Rate My Professor Greg Anderson

Professor Greg Anderson is Professor and Head of the Department of Anatomy in the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Otago, where he leads the Anderson Neuroendocrinology Research Group as part of the Centre for Neuroendocrinology. He obtained a Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Honours) and a PhD from Lincoln University, Canterbury. During his PhD and subsequent postdoctoral fellowships at West Virginia University and Massey University, Anderson investigated the central neural mechanisms underlying seasonal control of fertility in sheep and red deer. Since establishing his independent research group at the University of Otago in 2004, he has developed a prominent programme exploring the neuroendocrine control of reproduction, with a focus on how metabolic factors such as leptin, insulin, and ghrelin act in the brain to regulate fertility.

Anderson's research specializations centre on neuroendocrinology, elucidating the roles of nutritional cues and neuropeptides like RFamide-related peptide-3 (RFRP-3, also known as gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone or GnIH) in modulating gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons and luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion. He has led efforts in characterizing the neurobiology of RFRP-3 as a modulator of reproduction in mammals, investigating effects of reproductive experience on central prolactin actions, and examining interactions between metabolism, stress, and fertility. His methodologies include transgenic animal models, single-cell measurement techniques, and visualization of cell signalling in target neurons, with applications to infertility treatments and contraceptive development. Anderson has authored over 45 peer-reviewed publications, garnering more than 5,400 citations and an h-index of 22. Key recent works include Evans et al. (2025) 'RFRP neurons are required for acute stress-induced suppression of the estrogen-stimulated LH surge in female mice' (Endocrinology); Lord et al. (2025) 'A leptin receptor mutation which impairs fertility in ewes causes delayed puberty in male and female mice' (Endocrinology); Sugrue et al. (2025) 'The androgen clock is an epigenetic predictor of long-term male hormone exposure' (PNAS); and Rogers et al. (2025) 'Modelling menstruation in the common mouse: A narrative review' (Reproduction, Fertility & Development).