Journal of Multiple Sclerosis

Biography

After completing a PhD at Monash University in the department of pharmacology with Prof Bevyn Jarrott and Dr Robert Widdop in 2001, Roulston commenced post-doctoral research in stroke with Prof Jarrott and Dr Jennifer Callaway investigating the effects of AM36 on brain inflammation. Roulston was recruited to The Howard Florey Institute under the leadership of Prof Greg Dusting in July 2002 with support from Neuroscience Victoria, where she conducted commercial research evaluating the effects of novel flavonoid compounds in recovery from stroke in rats. These studies lead to the establishment of a start-up company (NeuProtect P/L) with a BIF grant making an International Patent application in 2005 and subsequent capital raising approximately $15 million to progress to Phase I clinical trial. In 2005 Roulston moved with Dusting to the O’Brien Institute where she was awarded a NHF Research Grant-in-aid to commence independent studies investigating mechanisms involved in oxidative stress after ischaemic stroke in rats.  Since this time Roulston has expanded her research to include mechanisms associated with brain recovery after stroke and was appointed team leader of the Brain Injury and Repair group at OBI in 2009.  With support from the NHMRC, Roulston has been investigating the role of free radicals in angiogenesis as well as the use of human adult stem cells for transplant after stroke in collaboration with Dr Jeremy Crook and Dr Nao Kobayashi at the Centre for Neural Tissue Engineering at the University of Melbourne.  Dr Roulston also works in collaboration with prominent scientists at the department of Biochemistry Bio21, University of Melbourne, on a project investigating the role of protein kinases in excitotoxicity after stroke.  In an Important new move Roulston has recently been accepted to join the Department of Medicine University of Melbourne (St Vincent’s hospital) under the leadership of neurologist Professor Mark Cook. In March 2013 Roulston will move her team to the department of medicine which will enable Roulston to work more closely with leading clinicians who specialize in brain injury and disease. During her career Dr Roulston has prepared 10 peer-reviewed project grant applications of which 6 were successfully funded, including an NHMRC project grant and two National Heart Foundation Grants-in-Aid. Roulston’s publications also include two invited book chapters and two invited review articles.

Research Interest

Ischaemic stroke; stroke outcome; stroke models; neuroprotection; neuronal regeneration; adult stem cells; vascular remodeling; excitotoxicity; protein kinases