Dr Cathy Fernandes  BSc PhD PGCAP
RCUK Fellow
Academic Lecturer
Preclinical Models of Neurodevelopmental Disorders

email	contact this person
tel	020 7848 0662
fax	020 7848 0866
address	Institute of Psychiatry Box  P082 De Crespigny Park London United Kingdom, SE5 8AF
location	2.19 MRC, SGDP Centre
departments	MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre

biography

I originally trained as a psychopharmacologist working with rodent behavioural models of behaviour. My research includes work on factors influencing drug dependence, molecular mechanisms of antidepressant drug action and functional genomics of behaviour using both candidate gene association and gene expression profiling techniques. I have recently completed a Marie Curie Fellowship studying gene x environment interactions in depression at the Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience in the Netherlands.

I am currently on an RCUK Fellowship researching why cannabis use in adolescence is a risk factor for schizophrenia using animal models.

activities and interests

Teaching

Lecturing and project supervision (MSc Neuroscience)

Joint course organiser for the SGDP Centre Molecular Genetics Summer Institute

Training and supervision of Ph.D. students and technical staff

Research

Rodent models of emotionality (anxiety/ depression), exploratory activity, cognition, social behaviour and drug dependence. High throughput SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) hunting in behavioural candidate genes. Gene expression profiling using microarray technology.

teaching activities

MRC SGDP Centre 13th Annual Summer Institute
Course 3: "Introduction to Molecular Methods in Functional Genomics"
(Scientific Directors: Cathy Fernandes & Emma Dempster)

skills

Behavioural tests: rodent models of anxiety, exploratory activity, cognition and social behaviour

Human Cognitive Testing: assessment of memory, psychomotor performance, executive function, mood and attention

Cell Culture: neuronal cell lines (SK-N-SH; GnRH), COS-7 cells, smooth muscle cells (DDT1 MF-2)

Molecular Biology: Nucleic acid extraction, purification and amplification; DNA sequencing; SNP genotyping; cDNA synthesis; transfection of mammalian cells; expression cloning; Southern hybridisation; gene expression using microarray technology

Neurochemical assays: in vitro radiolabelled neurotransmitter release, cortisol/corticosterone radio and enzyme immunoassays, radioligand receptor binding (brain homogenates and intact cells)

publications

Citation Metrics available at Researcher ID (F-3422-2011)

Fernandes C, Grayton H, Poston L, Samuelsson AM, Taylor PD, Collier DA, Rodriguez A.(2011) Prenatal exposure to maternal obesity leads to hyperactivity in offspring. Mol Psychiatry. doi: 10.1038/mp.2011.164. [Epub ahead of print]

Kõks S, Soomets U, Plaas M, Terasmaa A, Noormets K, Tillmann V, Vasar E, Fernandes C, Schalkwyk LC. (2011) Hypothalamic gene expression profile indicates a reduction in G protein signaling in the Wfs1 mutant mice. Physiol Genomics. 43(24):1351-1358

Easton, AC, Lucchesi, W, Schumann, G, Giese, KP, Müller, CP, Fernandes, C. (2011) aCaMKII autophosphorylation controls exploratory activity to threatening novel stimuli. Neuropharmacology (doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.08.036)

Binder E, Malki K, Paya-Cano JL, Fernandes C, Aitchison KJ, Mathé AA, Sluyter F, Schalkwyk LC. (2011) Antidepressants and the resilience to early-life stress in inbred mouse strains. Pharmacogenet Genomics 21(12):779-789.

Casadio, P., Fernandes, C., Murray, R.M., Di Forti, M. (2011) Cannabis use in young people: The risk for schizophrenia. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 35:1779–1787

Wong, C.C., Mill, J., Fernandes, C. Drugs and addiction: an introduction to epigenetics. (2011) Addiction 106:480-489

Hooper C, Killick R, Fernandes, C., Sugden D, Lovestone S. (2011) Transcriptomic profiles of Wnt3a and insulin in primary cultured rat cortical neurones. J Neurochem 118: 512–520

#Kember, R., Fernandes, C., Tunbridge, E.M., Liu, L., Payá-Cano, J.L., Parsons, M.J., Schalkwyk, L.C. (2010) A B2 SINE insertion in the Comt1 gene (Comt1B2i) results in an overexpressing, behavior modifying allele present in classical inbred mouse strains. Genes Brain Behav 9: 925–932

Lad, H.V., Liu, L., Paya-Cano, J.L., Parsons, M.J., Kember, R., Fernandes, C., Schalkwyk, L.C. (2010) Behavioural battery testing: evaluation and behavioural outcomes in 8 inbred mouse strains. Physiol Behav 99:301-316

Kõks, S., Velthut, A., Sarapik, AS., Altmäe, S., Reinmaa, E., Schalkwyk, L.C., Fernandes, C., Lad, H.V., Soomets, U., Jaakma, Ü., Salumets, A. (2010) The differential transcriptome and ontology profiles of mural and cumulus granulosa cells in stimulated human antral follicles. Mol Hum Reprod 16:229-240

Smith, R., Kember, R., Mill, J., Fernandes, C., Schalkwyk, L.C., Buxbaum, J.D., Reichenberg, A. (2009) Advancing Paternal Age is Associated with Deficits in Social and Exploratory Behaviors in the Offspring: A Mouse Model. PLoS One 4:e8456

Davies, M.N., Lawn, S., Whatley, S., Fernandes, C., Williams, R.W., Schalkwyk, L.C. (2009) To what extent is blood a reasonable surrogate for brain in gene expression studies: estimation from mouse hippocampus and spleen. Frontiers in Neurogenomics 3:1-6

Meaburn, E.L., Fernandes,C., Craig, I.W., Plomin, R., Schalkwyk, L.C. (2009) Assessing Individual differences in genome-wide gene expression in human whole blood: reliability over four hours and stability over 10 months. Twin Res Human Genetics 12: 372-380

Kõks, S., Soomets, U., Paya-Cano, J., Fernandes, C., Luuk, H., Plaas, M., Terasmaa, A., Tillmann, V., Noormets, K., Vasar, E., Schalkwyk, L.C. (2009). Wfs1 gene deletion causes growth retardation in mice and interferes with the growth hormone pathway. Physiological Genomics 37:249-259

Wolterink–Donselaar, I.G., Meerding, J.M., Fernandes, C. (2009) ”Spot on method” for gender determination of newborn dark pigmented male and female mice. Lab Animal 38:35-38

Hessel, E.V., van Gassen, K.L., Wolterink-Donselaar, I.G., Stienen, P.J., Fernandes, C., Brakkee, J.H., Kas, M.J., de Graan, P.N. (2009) Phenotyping mouse chromosome substitution strains reveals multiple QTL’s for febrile seizure susceptibility. Genes Brain Behav 8:248-255

Quarta, D., Naylor, C., Barik, J., Fernandes, C., Wonnacott, S., Stolerman, I.P. (2009) Drug discrimination and neurochemical studies in alpha7 null mutant mice: tests for the role for nicotinic alpha7 receptors in dopamine release. Psychopharmacology 203:399-410

Kõks, S., Fernandes, C., Kurrikoff, K., Vasar, E., Schalkwyk, L.C. (2008). Gene expression profiling reveals upregulation of Tlr4 receptors in Cckb receptor deficient mice. Behav Brain Res 188:62-70

Lad, H.V., Liu, L., Paya-Cano, J.L., Fernandes, C., Schalkwyk, L.C. (2007) Quantitative traits for the tail suspension test: automation, optimization, and BXD RI mapping. Mamm Genome 18:482-491

Schalkwyk, L.C., Fernandes, C., Nash, M.W., Kurrikoff, K., Vasar, E., Koks, S. (2007) Interpretation of knockout experiments: the congenic footprint. Genes Brain Behav 6:299-303

Kas, M.J.H., Fernandes, C., Schalkwyk, L.C., Collier, D.A. (2007) Genetics of behavioural domains across the neuropsychiatric spectrum; of mice and men. Mol Psychiat 12:324-330

Hoyle, E., Genn, R.F., Fernandes, C., Stolerman, I.P. (2006) Impaired performance of alpha7 nicotinic receptor knockout mice in the five-choice serial reaction time task. Psychopharmacology 189:211-223

Fernandes, C., Hoyle, E., Dempster, E., Schalkwyk, L.C., Collier, D.A. (2006) Performance deficit of a7 nicotinic receptor knockout mice in a delayed matching-to-place task suggests a mild impairment of working/episodic-like memory. Genes, Brain & Behav 5:433-44025.

Galsworthy, M.J., Paya-Cano, J.L., Liu, L., Monleón, S., Gregoryan, G., Fernandes, C., Schalkwyk, L.C. & Plomin, R. (2005) Assessing Reliability, Heritability and General Cognitive Ability in a Battery of Cognitive Tasks for Laboratory Mice. Behav. Genetics 35: 675-692.

Naylor, C., Quarta, D., Fernandes, C. & Stolerman, I.P. (2005) Tolerance to nicotine in mice lacking alpha7 nicotine receptors. Psychopharmacology 180:558-563.

Meaburn, E., Butcher , L., Liu, L., Fernandes, C., Hansen, V., Al-Chalabi, A., Plomin, R., Craig, I., Schalkwyk, L.C. (2005) Genotyping DNA pools on microarrays: Solving the QTL problem of large samples and large numbers of SNPs. BMC Genomics 6:52.

Fernandes, C., Liu, L., Paya-Cano, J.L., Gregorová, S., Forejt, J., Schalkwyk, L.C. (2004) Behavioural characterisation of wild derived male mice (Mus musculus musculus) of the PWD/Ph inbred strain. Behav. Genetics 34(6):621-629

Butcher, L.M., Meaburn, E., Liu, L., Fernandes, C., Hill, L., Al-Chalabi, A., Plomin, R., Schalkwyk, L.C., Craig, I. Genotyping pooled DNA on microarrays: A systematic genome screen of thousands of SNPs in large samples to detect QTLs for complex traits. Behav. Genetics 34(5):549-555

Fernandes, C., Paya-Cano, J.L., Sluyter, F., D’Souza, U., Plomin R., Schalkwyk, L.C. (2004) Hippocampal gene expression profiling across eight mouse inbred strains: towards understanding the molecular basis for behaviour. Eur. J. Neurosci. 19:2576-2582

Stolerman, I.P., Chamberlain, S., Bizarro, L., Fernandes, C., Schalkwyk, L.C. (2004) The role of nicotinic receptor alpha-7 subunits in nicotine discrimination. Neuropharmacology 46(3): 363-371

Fluck, E., Fernandes, C., File, S.E. (2001) Are lorazepam-induced deficits in attention similar to those resulting from aging? J. Clin. Psychopharmacol. 21: 126-130

File, S.E., Fluck, E., Fernandes, C. (1999) Beneficial effects of glycine (Bioglycin) on memory and attention in young and middle-aged adults. J. Clin. Psychopharmacol. 19: 506-512

Fernandes, C., González, M.I., Wilson, C.A., File, S.E. (1999) Factor analysis shows that female rat behaviour is characterised primarily by activity, male rats are driven by sex and anxiety. Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. 64: 731-738

Fernandes, C., Arnot, M.I., Irvine, E.E., Bateson, A.N., Martin, I.L., File, S.E. (1999) The effect of treatment regimen on the development of tolerance to the sedative and anxiolytic effects of diazepam. Psychopharmacology 145: 251-259

Fernandes, C., File, S.E. (1998) Dizocilpine does not prevent the development of tolerance to the anxiolytic effects of diazepam in rats. Brain Res 815: 431-434

Fluck, E., Fernandes, C., File, S.E., Curran, H.V., Marshall, J. (1998) The influence of alcoholism and cirrhosis on benzodiazepine receptor function. Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. 59: 949-954

Fernandes, C., McKittrick, C.R., File, S.E. and McEwen, B.S. (1997) Decreased 5-HT1A and increased 5-HT2A receptor binding after chronic corticosterone associated with a behavioural indication of depression but not anxiety. Psychoneuroendocrinology 22: 477-491

Andrews, N., File, S.E., Fernandes, C., Gonzalez, L.E. and Barnes, N.M. (1997) Evidence that the median raphé nucleus - dorsal hippocampal pathway mediates diazepam withdrawal-induced anxiety. Psychopharmacology 130: 228-234

Fernandes, C., File, S.E. and Berry, D. (1996) Evidence against oppositional and pharmacokinetic mechanisms of tolerance to diazepam’s sedative effects. Brain Res. 734: 236-242

Kapczinski, F., Curran, V., Przemioslo, R., Williams, R., Fluck, E., Fernandes, C. and File, S.E. (1996) Cognitive impairments of alcoholic cirrhotic patients correlate with endogenous benzodiazepine receptor ligands and increased affinity of platelet receptors. J. Neurology Neurosurgery Psychiatry 60: 676-680

Harrison-Read, P., Tyrer, P., Lawson, C., Lack, S., Fernandes, C. & File, S.E. (1996) Flumazenil-precipitated panic and dysphoria in chronic benzodiazepine users prone to withdrawal problems: a possible aid to abstinence. J. Psychopharmacol. 10: 89-97

Fernandes, C. and File, S.E. (1996) The influence of open arm ledges and maze experience in the elevated plus-maze. Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. 54: 31-40

Fernandes, C., Andrews, N. and File, S.E. (1994) Diazepam withdrawal increases [3H]-5-HT release from rat amygdaloid slices. Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. 49: 359-362

File, S.E., Andrews, N., Fernandes, C. and Gonzalez, L.E. (1994). The role of 5-HT ligands in treating benzodiazepine and alcohol withdrawal. In: Critical issues in the treatment of affective disorders, Eds Langer, Mendlewicz and Racagni. Karler, pp 90-97

File, S.E. and Fernandes, C. (1994) Noise stress and the development of benzodiazepine dependence in the rat. Anxiety 1: 8-12

File, S.E. and Fernandes, C. (1994) Dizocilpine prevents the development of tolerance to the sedative effects of diazepam in rats. Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. 47: 823-826

Fernandes, C. and File, S.E. (1993) Beware the builders: construction noise changes [14C]-GABA release from hippocampal and amygdaloid slices in the rat. Neuropharmacology 32: 1333-1336

Harvey, P.W., Er, J., Fernandes, C., Rush, K.C., Major, I.R. and Cockburn, A. (1992) Corticosterone does not cause testicular atrophy in the rat: relevance to methylxanthines, ACTH and stress. Human Exp. Toxicol. 11: 505-509

last updated: Friday, February 03, 2012