neurotrophic effects on adult rat sacral parasympathetic ganglion neurons. The European journal of neuroscience. 2005; 22:595-604. [Abstract]
  • Osborne, P., Halliday, G., Cooper, H., Keast, J. Localization of immunoreactivity for deleted in colorectal cancer (DCC), the receptor for the guidance factor netrin-1, in ventral tier dopamine projection pathways in adult rodents. Neuroscience. 2005; 131:671-81. [Abstract]

2004

  
  • Middleton, J., Keast, J. Artificial autonomic reflexes: using functional electrical stimulation to mimic bladder reflexes after injury or disease. Autonomic neuroscience : basic & clinical. 2004; 113:3-15. [Abstract]
  • Wanigasekara, Y., Airaksinen, M., Heuckeroth, R., Milbrandt, J., Keast, J. Neurturin signalling via GFRalpha2 is essential for innervation of glandular but not muscle targets of sacral parasympathetic ganglion neurons. Molecular and cellular neurosciences. 2004; 25:288-300. [Abstract]

2003

  
  • Bennett, H., Gustafsson, J., Keast, J. Estrogen receptor expression in lumbosacral dorsal root ganglion cells innervating the female rat urinary bladder. Autonomic neuroscience : basic & clinical. 2003; 105:90-100. [Abstract]
  • Wanigasekara, Y., Kepper, M., Keast, J. Immunohistochemical characterisation of pelvic autonomic ganglia in male mice. Cell and tissue research. 2003; 311:175-85. [Abstract]
  • Kanjhan, R., Osborne, P., Ouyang, M., Keast, J. Postnatal maturational changes in rat pelvic autonomic ganglion cells: a mixture of steroid-dependent and -independent effects. Journal of neurophysiology. 2003; 89:315-323. [Abstract]

Current national competitive grants*

2010

NHMRC Senior Research fellowship
Keast J
NHMRC Research Fellowship ($618,750 over 5 years)

2009

A new strategy to inhibit visceral pain
Cousins M, Keast J
ANZ College of Anaesthetists Research Grants ($50,000 over 1 year)

Modulation of autonomic nerve growth by guidance factors
Keast J, Nangle M
NHMRC Project Grants ($304,500 over 3 years)

2008

Plasticity and regeneration of bladder motor nerve circuits after injury
Keast J
NHMRC Project Grant ($319,875 over 3 years)

2006

Regeneration of pelvic autonomic axons after injury
Keast J
NHMRC Project Grant ($447,750 over 4 years)

2005

Senior Research Fellowship
Keast J
NHMRC Research Fellowships ($572,500 over 5 years)

Effects of estrogens on bladder pain
Keast J, Osborne P
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (USA) Research Support ($1,613,635 over 5 years)

* Grants administered through the University of Sydney