Dr Mel Ziman

• Melanoma Research
• Developmental genetics
• Stem Cells

M. Ziman Track Record 2003-2008

Work in Dr Ziman’s laboratory is aimed at understanding developmental genes, particularly Pax genes and their involvement in cell proliferation, specification and migration. She has studied their expression and regulatory functions in embryogenesis and in adults from several different phyla and utilises mutant mouse models to aid understanding.
An area of particular interest is delineation of the importance of developmental genes in specification of melanoblasts as well as aberrant re-expression of these genes in malignant melanoma cells where they may contribute to tumour progression. A pilot study conducted in collaboration with several local clinicians has allowed us to develop the techniques required to identify the presence of circulating cells in peripheral blood of patients with Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma. Data we obtained from the pilot study will form the basis of a more comprehensive study aimed at identification of a comprehensive set of markers that characterise the metastatic cell.

Dr Ziman has published over 57 papers, and has been an invited speaker at several international cancer/melanoma conferences. She serves on the scientific advisory board of a US biotech company and recently established the ECU Melanoma Research Foundation to raise awareness of this disease.

Dr Ziman also edits scientific text books and is a reviewer for several journals including Nature Reviews Cancer.  She is the past West Australian state representative for the ANZ Society of Cell and Developmental Biology and was a local organising committee member for several conferences. 

Dr Ziman is the leader of her research group on developmental genetics. Her research team currently consists of 2 postdoctoral researchers, 5 PhDs, 1 MSc and 2 Medical Students. Since 2001 she has supervised several students to completion of postgraduate degrees (4 PhDs, 4 MScs and 8 BSc Hons). All PhD graduates have obtained excellent postdoctoral positions in prestigious laboratories world wide: Cambridge University, UK, Kings College London, UK, Columbia University, New York, USA and University of Pennsylvania, USA.

Invited oral presentations: 2008: World Cancer Congress Shanghai, China; ANS, Hobart;
2007: First World Meeting of Interdisciplinary Melanoma Centres, Barcelona, Spain; 2nd Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer Conference, Queenstown, New Zealand;
2006: Memorial Sloan Kettering Institute, NY, USA; Cambridge University, UK; Inaugural Neurobiology Symposium -Australian Neuroscience Society, Sydney.

Conference presentations: 20 International Conferences and 15 National Conferences since 1996

Reviewer – Journals: Nature Reviews Cancer, Kidney International, Journal of Experimental Biology, International Journal of Cancer, J. Cell Biol. BMC Development Biology.
Reviewer – Books: Knox Biology, McGraw Hill: Pharmacology, Pearson Education.

Conference organising committees: Developmental Biology Workshop, 2004; ComBio, 2004; Australian Neuroscience Society, 2005; Developmental Neurobiology Symposium, 2006; Combined Biological Science Meetings, 2001-2005.

Postgraduate research training award: 2004, for Postgraduate Research Supervision Excellence

2008, Vice Chancellors Citation for Sustained Excellence in Teaching,

Professional Societies: International Society Differentiation, ANZ Society Cell & Developmental Biology; American Neuroscience Society; Australian Neuroscience Society; Human Genetics Society.

Dr Mel Ziman Publications 2003-2008 (Career Total = 57)

MZ1.     M. Ziman, J. Rodger, S. Lukehurst, D. Hancock, S. Dunlop, L. Beazley. (2003) A dorso-ventral gradient of Pax6 in the developing retinasuggests a role in topographic map formation. Brain Research 140: 299-302.

MZ2.     J. Blake, M. Ziman. (2003) Aberrant PAX3 and PAX7 expression. A link to the metastatic potential of Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma? Histology and Histopathology. 18: 529-539.

MZ3.     T.M. Lamey, A. Koenders, M. Ziman. (2003) Pax7 transcript expression in skeletal muscle: implications for DMD. Journal of Muscle Research and Cell Motility. 24: 380.

MZ4.     M. Ziman, M. Thomas, J. Rodger, D. Hancock, S. Lukehurst, J. Thompson, S. Dunlop, L. Beazley. (2003)  Pax genes and retinotectal formation during development or after injury. Journal of Neurotrauma. 20: 312.

MZ5.     M. Thomas, S. Lazic, L. Beazley, M. Ziman. (2004) Expression profiles suggest a role for Pax7 in the establishment of tectal polarity and map refinement. Experimental Brain Research. 156: 263-273.

MZ6.     J. Thompson, F. Lovicu, M. Ziman. (2004) The role of Pax7 in determining the cytoarchitecture of the superior colliculus. Development, Growth and Differentiation. 46: 213–218.

MZ7.     T.M. Lamey, A. Koenders, M. Ziman. (2004). Pax genes in myogenesis and regeneration: alternate transcripts add complexity. Histology and Histopathology, invited. 19: 1289-1300.

MZ8.     K. Michalczyk and M. Ziman. (2005) Nestin structure and predicted function in cellular cytoskeletal organisation. Histology and Histopathology. 20: 665-671.

MZ9.     R. White, T. Lamey, M. Ziman and A. Koenders. (2005) Isolation and expression analysis of a Pax group III gene from the Cherax destructor. Development Genes and Evolution. 215: 306-312.

MZ10.   J. Blake, M. Ziman. (2005) Pax3 transcripts in melanoblast differentiation.  Development, Growth and Differentiation. 47: 627-635.

MZ11.   S. Johnston, R. Brightwell, M. Ziman. (2006). Prehospital management of AMI. Emergency Medical Journal. 23:331-334.

MZ12.   M. Thomas, L. Beazley, M. Ziman. (2006) A multiphasic role for Pax7 in tectal development. Experimental Brain Research. 169: 266-271.

MZ13.   J. Rodger, C. King, S. Lukehurst, P.Chen, S.A. Dunlop, L.D. Beazley, M.R. Ziman. (2006) Changing Pax6 expression correlates with axon outgrowth and restoration of topography during optic nerve regeneration. Neuroscience, 142: 1043- 1054.

MZ14.   R. B. White and M. Ziman (2006) A comparative analysis of shotgun-cloning and tagged-random amplification-cloning of chromatin immunoprecipitation-isolated genome fragments. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 346: 479-483.

MZ15.   J. Thompson, F. Lovicu, M. Ziman. (2007) Pax7 and superior collicular polarity: Insights from Pax6 (Sey) mutant mice. Experimental Brain Research. 178: 316-325.
      
MZ16.   M. Thomas, L. Beazley, R. Barker, M. Ziman. (2007) Pax7 expression in the adult rat superior colliculus following optic nerve injury. NeuroReport. 18: 105-109.

MZ17.   S. Medic, R. L. Pearce, P. J. Heenan, M. Ziman. (2007) Molecular Markers of  Circulating Melanoma Cells. Pigment Cell Research. 20: 80-91.

MZ18.   K. Michaelsky, M. Ziman. (2007) Current concepts in Human Prion Protein (Prp) misfolding, Prnp gene polymorphisms and their contribution to Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD). Histology and Histopathology, 22(10):1149-59.

MZ19:   R. White, M. Ziman. (2008) Genome-wide discovery of Pax7 target genes during development. Physiol Genomics. Epub ahead of print (January 15, 2008). doi:10.1152 / physiolgenomics. 00256.2007.