Rate My Professor Rachael Augustine

Dr. Rachael Augustine is a Research Fellow in the Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. She obtained her BSc, PGDipSci, MSc, and PhD degrees from the University of Otago. Her research specializes in the hypothalamic regulation of oxytocin and vasopressin neurons, particularly the control of sympathetic nerve activity by oxytocin-synthesizing neurons during pregnancy, lactation, and in conditions such as stress, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and myocardial infarction. Augustine examines neuroendocrine adaptations including kisspeptin signaling and projections to oxytocin neurons, leptin and prolactin regulation of neuronal sensitivity, changes in intrinsic excitability of magnocellular neurosecretory neurons, and O-linked glycosylation patterns in the hypothalamus. She is affiliated with the Centre for Neuroendocrinology and contributes to the Jones Lab's investigations into molecular mechanisms of heart disease and autonomic regulation.

Augustine has produced 36 peer-reviewed publications, garnering over 1,778 citations, reflecting her impact in neuroendocrinology and cardiovascular physiology. Key publications include 'Mapping O-linked glycosylation in the rat hypothalamus in pregnancy and lactation' (Murrell et al., Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 2025), 'Kisspeptin neuron projections to oxytocin neurons are not necessary for parturition in the mouse' (Kumar et al., Brain Structure & Function, 2023), 'Central Kisspeptin Does Not Affect ERK1/2 or p38 Phosphorylation in Oxytocin Neurons of Late-Pregnant Rats' (2022), 'Plasticity in Intrinsic Excitability of Hypothalamic Magnocellular Neurosecretory Neurons in Late-Pregnant and Lactating Rats' (2021), and 'Acute myocardial infarction activates magnocellular vasopressin and oxytocin neurones' (2019). She has received a National Heart Foundation of New Zealand Small Project Grant in 2023 ($13,747) for research on oxytocin neuron activation post-myocardial infarction. Augustine supervises PhD students, delivers research seminars such as 'Can love break your heart? Oxytocin neuron activation after a myocardial infarction,' and earned earlier honors including Best Student Speaker from the New Zealand Society for Endocrinology and an AWE-Merit certificate from the Endocrine Society of Australia.