Lisa Chilton

Dr Lisa Chilton has been studying the cardiovascular system throughout her research career. She studied how the intestinal circulation was impaired with cirrhosis of the liver, the role of ATP-sensitive potassium channels in cardiac stunning, the role of membrane potential in activation of white blood cells, the role of potassium channels in controlling blood vessel diameter, and the electrophysiology of cardiac fibroblasts.

Dr Chilton has degrees from the University of Calgary in Canada and did a postdoctoral fellowship at Glasgow University in Scotland. She was also a visiting scientist in Pfizer's sexual health division in Sandwich, Kent, England, and in Professor Fran Ashcroft's lab in Oxford, England before joining James Cook University.

Dr Chilton has maintained her collaborations with colleagues in Canada and the UK. She is involved in research projects studying epicardial adipose tissue, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases including rheumatic heart disease and heart failure, & ischaemic preconditioning at James Cook University. In collaboration with Cardiothoracic Surgeons at Townsville University Hospital and the University of Newcastle, Dr Chilton has co-supervised an Honours and a Masters student whose projects involved epicardial adipose tissue in diabetic vs. non-diabetic patients undergoing open heart surgery.

In addition to her physiology research interests, Dr Chilton collaborates with Emeritus Professor Glen Chilton (ornithologist and behavioural ecologist) from St. Mary's University in Canada, studying the roosting behaviour of Pied Wagtails in the UK and of Sulfur-crested Cockatoos in Australia.

PUBLICATIONS

Peer-Reviewed Papers & Book Chapter:

Chilton G, Strickland J, Hayakijkosol O, Chilton L. In prep. Can Sulphur-crested Cockatoos (Cacatua sanguinea) make adaptive responses in their behaviour when a cyclone is imminent? To be submitted to the Journal of Urban Ecology.

Chilton G, Baker R, Chilton L. In prep. Communal nocturnal roosting behavior of Sulphur-crested Cockatoos (Cacatua sanguinea) and Little Correlas (Cacatua galerita). To be submitted to Ibis.

Chilton G, Chilton L. In prep. Communal nocturnal roosting behavior of Pied Wagtails, Motacilla alba yarrelli, in the UK may be an epiphenomenon. To be submitted to Ibis.

Krishnan A, Sharma H, Yuan D, Trollope AF, Chilton L. The Role of Epicardial Adipose Tissue in the Development of Atrial Fibrillation, Coronary Artery Disease and Chronic Heart Failure in the Context of Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Narrative Review. J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2022, 9, 217. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd9070217.

Krishnan A, Chilton E, Raman J, Saxena P, McFarlane C, Trollope AF, Kinobe R, Chilton L. Are Interactions between Epicardial Adipose Tissue, Cardiac Fibroblasts and Cardiac Myocytes Instrumental in Atrial Fibrosis and Atrial Fibrillation? Cells 2021, 10, 2501. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells10092501.

McArthur L, Riddell A, Chilton L, Smith GL, Nicklin S. Regulation of connexin 43 by interleukin 1β in cardiac fibroblasts and effects in an adult cardiac myocyte:fibroblast co-culture model. 2020 Heliyon 6 e03031.

Pertiwi KR, Hillman RM, Scott CA, Chilton EL. Ischemia reperfusion injury produces, and ischemic preconditioning prevents, rat cardiac fibroblast differentiation: role of KATP channels. 2019 J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 6(2):22.

Hem NA, Phie J, Chilton L, Kinobe R. A volume-pressure tailcuff method for hemodynamic parameters: Comparison of restrain and light isoflurane anesthesia in normotensive male Lewis rats. 2019 J Pharmcol Toxicol Methods 100:106601.

Gorton D, Sikder S, Williams NL, Chilton L, Rush, CM, Govan BL, Cunningham MW, Ketheesan N. Repeat exposure to group A streptococcal M protein exacerbates cardiac damage in a rat model of rheumatic heart disease. Autoimmunity. 2016 49:563-570.

Phie J, Haleagrahara N, Newton P, Constantinoiu C, Sarnyai Z, Chilton L, Kinobe R. Prolonged subcutaneous administration of oxytocin accelerates angiotensin II-induced hypertension and renal damage in male rats. PLoS One. 2015 10(9):e0138048. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0138048.

MacCannell KA, Chilton L, Smith GL, Giles WR. Mathematical simulations of sphingosine-1-phosphate actions on mammalian ventricular myofibroblasts and myocytes. IN: Cardiac Fibrosis and Heart Failure: Cause or Effect?, 2015, pp 299-322.

McArthur L, Chilton L, Smith GL, Nicklin SA. Electrical consequences of cardiac myocyte: fibroblast coupling. Biochem Soc Trans. 2015 Jun 1;43(3):513-8. doi: 10.1042/BST20150035.

Munns S, Chilton L. Demand evidence and think critically: building research excellence in tomorrow's scientists. In: Proceedings of the Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics Education, pp. 134-139. From: Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics Education, 29-30 September 2014, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Chilton L, Smirnov S, Loutzenhiser K, Wang X, Loutzenhiser R. Segment-Specific Differences in the Role of the Inward Rectifier K+ Channel Along the Rat Interlobular Artery. Cardiovasc Res 2011;92(1):169-77.

Freed DH, Chilton L, Li Y, Dangerfield AL, Raizman JE, Rattan CG, Visen N, Dixon IMC. Role of myosin light chain kinase in cardiotrophin-1induced cardiac myofibroblast cell migration. Am J Physiol. 2011;301(2):H514-22.

Figura M, Chilton L, Liacini A, Maric Viskovic M, Phan V, Knight D, Millar TM, Patel K, Kubes P, Giles WR, Tibbles LA. Blockade of KATP channels reduces endothelial hyperpolarization and leukocyte recruitment upon reperfusion after hypoxia. Am J Trans. 2008; 9(4):687-96.

Chilton L, Giles WR, Smith GL. Evidence for intercellular coupling between co-cultured rabbit ventricular myocytes and myofibroblasts. J Physiol. 2007;583:225-36.

MacCannell KA, Bazzazi H, Chilton L, Shibukawa Y, Clark RB, Giles WR.  A mathematical model of electrotonic interactions between ventricular myocytes and fibroblasts. Biophys J., 2007;92:4121-32.

Chilton L, Ohya S, Freed D, George E, Drobic V, Shibukawa Y, MacCannell KA, Imaizumi Y, Clark RB, Dixon IMC, Giles WR. K+ currents regulate the resting membrane potential, proliferation, and contractile responses in ventricular fibroblasts and myofibroblasts. Am J Physiol. 2005;288:H2931-H2939.

Shibukawa Y, Chilton EL, MacCannell KA, Clark RB, Giles WR. K+ currents activated by depolarization in cardiac fibroblasts. Biophysics Journal 2005;88:3924-3935.

Loutzenhiser R, Bidani A, Chilton L. Renal myogenic response. Kinetic attributes and physiological role. Circ Res. 2002;90:1316-1324.

Chilton, L, Loutzenhiser R. Functional evidence for an inward rectifier potassium current in rat renal afferent arterioles. Circ Res. 2001;88:152-158.

Loutzenhiser, R, Chilton L, Trottier GT. Membrane potential measurements of renal afferent and efferent arterioles in the in vitro perfused hydronephrotic kidney. Am. J. Physiol. 1997;273:F307-F314.

Lee SS, Chilton EL, and Pak JM. Adenosine receptor blockade reduces splanchnic hyperemia in cirrhotic rats. Hepatology 1992;15:1107-1111.