Rate My Professor Simon McMullan

Professor Simon McMullan is a Professor in Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University. He obtained his BSc (Hons) in Physiology from the University of Manchester in 1998 and PhD in Physiology from the University of Bristol in 2002. His academic career at Macquarie University began in 2007, with appointment as Associate Professor in 2018 and promotion to Professor in 2023. As Group Leader of the Neurobiology of Vital Systems research node, he investigates the organisation of brainstem pathways underlying airways, breathing, and circulation. An integrative neuroscientist, McMullan focuses on the autonomic nervous system that subserves basic life support functions such as control of breathing and the cardiovascular system. His laboratory integrates viral tract tracing, optogenetics, electrophysiology, and computational tools to dissect central sympathetic premotor circuits.

McMullan's influential publications include 'A Student's Guide to Neural Circuit Tracing' (Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2019; 219 citations), co-authored with Saleeba et al., an essential primer on circuit mapping techniques; 'DeepSlice: rapid fully automatic registration of mouse brain histological images' (Nature Communications, 2023; Carey et al.), developing an AI-driven tool for connectomics; 'Neurons in the Intermediate Reticular Nucleus Coordinate Postinspiratory Activity, Swallowing, and Respiratory-Sympathetic Coupling in the Rat' (Journal of Neuroscience, 2019; Toor et al.); and 'PreBötzinger Complex Neurons Drive Respiratory Modulation of Cardiac Vagal Tone and Parasympathetic Activity' (eLife, 2020; Menuet et al.). With 3372 citations and h-index of 25 on Google Scholar, his research impacts understanding of autonomic integration relevant to hypertension and respiratory control. He teaches neuroscience to undergraduates in Psychology, Bachelor of Clinical Sciences, and Medical programs, supervises postgraduate students, and serves as Treasurer of the International Society for Autonomic Neuroscience. McMullan has secured grants including ARC Discovery Project DP120100920 and NHMRC APP1156727.