Ruparelia Laboratory: Muscle Growth, Regeneration and Ageing

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  Head of Laboratory
  Dr Avnika Ruparelia

  avnika.ruparelia@unimelb.edu.au

  View researcher's webpage

  +61 3 8344 8786

Research Overview

View Dr Ruparelia's latest Orcid publications listing here

The Ruparelia group's research investigates the biology of skeletal muscle ageing, including age-related muscle diseases. Our innovative research program seeks to identify the cellular, molecular and metabolic mechanisms that contribute to muscle wasting and the decline in muscle function, during ageing and disease, and to identify clinically relevant therapies to prevent or reverse these pathologies. Using the unique advantages of the zebrafish model, and a new experimental system – that of the African killifish, an extremely short-lived vertebrate – we are focused on four inter-linked themes:

1. Regulation of muscle fibre atrophy: Why is there a loss in muscle mass during ageing and disease, and can we identify strategies to prevent it from occurring?
2. Muscle stem cell dynamics during growth: Fish have an incredible capacity to grow by making new muscle cells throughout their life, which is something humans cannot do. Can we identify the processes regulating the addition of new muscle cells, and apply that to ageing and/or diseased muscle, and subsequently prevent wasting?
3. Muscle regeneration: Muscle has a remarkable ability to regenerate following injury. How is this regulated and how can we boost the system during ageing and disease to improve the regenerative capacity of muscle?
4. Metabolism in ageing. How do changes in metabolism contribute to ageing, muscle disease, and lifespan?

Staff

Anna Quach

Collaborators

Prof. Gordon Lynch, Centre for Muscle Research, The University of Melbourne

Prof. Peter Currie, Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute

A/Prof Mirana Ramialison, Murdoch Children's Research Institute

Dr Peter Houweling, Murdoch Children's Research Institute

Prof. Christoph Englert, Leibniz Institute on Ageing

Funding

2022 - 2027 MRFF - Chronic Musculoskeletal Conditions in Children and Adolescents Grant Amount: $2.5M Year

Research Opportunities

This research project is available to PhD students, Masters by Research, Honours students to join as part of their thesis.
Please contact the Research Group Leader to discuss your options.