Professor Vaughan Macefield

• Biography
• Areas of Research / Teaching Expertise
• Grants / Current Projects
• Awards and Recognition
• Selected Publications
• Professional Activities
• Community Engagement
• Contact Details

Biography

Vaughan Macefield is Foundation Chair of Integrative Physiology at the School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, and a Conjoint Principal Research Fellow at the Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute (POWMRI). A former NMHRC Senior Research Fellow, he completed his PhD at UNSW in 1986, then undertook advanced training in human neurophysiology in Sweden and the USA. In 1994 he established his own laboratories at POWMRI, prior to joining UWS in 2006.
Vaughan specializes in recording from single nerve fibres via tungsten microelectrodes inserted into the peripheral nerves of awake human subjects, and is known internationally as a world expert in recording the firing properties of human sympathetic neurones in health and disease, and as a leading investigator in human sensorimotor control. He has active collaborations with many groups in Australia, Sweden and the USA, and has attracted postdoctoral scientists from Sweden, Denmark, Canada and Australia.
For the last seven years Vaughan has been examining the changes in control of the autonomic nervous system following human spinal cord injury, extending his research into the study of pain and its effects on the autonomic and somatic nervous systems, using brain imaging techniques (fMRI) to study the processing of pain.

^ Back to top

Areas of Research / Teaching Expertise

• Integrative physiology
• Neuroscience
• Microneurography
• fMRI (brain imaging)
  

^ Back to top

Grants / Current Projects

2006 - 2010
Optimising autonomous control with brain-like hierarchical systems
Funding: NHMRC/ARC Thinking Systems, $3,299,500 over 5 years.
Research Team: Breakspear M, Morley J, Sammut C, Lovell N, Mahli G, Lagopoulos J, Harris J, Goodhill G, Paxinos G, Macefield VG.

2009
Functional imaging of the brainstem and cortical sites of autonomic control in human subjects
Funding: UWS Research Grants Scheme, $25,000
Research Team: Macefield VG, Henderson LA

2008
The role of the sympathetic nervous system in primary and secondary hypertension
Funding: UWS Research Grants Scheme, $25,000
Research Team: Macefield VG, Hennessy AM, Bune A

2006 - 2008
Sympathetic control of cutaneous blood flow and blood pressure in human spinal cord injury
Funding: NHMRC, $344,250 over 3 years
Research Team: Macefield VG.

2005 - 2008
Altered nerve and muscle excitability below a spinal cord injury - challenges for functional recovery
Funding: NSW Ministry of Science and Medical Research, $1,500,000 over 4 years
Research Team: McLachlan E, Brock J, Kiernan M, Macefield VG.

2006 -2007
Role of nitric oxide in blood pressure control
Funding: National Heart Foundation, $120,000 over 2 years.
Research Team: Macefield VG, Sander M, Celermajer D.

2005 - 2007
The autonomic, somatic and central neural responses to deep and superficial pain in human subjects
Funding: NHMRC $369,750 over 3 years
Research Team: Macefield VG, Henderson LA

^ Back to top

Awards and Recognition

• NHMRC Senior Research Fellow, 2001-2006
• NHMRC Research Fellow 1999-2000
• NHMRC R D Wright Fellow, Senior Research Scientist 1995-1998
• Sunderland Award, Ian Potter Foundation 1996
• NHMRC CJ Martin Fellow 1994
• John B Pierce Visiting Assistant Fellow, Yale University, USA 1992
• NHMRC CJ Martin Travelling Fellowship, 1990-1992
• NHMRC Research Officer 1986-1990
• Commonwealth Postgraduate Research Award 1983
• Asthma Foundation of New South Wales 1982
  

^ Back to top

Selected Publications

Book Chapters

Macefield VG. Long loop reflexes
Macefield VG. Tactile C fibres
Macefield VG, Birznieks I. Cutaneous mechanoreceptors, functional behaviour
Macefield VG. Proprioception, role of joint receptors.

In: Windhorst U, Binder M, Hirokawa N (Eds): Encyclopedia of Neuroscience. Springer, Heidelberg, Germany 2008

Burke D, Gandevia SC & Macefield VG, Microneurography and motor disorders, In: Hallett M, (Volume Editor), Daube JR, Mauguière F (Series Editors): Handbook of Clinical Neurophysiology, Volume 1 Movement Disorders, Elsevier Health Sciences, Amsterdam, pp153-162, 2003.

Refereed Journal Articles

Brown R, Burton AR & Macefield VG, Input-output relationships of a somatosympathetic reflex in human spinal cord injury, Clinical Autonomic Research 2009 (provisionally accepted)

Wrigley PJ, Press SR, Gustin SM, Macefield VG, Gandevia SC, Cousins MJ, Middleton JW, Henderson LA, Siddall PJ. Neuropathic pain and primary somatosensory cortex reorganization following spinal cord injury. Pain. 2009; 141: 52-59

Wrigley PJ, Gustin SM, Macey PM, Nash PG, Gandevia SC, Macefield VG, Siddall PJ & Henderson LA, Anatomical changes in human motor cortex and motor pathways following complete thoracic spinal cord injury. Cerebral Cortex 2009; 19: 224-232

Burton AR, Birznieks I, Bolton PS, Henderson LA & Macefield VG, The effects of deep and superficial experimentally-induced acute pain on muscle sympathetic nerve activity in human subjects. Journal of Physiology 2009; 587: 183-193

Brown R, Stolzenhein G, Engel S & Macefield VG, Cutaneous vasoconstriction as a measure of incipient autonomic dysreflexia during penile vibratory stimulation in spinal cord injury, Spinal Cord 2008; Dec 16. [Epub ahead of print]

Birznieks I, Burton AR & Macefield VG, Does muscle pain increase muscle stiffness? Physiology News 2008; 73: 21-22

Macefield VG, Sverrisdottir YB, Elam E, Harris J. Firing properties of sudomotor neurones in hyperhidrosis and thermal sweating. Clinical Autonomic Research. 2008; 18: 325-330

Burton A, Brown R, Macefield VG. Selective activation of muscle and skin nociceptors does not trigger exaggerated sympathetic responses in spinal injured subjects, Spinal Cord. 2008; 46: 660-665

Brown R, Macefield VG. Assessing the capacity of the sympathetic nervous system to respond to a cardiovascular challenge in human spinal cord injury. Spinal Cord. 2008; 46: 666-672

Birznieks I, Burton AR, Macefield VG. The effects of experimental muscle and skin pain on the static stretch sensitivity of human muscle spindles in relaxed leg muscles. Journal of Physiology. 2008; 586:2713-2723.

McNulty PA, Galea V, Fallon JB, Bent LR, Macefield V. Low-threshold afferent signalling of viscous loads during voluntary movements of the human digits. Neuroreport. 2008; 19:1049-1054.

Henderson LA, Gandevia SC, Macefield VG. Gender differences in brain activity evoked by muscle and cutaneous pain: a retrospective study of single-trial fMRI data, NeuroImage. 2008; 39:1867-1876.

Fallon JB, Macefield VG. Vibration sensitivity of human muscle spindles and Golgi tendon organs. Muscle & Nerve. 2007; 36:21-29.

Brown R, Engel S, Wallin BG, Elam M, Macefield VG. Assessing the integrity of sympathetic pathways in spinal cord injury, Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical. 2007; 134:61-68.

Bent LR, Bolton PS, Macefield VG. Vestibular inputs do not influence the fusimotor system in relaxed muscles of the human leg. Experimental Brain Research. 2007; 180:97-100.

Lin SY, Macefield VG, Elam M, Wallin BG, Engel S, Kiernan MC. Axonal changes in spinal cord injured patients distal to the site of injury. Brain. 2007; 130:985-994.

Clarke CE, McNulty PA, Macefield VG, Bilston LE. Mechanically evoked sensory and motor responses to dynamic compression of the ulnar nerve. Muscle & Nerve. 2007; 35:303-311.

Macefield VG, Gandevia SC, Henderson LA. Discrete changes in cortical activation during experimentally induced referred muscle pain: a single-trial fMRI study, Cerebral Cortex. 2007; 17:2050-2059.

Henderson LA, Gandevia SC, Macefield VG. Somatotopic organization of the processing of muscle and cutaneous pain in the left and right insula cortex: a single-trial fMRI study. Pain. 2007;128:20-30.

Macefield VG, Gandevia SC, Henderson LA. Neural sites involved in the sustained increase in muscle sympathetic nerve activity induced by inspiratory-capacity apnea - a fMRI study. Journal of Applied Physiology. 2006; 100:266-273.

Bent LR, Bolton PS, Macefield VG. Modulation of muscle sympathetic bursts by sinusoidal galvanic vestibular stimulation in human subjects, Experimental Brain Research. 2006; 174:701-711.

Henderson LA, Bandler R, Gandevia SC, Macefield VG. Distinct forebrain activity patterns during deep versus superficial pain. Pain. 2006; 120:286-296.

Fallon JB, Bent LR, McNulty PA, Macefield VG. Evidence for strong synaptic coupling between single tactile afferents from the sole of the foot and motoneurones supplying leg muscles. Journal of Neurophysiology. 2005; 94:3795-3804.

Bolton PS, Wardman DL, Macefield VG. Absence of short-term vestibular modulation of muscle sympathetic outflow, assessed by brief galvanic vestibular stimulation in human subjects. Experimental Brain Research. 2004; 154:39-43.

Macefield VG, Elam M. Comparison of the firing patterns of human postganglionic sympathetic neurones and spinal alpha motoneurones during brief bursts. Experimental Physiology. 2004; 89:82-88.

Macefield VG, Elam M. Does sympathetic nerve discharge affect the firing of myelinated cutaneous afferents in humans? Autonomic Neuroscience. 2004; 111;116

^ Back to top

Professional Activities

Member, Society for Neuroscience (USA)
Member, International Society for Autonomic Neuroscience
Member, American Autonomic Society
NSW State Coordinator Australian Brain Bee Challenge

Chair, Organising Committee for the 2009 meeting of the International Society for Autonomic Neuroscience and a member of the International Programming Committee for this meeting.
Member of the NHMRC Research Fellowships Interviewing Panel.

Chair, UWS School of Medicine Admissions Committee
Coordinator, UWS School of Medicine Research Colloquia
Member, UWS Human Research Ethics Committee
Member, UWS School of Medicine Indigenous Committee

Community Engagement

Public and school lectures on careers in medical research
Corporate lectures on the brain (eg IBM, ATO)
Hosting high-school work experience students in research laboratory
Organisation of public debates during Brain Awareness Week (broadcast on ABC radio)
Organisation and hosting series of public lectures on the brain at the Australian Museum
Founding Member of Healthy Brain program of the Brain Foundation promoting public awareness of the Brain

^ Back to top