Dr Alexander Ross

Dr Alexander Ross
Dr Alexander Ross
Dr Alexander Ross

Advanced Research Fellow

About
Research

Research Overview

In our research we are investigating how different foods and their constituents inform fullness and satiety to the brain. The objectives are to identify how cells of the gut and liver respond differently to different nutrients, and also how these nutrients may differentially affect metabolism to promote improved health. We are also interested in how diet-induced differences in the gut microbiome may alter host metabolism and health. The research results should provide evidence which, after validation in human trials, may be released as advice to the general public, or as product formulation advice to the food or drug industry aimed at healthy weight management. 

We use molecular biology and biochemical approaches including Next Generation Sequencing, Real-time PCR, in situ hybridization and Western blotting to identify target genes and exploit novel in vivo agonist/antagonist or antibody delivery in techniques aimed at addressing functional responses.

 

Research team

Prof Alexandra Johnstone

Claire Fyfe - Research Assistant

Gail Hepseed - Research assistant

 

 

Funding and Grants

Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council (BBSRC) grant number BB/K001043/1 entitled: Inflammatory signals regulate neuroendocrine control of growth and energy balance through re-modelling of mammalian hypothalamus.

Publications

Page 1 of 1 Results 1 to 50 of 50

  • Antimicrobial effects of synthetic phenolic antioxidants on dietary fibre degrading bacteria

    Shallangwa, S., Morgan, P. J., Walker, A. W., Ross, A. W.
    Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, vol. 81, no. OCE1, 47
    Contributions to Journals: Abstracts
  • Diet induced obesity is independent of metabolic endotoxemia and TLR4 signalling, but markedly increases hypothalamic expression of the acute phase protein, SerpinA3N

    Dalby, M. J., Aviello, G., Ross, A. W., Walker, A. W., Barrett, P., Morgan, P. J.
    Scientific Reports, vol. 8, 15648
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Dietary Uncoupling of Gut Microbiota and Energy Harvesting from Obesity and Glucose Tolerance in Mice

    Dalby, M. J., Ross, A. W., Walker, A. W., Morgan, P. J.
    Cell Reports, vol. 21, no. 6, pp. 1521-1533
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Expression of the retinoic acid catabolic enzyme CYP26B1 in the human brain to maintain signaling homeostasis

    Stoney, P. N., Fragoso, Y., Bu Saeed, R., Ashton, A., Goodman, T., Simons, C., Gomaa, M. S., Sementilli, A., Sementilli, L., Ross, A. W., Morgan, P. J., McCaffery, P. J.
    Brain Structure and Function, vol. 221, no. 6, pp. 3315-3326
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • A neuroendocrine role for chemerin in hypothalamic remodelling and photoperiodic control of energy balance

    Helfer, G., Ross, A. W., Thomson, L. M., Mayer, C. D., Stoney, P. N., McCaffery, P. J., Morgan, P. J.
    Scientific Reports, vol. 6, 26830
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Effects of Dietary Fibre (Pectin) and/or Increased Protein (Casein or Pea) on Satiety, Body Weight, Adiposity and Caecal Fermentation in High Fat Diet-Induced Obese Rats

    Adam, C. L., Gratz, S. W., Peinado, D. I., Thomson, L. M., Garden, K. E., Williams, P. A., Richardson, A. J., Ross, A. W.
    PloS ONE, vol. 11, no. 5, e0155871
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Soluble Fermentable Dietary Fibre (Pectin) Decreases Caloric Intake, Adiposity and Lipidaemia in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Rats

    Adam, C. L., Thomson, L. M., Williams, P. A., Ross, A. W.
    PloS ONE, vol. 10, no. 10, e0140392
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Photoperiod Regulates Lean Mass Accretion, but Not Adiposity, in Growing F344 Rats Fed a High Fat Diet

    Ross, A. W., Russell, L., Helfer, G., Thomson, L. M., Dalby, M. J., Morgan, P. J.
    PloS ONE, vol. 10, no. 3, 0119763
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Photoperiodic effects on seasonal physiology, reproductive status and hypothalamic gene expression in young male F344 rats

    Tavolaro, F. M., Thomson, L. M., Ross, A. W., Morgan, P. J., Helfer, G.
    Journal of Neuroendocrinology, vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 79-87
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Dose-dependent effects of a soluble dietary fibre (pectin) on food intake, adiposity, gut hypertrophy and gut satiety hormone secretion in rats

    Adam, C. L., Williams, P. A., Garden, K. E., Thomson, L. M., Ross, A. W.
    PloS ONE, vol. 10, no. 1, 0115438
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • A Thyroid Hormone Challenge in Hypothyroid Rats Identifies T3 Regulated Genes in the Hypothalamus and in Models with Altered Energy Balance and Glucose Homeostasis

    Herwig, A., Campbell, G., Mayer, C., Boelen, A., Anderson, R. A., Ross, A. W., Mercer, J. G., Barrett, P.
    Thyroid : official journal of the American Thyroid Association, vol. 24, no. 11, pp. 1575-1593
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Different types of soluble fermentable dietary fibre decrease food intake, body weight gain and adiposity in young adult male rats

    Adam, C. L., Williams, P. A., Dalby, M. J., Garden, K., Thomson, L. M., Richardson, A. J., Gratz, S. W., Ross, A. W.
    Nutrition & Metabolism, vol. 11, 36
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Neuromedin U partly mimics thyroid stimulating hormone and triggers Wnt/β-Catenin signalling in the photoperiodic response of F344 rats

    Helfer, G., Ross, A. W., Morgan, P. J.
    Journal of Neuroendocrinology, vol. 25, no. 12, pp. 1264-1272
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Patterning of retinoic acid signaling and cell proliferation in the hippocampus

    Goodman, T., Crandall, J. E., Nanescu, S. E., Quadro, L., Shearer, K., Ross, A., McCaffery, P.
    Hippocampus, vol. 22, no. 11, pp. 2171-2183
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Photoperiodic Expression of Two RALDH Enzymes and the Regulation of Cell Proliferation by Retinoic Acid in the Rat Hypothalamus

    Shearer, K. D., Stoney, P. N., Nanescu, S. E., Helfer, G., Barrett, P., Ross, A. W., Morgan, P. J., McCaffery, P.
    Journal of Neurochemistry, vol. 122, no. 4, pp. 789-799
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Photoperiod regulates vitamin A and Wnt/β-catenin signaling in F344 rats

    Helfer, G., Ross, A. W., Russell, L., Thomson, L. M., Shearer, K. D., Goodman, T. H., McCaffery, P. J., Morgan, P. J.
    Endocrinology, vol. 153, no. 2, pp. 815-824
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Thyroid hormone signalling genes are regulated by photoperiod in the hypothalamus of F344 rats

    Ross, A. W., Helfer, G., Russell, L., Darras, V. M., Morgan, P. J.
    PloS ONE, vol. 6, no. 6, e21351
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Photoperiodic regulation of retinoic acid signaling in the hypothalamus

    Shearer, K. D., Goodman, T. H., Ross, A., Reilly, L., Morgan, P. J., McCaffery, P. J. A.
    Journal of Neurochemistry, vol. 112, no. 1, pp. 246-257
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Divergent regulation of hypothalamic neuropeptide Y and agouti-related protein by photoperiod in F344 rats with differential food intake and growth

    Ross, A., Johnson, C. E., Bell, L., Reilly, L., Duncan, J., Barrett, P., Heideman, P. D., Morgan, P. J.
    Journal of Neuroendocrinology, vol. 21, no. 7, pp. 610-619
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Photoperiod Regulates Genes Encoding Melanocortin 3 and Serotonin Receptors and Secretogranins in the Dorsomedial Posterior Arcuate of the Siberian Hamster

    Nilaweera, K. N., Archer, Z. A., Campbell, G. P., Mayer, C., Balik, A., Ross, A., Mercer, J., Ebling, F. J. P., Morgan, P. J., Barrett, P.
    Journal of Neuroendocrinology, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 123-131
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Diurnal profiles of hypothalamic energy balance gene expression with photoperiod manipulation in the Siberian hamster, Phodopus sungorus

    Ellis, C., Moar, K., Logie, T., Ross, A., Morgan, P. J., Mercer, J.
    American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, vol. 294, no. 4, pp. R1148-R1153
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Hypothalamic thyriod hormone in appetite and energy balance regulation

    Herwig, A., Ross, A., Nilaweera, K., Morgan, P. J., Barrett, P.
    Obesity Facts, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 71-79
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Hypothalamic Thyroid Hormone Catabolism Acts as a Gatekeeper for the Seasonal Control of Body Weight and Reproduction

    Barrett, P., Ebling, F. J. P., Schuhler, S., Wilson, D. L., Ross, A., Warner, A., Jethwa, P., Boelen, A., Visser, T. J., Ozanne, D. M., Archer, Z. A., Mercer, J., Morgan, P. J.
    Endocrinology, vol. 148, no. 8, pp. 3608-3617
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Photoperiodic regulation of cellular retinoic acid-binding protein 1, GPR50 and nestin in tanycytes of the third ventricle ependymal layer of the Siberian hamster

    Barrett, P., Ivanova, E., Graham, E. S., Ross, A., Wilson, D. L., Ple, H., Mercer, J., Ebling, F. J., Schuhler, S., Dupre, S. M., Loudon, A., Morgan, P. J.
    Journal of Endocrinology, vol. 191, no. 3, pp. 687-698
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Dynamic regulation of gene expression in the dmpARC and ependymal layer in the Siberian hamster during seasonal weight change

    Barrett, P., Wilson, D. L., Mercer, J., Ross, A., Bell, L., Ebling, F. J. P., Schuhler, A., Morgan, P. J.
    Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 7-8
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • The suppressor of cytokine signalling 3, SOCS3, may be one critical modulator of seasonal body weight changes in the Siberian hamster, Phodopus sungorus

    Tups, A., Barrett, P., Ross, A., Morgan, P. J., Klingenspor, M., Mercer, J.
    Journal of Neuroendocrinology, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 139-145
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • What can we learn from seasonal animals about the regulation of energy balance?

    Morgan, P. J., Ross, A., Mercer, J., Barrett, P.
    Progress in Brain Research, vol. 153, pp. 325-337
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Photoperiodic regulation of histamine H3 receptor and VGF messenger ribonucleic acid in the arcuate nucleus of the Siberian hamster

    Barrett, P., Ross, A., Balik, A., Littlewood, P. A., Mercer, J., Moar, K., Sallmen, T., Kaslin, J., Panula, P., Schuhler, S., Ebling, F. J., Ubeaud, C., Morgan, P. J.
    Endocrinology, vol. 146, no. 4, pp. 1930-1939
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Temporal changes in gene expression in the arcuate nucleus precede seasonal responses in adiposity and reproduction

    Ross, A., Bell, L., Littlewood, P. A., Mercer, J., Barrett, P., Morgan, P. J.
    Endocrinology, vol. 146, no. 4, pp. 1940-1947
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Photoperiodic regulation of hypothalamic retinoid signaling: Association of retinoid X receptor gamma with body weight

    Ross, A., Webster, C. A., Mercer, J., Moar, K., Ebling, F. J., Schuhler, S., Barrett, P., Morgan, P. J.
    Endocrinology, vol. 145, no. 1, pp. 13-20
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Photoperiodic programming of body weight through the neuroendocrine hypothalamus

    Morgan, P. J., Ross, A., Mercer, J., Barrett, P.
    Journal of Endocrinology, vol. 177, no. 1, pp. 27-34
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • The pars tuberalis as a target of the central clock

    Ross, A. W., Morgan, P. J.
    Cell and Tissue Research, vol. 309, no. 1, pp. 163-171
    Contributions to Journals: Literature Reviews
  • How does the melatonin receptor decode a photoperiodic signal in the pars tuberalis?

    Morgan, P. J., Messager, S., Webster, C., Barrett, P., Ross, A.
    Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol. 460, pp. 165-174
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Photoperiod regulates growth, puberty and hypothalamic neuropeptide and receptor gene expression in female Siberian hamsters

    Adam, C. L., Moar, K., Logie, T., Ross, A., Barrett, P., Morgan, P. J., Mercer, J.
    Endocrinology, vol. 141, no. 12, pp. 4349-4356
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Regulation of leptin receptor, POMC and AGRP gene expression by photoperiod and food deprivation in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus of the male Siberian hamster (Phodopus sungorus)

    Mercer, J., Moar, K. M., Morgan, P. J., Ross, A.
    Appetite, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 109-111
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Photoperiod regulates arcuate nucleus POMC, AGRP, and leptin receptor mRNA in Siberian hamster hypothalamus

    Mercer, J., Moar, K., Ross, A., Hoggard, N., Morgan, P. J.
    American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, vol. 278, no. 1, pp. R271-81
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Decoding photoperiodic time through Per1 and ICER gene amplitude

    Messager, S., Ross, A., Barrett, P., Morgan, P. J.
    PNAS, vol. 96, no. 17, pp. 9938-9943
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Melatonin receptors and signal transduction mechanisms

    Barrett, P., Morris, M., Choi, W. S., Ross, A., Morgan, P. J.
    Biological Signals and Receptors, vol. 8, no. 1-2, pp. 6-14
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • oPer1 is an early response gene under photoperiodic regulation in the ovine pars tuberalis

    Morgan, P. J., Ross, A., Graham, E. S., Adam, C. L., Messager, S., Barrett, P.
    Journal of Neuroendocrinology, vol. 10, no. 5, pp. 319-323
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • A novel interaction between inhibitory melatonin receptors and protein kinase C-dependent signal transduction in ovine pars tuberalis cells

    Ross, A., Webster, C. A., Thompson, M., Barrett, P., Morgan, P. J.
    Endocrinology, vol. 139, no. 4, pp. 1723-1730
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Mel 1a melatonin receptor expression is regulated by protein kinase C and an additional pathway addressed by the protein kinase C inhibitor Ro 31-8220 in ovine pars tuberalis cells

    Barrett, P., Davidson, G., Hazlerigg, D. G., Morris, A., Ross, A., Morgan, P. J.
    Endocrinology, vol. 139, no. 1, pp. 163-171
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • The use of DNA fingerprinting to assess monozygotic twinning in Meishan and Landrace x Large White pigs

    Ashworth, C. J., Ross, A., Barrett, P.
    Reproduction, Fertility and Development, vol. 10, no. 6, pp. 487-490
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Melatonin suppresses the induction of AP-1 transcription factor components in the pars tuberalis of the pituitary

    Ross, A., Barrett, P., Mercer, J., Morgan, P. J.
    Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, vol. 123, no. 1, pp. 71-80
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • The ovine pars tuberalis secretes a factor(s) that regulates gene expression in both lactotropic and nonlactotropic pituitary cells

    Morgan, P. J., Webster, C. A., Mercer, J., Ross, A., Hazlerigg, D. G., MacLean, A., Barrett, P.
    Endocrinology, vol. 137, no. 9, pp. 4018-4026
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Phosphorylation of CREB in ovine pars tuberalis is regulated both by cyclic AMP-dependent and cyclic AMP-independent mechanisms

    McNulty, S., Ross, A. W., Shiu, K. Y., Morgan, P. J., Hastings, M. H.
    Journal of Neuroendocrinology, vol. 8, no. 8, pp. 635-645
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Interrelationships of protein and oestradiol secretion by conceptuses and endometrium from Meishan pigs on days 11-15 of pregnancy

    Ashworth, C. J., Ross, A. W., Flint, A. P. F.
    Animal Reproduction Science, vol. 43, no. 2-3, pp. 123-135
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Melatonin Regulates the Phosphorylation of CREB in Ovine pars Tuberalis

    MCNULTY, S., Ross, A., Barrett, P., HASTINGS, M. H., Morgan, P. J.
    Journal of Neuroendocrinology, vol. 6, no. 5, pp. 523-532
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • COMPARISONS BETWEEN PERIPHERAL PROGESTERONE CONCENTRATIONS IN CYCLIC AND PREGNANT LANDRACE X LARGE WHITE AND MEISHAN GILTS

    ASHWORTH, C. J., ROSS, A. W., HALEY, C. S.
    Reproduction, Fertility and Development, vol. 6, no. 6, pp. 777-782
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • NAD turnover and utilisation of metabolites for RNA synthesis in a reaction sensing the redox state of the cytochrome b6f complex in isolated chloroplasts

    Pearson, C. K., Wilson, S. B., Schaffer, R., Ross, A. W.
    European Journal of Biochemistry, vol. 218, no. 2, pp. 397-404
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • RESISTANCE OF THE KIDNEY BEAN RESERVE PROTEIN, PHASEOLIN, TO PROTEOLYSIS IN THE PORCINE DIGESTIVE-TRACT

    BEGBIE, R., ROSS, A. W.
    Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, vol. 61, no. 3, pp. 301-307
    Contributions to Journals: Articles