Ratings & reviews
Brings energy and passion to every lesson.
Taught by or worked with Margaret?
Add your rating. It takes about 30 seconds.
About Margaret
Dr Margaret Ryan serves as Senior Research Fellow and Senior Teaching Fellow in the Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, at the University of Otago. She holds a BSc (Hons) and PhD. Her research focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying learning and memory, particularly how memory-related brain regions are affected in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Utilizing molecular approaches including bioinformatics, qPCR, microarrays, sequencing, Western blotting, cell culture, and animal models, she investigates gene networks and pathways associated with memory formation, storage, and pathology. Recent projects explore the therapeutic potential of neuroprotective peptides from soluble amyloid precursor protein-alpha for Alzheimer's disease and related disorders, as well as the role of small RNA molecules like microRNAs in disease development. She is a member of the Neuroscience Research Group and contributes to the Brain Health Research Centre at the University of Otago.
Dr Ryan has received funding from the Neurological Foundation, including a grant in 2014 to support brain research. Her publications include Mockett, B. G., & Ryan, M. M. (2023). The therapeutic potential of the neuroactive peptides of soluble amyloid precursor protein-alpha in Alzheimer’s disease and related neurological disorders. Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology, 139, 93-101; Cawood, S. M. F., Williams, J. M., Ryan, M. M., Harrison, O. K., & Russell, B. R. (2024). Preliminary findings that Ketamine increases GABA levels in the amygdala two hours post infusion in people with treatment resistant anxiety (conference verbal presentation); Sweetman, E., et al. (2019). Changes in the transcriptome of circulating immune cells of a chronic fatigue syndrome cohort. Scientific Reports, 9(1), 236; Mackay, A., et al. (2018). A novel neuroinflammatory paradigm for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (conference abstract); and contributions to studies on microRNAs in anxiety disorders and ketamine interventions (2022-2024 conference proceedings). She has presented at events such as Queenstown Research Week, Brain Health Research Centre Annual Conference, and Australasian Winter Conference on Brain Research. Dr Ryan's work addresses the urgent need for treatments amid rising Alzheimer's cases in New Zealand.
Trending Biology Research & Publication News
AI Research Scooping: OpenAI & Anthropic Priority Disputes
Photo by Brecht Corbeel on Unsplash
Image Manipulation Detection Adoption Rising | AcademicJobs
Photo by Michael Shtern on Unsplash
AI Tools Flag Doctored Research Data | AcademicJobs
Photo by Emanuel Saleniuc on Unsplash
Molecular Structure Prediction Models in the Lab
Photo by ThisisEngineering on Unsplash
Beach Science: 7 Things to Teach Kids | AcademicJobs
Photo by Caroline Pasarin on Unsplash
Aquiline Nose: Genes That Control Nose Shape
Photo by Velizar Ivanov on Unsplash
Autophagy: What Research Reveals About Detox | AcademicJobs
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash