Katherine Brimblecombe
Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Research groups
I have been a member or Prof. Cragg's group since starting my DPhil in 2010, and when I graduated in 2013 I extended my stay as a post-doctoral researcher! I predominantly use fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FCV) to detect monoamines, especially dopamine with sub-second time resolution in rodent ex-vivo brain slices. To date, my work has focused on investigating the mechanisms controlling dopamine release between striatal sub-territories.
I am particularly interested in how local control of dopamine release differs between striatal sub-territories and how these differences correspond to healthy and disease states of the brain.
I am currently investigating the dynamic relationship between Ca2+ and dopamine release in the dorsal and ventral striatum, which we hope will provide insights into the eitiology and potential treatment options for Parkinson's disease. I have also investigated how dopamine transmission varies between the illusive striosome and matrix sub-territories.
Websites
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Science week 2025
How Science Week's 2025 theme made me reflect on how I talk about science. Written by Dr Katherine Brimblecombe
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“Now they help, now they don’t!” - A mysterious story about how L-type calcium channels help dopamine be released…but only sometimes!
A complete summary of Brimblecombe et al 2023 by lead author Katherine Brimblecombe
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Building another bridge! A mysterious story about how L-type calcium channels help dopamine be released…but only sometimes!
A blog post written by Dr Brimblecombe and Parkinson's UK for Medium Blog
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A story about how α-synuclein changes the comings and goings of dopamine
A complete summary of Threlfell et al 2021 by senior author Katherine Brimblecombe
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Bridging the gap between basic research and people with Parkinson’s
A blog post written by Dr Brimblecombe and Parkinson's UK for Medium Blog
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My Primary School Visit for Science Week
Written by Dr Brimblecombe for DPAG Outreach news
Recent publications
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Inhibition of striatal dopamine release by the L-type calcium channel inhibitor isradipine co-varies with risk factors for Parkinson's.
Journal article
Brimblecombe KR. et al, (2024), Eur J Neurosci, 59, 1242 - 1259
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Axo-glial interactions between midbrain dopamine neurons and oligodendrocyte lineage cells in the anterior corpus callosum.
Journal article
Caldwell M. et al, (2023), Brain Struct Funct, 228, 1993 - 2006
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Striatal Dopamine Transporter Function Is Facilitated by Converging Biology of α-Synuclein and Cholesterol.
Journal article
Threlfell S. et al, (2021), Front Cell Neurosci, 15
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GABA uptake transporters support dopamine release in dorsal striatum with maladaptive downregulation in a parkinsonism model.
Journal article
Roberts BM. et al, (2020), Nat Commun, 11
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Selective vulnerability in α-synucleinopathies.
Journal article
Alegre-Abarrategui J. et al, (2019), Acta Neuropathol, 138, 681 - 704