Dr Beth Allison is a vascular physiologist with a strong interest in the developmental programming of health and disease. Beth is a recipient of the NHMRC Investigator Grant and works with the Neurodevelopment and Neuroprotection and the Perinatal Transition research group in The Ritchie Centre.

Beth obtained her PhD from Monash University in 2008 working with Professor Stuart Hooper and Dr Kelly Crossley where she studied the role of mechanical ventilation in the development of lung injury in very preterm fetal sheep.

Beth’s research focuses on how the cardiovascular system grows and develops in fetuses who do not receive enough oxygen and nutrients in utero. Through the use of large preclinical models her group hopes to identify how low oxygen and nutrient supply throughout gestation impacts on the cardiovascular system in the immediate perinatal period as well as into young adulthood. With this knowledge, Beth aims to target specific changes therapeutically to reduce the life long burden following a sub-optimal pregnancy.

Selected publications

• Inocencio IM, Polglase GR, Miller SL, Sehgal A, Sutherland A, Mihelakis J, Li A, Allison BJ (2019) Effects of Maternal Sildenafil Treatment on Vascular Function in Growth-Restricted Fetal Sheep. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Disease 39(4): 731-740

• Malhotra A, Allison BJ*, Castillo-Melendez M, Jenkin G, Polglase GR and Miller SL (2019) Neonatal morbidities of fetal growth restriction: Pathophysiology and impact. Frontiers in Endocrinology Accepted * Joint first author

• Allison BJ, Hooper SB, Coia E, Jenkin G, Malhotra A, Zahra V, Sehgal A, Kluckow M, Gill AW, Yawno T, Polglase GR, Castillo-Melendez M and Miller SL (2017) Does growth restriction increase the vulnerability to acute ventilation induced brain injury in newborn lambs? Implications for future health and disease. Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease. 2011, 1-10

•  Niu Y, Kane AD, Lusby CM, Allison BJ, Chua YY, Kaandorp JJ, Nevid-Dolan R, Ashmore TJ, Blackmore HL, Derks JB, Oxanne SE, Giussani DA (2018) Maternal Allopurinol Prevents Cardiac Dysfunction in Adult Offspring Programmed by Chronic Hypoxia during Pregnancy. Hypertension72, 971-978

• Sehgal A, Gwini SM, Menahem S, Allison BJ, Miller SL, Polglase GR (2018) Preterm growth restriction and bronchopulmonary dysplasia: The vascular hypothesis and related physiology. Journal of Physiology. Epub

• Allison BJ, Kaandorp JJ, Kane AD, Camm EJ, Lusby C, Cross CM, Nevin-Dolan R, Thakor AS, Derks JB, Tarry-Adkins JL, Ozanne SE Giussani DA (2016) Divergence of mechanistic pathways mediating cardiovascular aging and developmental programming of cardiovascular disease FASEB J 30(5): 1978-75