Rate My Professor Colin Brown

Brown examines the regulation of posterior pituitary hormone release, which affects blood pressure, body temperature, aggression, affection, milk production, labour, and lactation. Key discoveries include the activation of vasopressin neurons by high salt intake through BDNF-mediated KCC2 downregulation, impairing baroreflex inhibition and contributing to hypertension development (Neuron, 2015). He has demonstrated that oxytocin neurons selectively respond to kisspeptin late in pregnancy, potentially enabling targeted preterm birth management. Prominent publications include "Physiological pathways regulating the activity of magnocellular neurosecretory cells" (Progress in Neurobiology, 1999), "Physiological regulation of magnocellular neurosecretory cell activity: integration of intrinsic, local and afferent mechanisms" (Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 2013), "High salt intake increases blood pressure via BDNF-mediated downregulation of KCC2 and impaired baroreflex inhibition of vasopressin neurons" (Neuron, 2015), "Magnocellular neurons and posterior pituitary function" (Comprehensive Physiology, 2016), and "Prolactin regulation of oxytocin neurone activity in pregnancy and lactation" (Journal of Physiology, 2017). Funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand, Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden Fund, Lottery Health Research, University of Otago Research Grant, and Wellcome Trust, his work involves collaborations with institutions such as McGill University, University of Edinburgh, and Medical College of Georgia. Brown has presented public lectures on oxytocin neurons and brain function.