Conjoint Professor

Dr Bryce Vissel

Medicine & Health
School of Clinical Medicine

Bryce Vissel's work spans neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and spinal disorders as well as studies of the neural basis of learning and memory and movement mechanisms. 

 After being awarded his PhD in medical genetics from the University of Melbourne in 1991, Professor Vissel joined Garvan’s Neuroscience Division, where he was subsequently awarded a National Health and Medical Research Council CJ Martin Fellowship to pursue neuroscience research with Professor Stephen Heinemann at the world-leading Salk Institute in San Diego, USA. He spent 10 years at Salk, where he authored a number of seminal studies describing molecular mechanisms that regulate synaptic function and their role in behaviour and neurological diseases. He also received several prestigious awards – a Human Frontiers Award, a Fulbright Award and a Lieberman Award.

In late 2002, Professor Vissel returned to Garvan taking up a position as Head of the Neurodegenerative Diseases group in the Neuroscience Division. His team’s work at the Garvan since then has, among other things, provided new insights into synapse function and shown that the brain has far greater potential for regeneration and repair than previously thought. Professor Vissel is also an important contributor to a number of organisations. He is Chair of the Advisory Board of Cellmid Ltd, a member of the Board of Parkinson’s NSW, and scientific advisor to Alzheimer’s Australia and SpinalCure Australia.

  • Journal articles | 2023
    2023, 'Goal-Directed Action Is Initially Impaired in a hAPP-J20 Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease', eNeuro, 10, http://dx.doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0363-22.2023
    Journal articles | 2022
    2022, 'Outcome-selective reinstatement is predominantly context-independent, and associated with c-Fos activation in the posterior dorsomedial striatum', Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 187, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107556
    Journal articles | 2021
    2021, 'Brain health is independently impaired by E-vaping and high-fat diet', Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 92, pp. 57 - 66, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2020.11.028
    Journal articles | 2021
    2021, 'Broader insights into understanding tumor necrosis factor and neurodegenerative disease pathogenesis infer new therapeutic approaches', Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 79, pp. 931 - 948, http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/JAD-201186
    Journal articles | 2021
    2021, 'Engram size varies with learning and reflects memory content and precision', Journal of Neuroscience, 41, pp. 4120 - 4130, http://dx.doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2786-20.2021
    Journal articles | 2021
    2021, 'Extinction and discrimination in a Bayesian model of context fear conditioning (BaconX)', Hippocampus, 31, pp. 790 - 814, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/hipo.23298
    Journal articles | 2021
    2021, 'Parafascicular Thalamic and Orbitofrontal Cortical Inputs to Striatum Represent States for Goal-Directed Action Selection', Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 15, http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2021.655029
    Journal articles | 2020
    2020, 'A new mouse line with reduced GluA2 Q/R site RNA editing exhibits loss of dendritic spines, hippocampal CA1-neuron loss, learning and memory impairments and NMDA receptor-independent seizure vulnerability', Molecular Brain, 13, pp. 27, http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13041-020-0545-1
    Journal articles | 2020
    2020, 'Erratum: A Neuroethics Framework for the Australian Brain Initiative (Neuron (2019) 101(3) (365–369), (S0896627319300054), (10.1016/j.neuron.2019.01.004))', Neuron, 105, pp. 201, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2019.12.019
    Journal articles | 2020
    2020, 'Maladaptive Properties of Context-Impoverished Memories', Current Biology, 30, pp. 2300 - 2311.e6, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.040
    Journal articles | 2020
    2020, 'Medial Orbitofrontal Cortex Regulates Instrumental Conditioned Punishment, but not Pavlovian Conditioned Fear', , http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2020.05.12.092205
    Journal articles | 2020
    2020, 'Medial Orbitofrontal Cortex Regulates Instrumental Conditioned Punishment, but not Pavlovian Conditioned Fear.', Cereb Cortex Commun, 1, pp. tgaa039, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/texcom/tgaa039
    Journal articles | 2020
    2020, 'Novel Activity Detection Algorithm to Characterize Spontaneous Stepping During Multimodal Spinal Neuromodulation After Mid-Thoracic Spinal Cord Injury in Rats', Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, 13, http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnsys.2019.00082
    Journal articles | 2020
    2020, 'Targeting the cannabinoid receptor CB2 in a mouse model of l-dopa induced dyskinesia', Neurobiology of Disease, 134, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nbd.2019.104646
    Journal articles | 2020
    2020, 'The kainate receptor antagonist UBP310 but not single deletion of GluK1, GluK2, or GluK3 subunits, inhibits MPTP-induced degeneration in the mouse midbrain', Experimental Neurology, 323, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.expneurol.2019.113062
    Journal articles | 2019
    2019, 'A Neuroethics Framework for the Australian Brain Initiative', Neuron, 101, pp. 365 - 369, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2019.01.004
    Journal articles | 2019
    2019, 'Epidural Spinal Cord Stimulation Improves Motor Function in Rats With Chemically Induced Parkinsonism', Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 33, pp. 1029 - 1039, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1545968319876891
    Journal articles | 2019
    2019, 'Neurodegenerative disease treatments by direct TNF reduction, SB623 cells, maraviroc and irisin and MCC950, from an inflammatory perspective–a Commentary', Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 19, pp. 535 - 543, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14737175.2019.1618710
    Journal articles | 2019
    2019, 'Time dependent degeneration of the nigrostriatal tract in mice with 6-OHDA lesioned medial forebrain bundle and the effect of activin A on l-Dopa induced dyskinesia', BMC Neuroscience, 20, http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12868-019-0487-7
    Journal articles | 2018
    Clark IA; Vissel B, 2018, 'The inflammatory nature of post-surgical delirium predicts benefit of agents with anti-TNF effects, such as dexmedetomidine', Frontiers in Neuroscience, 12, http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2018.00257
    Journal articles | 2018
    Clark IA; Vissel B, 2018, 'Therapeutic implications of how TNF links apolipoprotein E, phosphorylated tau, α-synuclein, amyloid-β and insulin resistance in neurodegenerative diseases', British Journal of Pharmacology, 175, pp. 3859 - 3875, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.14471
    Journal articles | 2018
    Mladenova D; Barry G; Konen LM; Pineda SS; Guennewig B; Avesson L; Zinn R; Schonrock N; Bitar M; Jonkhout N; Crumlish L; Kaczorowski DC; Gong A; Pinese M; Franco GR; Walkley CR; Vissel B; Mattick JS, 2018, 'Adar3 is involved in learning and memory in mice', Frontiers in Neuroscience, 12, http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2018.00243
    Journal articles | 2018
    Morris GP; Clark IA; Vissel B, 2018, 'Questions concerning the role of amyloid-β in the definition, aetiology and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease', Acta Neuropathologica, 136, pp. 663 - 689, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00401-018-1918-8
    Journal articles | 2018
    2018, 'High dietary fat and sucrose results in an extensive and time-dependent deterioration in health of multiple physiological systems in mice', Journal of Biological Chemistry, 293, pp. 5731 - 5745, http://dx.doi.org/10.1074/jbc.RA117.000808
    Journal articles | 2018
    2018, 'L-Carnitine and extendin-4 improve outcomes following moderate brain contusion injury', Scientific Reports, 8, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-29430-6
    Journal articles | 2017
    Chan YL; Saad S; Machaalani R; Oliver BG; Vissel B; Pollock C; Jones NM; Chen H, 2017, 'Maternal cigarette smoke exposure worsens neurological outcomes in adolescent offspring with hypoxic-ischemic injury', Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 10, http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnmol.2017.00306
    Journal articles | 2017
    Clark IA; Vissel B, 2017, 'The meteorology of cytokine storms, and the clinical usefulness of this knowledge', Seminars in Immunopathology, 39, pp. 505 - 516, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00281-017-0628-y
    Journal articles | 2017
    Leake J; Zinn R; Corbit L; Vissel B, 2017, 'Dissociation between complete hippocampal context memory formation and context fear acquisition', Learning and Memory, 24, pp. 153 - 157, http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/lm.044578.116
    Journal articles | 2017
    Stayte S; Rentsch P; Tröscher AR; Bamberger M; Li KM; Vissel B, 2017, 'Activin A inhibits MPTP and LPS-induced increases in inflammatory cell populations and loss of dopamine neurons in the mouse midbrain in Vivo', PLoS ONE, 12, http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0167211
    Journal articles | 2017
    Stayte S; Vissel B, 2017, 'New hope for devastating neurodegenerative disease', Brain, 140, pp. 1177 - 1179, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/brain/awx064
    Journal articles | 2016
    Clark IA; Vissel B, 2016, 'Excess cerebral TNF causing glutamate excitotoxicity rationalizes treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and neurogenic pain by anti-TNF agents', Journal of Neuroinflammation, 13, http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12974-016-0708-2
    Journal articles | 2016
    Morris GP; Wright AL; Tan RP; Gladbach A; Ittner LM; Vissel B, 2016, 'A comparative study of variables influencing ischemic injury in the longa and koizumi methods of intraluminal filament middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice', PLoS ONE, 11, http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0148503
    Journal articles | 2016
    Wright AL; Vissel B, 2016, 'CAST your vote: Is calpain inhibition the answer to ALS?', Journal of Neurochemistry, 137, pp. 140 - 141, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jnc.13296
    Journal articles | 2015
    Clark IA; Vissel B, 2015, 'A Neurologist's Guide to TNF Biology and to the Principles behind the Therapeutic Removal of Excess TNF in Disease', Neural Plasticity, 2015, http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/358263
    Journal articles | 2015
    Clark IA; Vissel B, 2015, 'Amyloid β: One of three danger-associated molecules that are secondary inducers of the proinflammatory cytokines that mediate Alzheimer's disease', British Journal of Pharmacology, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.13181
    Journal articles | 2015
    Clark IA; Vissel B, 2015, 'Amyloid β: one of three danger-associated molecules that are secondary inducers of the proinflammatory cytokines that mediate Alzheimer's disease', British Journal of Pharmacology, 172, pp. 3714 - 3727, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.13181
    Journal articles | 2015
    Stayte S; Rentsch P; Li KM; Vissel B, 2015, 'Activin a protects midbrain neurons in the 6-hydroxydopamine mouse model of Parkinson's disease', PLoS ONE, 10, http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0124325
    Journal articles | 2014
    Clark IA; Vissel B, 2014, 'Inflammation-sleep interface in brain disease: TNF, insulin, orexin', Journal of Neuroinflammation, 11, http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1742-2094-11-51
    Journal articles | 2014
    Morris GP; Clark IA; Vissel B, 2014, 'Inconsistencies and Controversies Surrounding the Amyloid Hypothesis of Alzheimer's Disease', Acta Neuropathologica Communications, 2, http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40478-014-0135-5
    Journal articles | 2014
    Stayte S; Vissel B, 2014, 'Advances in non-dopaminergic treatments for Parkinson's disease', Frontiers in Neuroscience, http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2014.00113
    Journal articles | 2014
    Stayte S; Vissel B, 2014, 'Corrigendum: Advances in non-dopaminergic pharmacological treatments of Parkinson's disease', Frontiers in Neuroscience
    Journal articles | 2014
    2014, 'Inconsistencies and controversies surrounding the Amyloid Hypothesis of Alzheimer¿s disease', Acta Neuropathologica Communications, 2, pp. 135 - 135, http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/preaccept-1342777270140958
    Journal articles | 2013
    Wright AL; Zinn R; Hohensinn B; Konen LM; Beynon SB; Tan RP; Clark IA; Abdipranoto A; Vissel B, 2013, 'Neuroinflammation and Neuronal Loss Precede Aβ Plaque Deposition in the hAPP-J20 Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease', PLoS ONE, 8, http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0059586
    Journal articles | 2013
    2013, 'Microglia: A new frontier for synaptic plasticity, learning and memory, and neurodegenerative disease research', Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 105, pp. 40 - 53, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nlm.2013.07.002
    Journal articles | 2013
    2013, 'Treatment implications of the altered cytokine-insulin axis in neurodegenerative disease', Biochemical Pharmacology, 86, pp. 862 - 871, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bcp.2013.07.030
    Journal articles | 2012
    2012, 'The essential role of AMPA receptor GluA2 subunit RNA editing in the normal and diseased brain', Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 5, pp. 34, http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnmol.2012.00034
    Journal articles | 2012
    2012, 'Tumor necrosis factor-induced cerebral insulin resistance in Alzheimer's disease links numerous treatment rationales', Pharmacological Reviews, 64, pp. 1004 - 1026, http://dx.doi.org/10.1124/pr.112.005850
    Journal articles | 2011
    2011, 'Alzheimer's disease selective vulnerability and modelling in transgenic mice', Advances in Alzheimer's Disease, 1, pp. 49 - 58, http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/978-1-60750-733-8-49
    Journal articles | 2011
    2011, 'Selective knockdown of NMDA receptors in primary afferent neurons decreases pain during phase 2 of the formalin test', Neuroscience, 172, pp. 474 - 482, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2010.10.045
    Journal articles | 2011
    2011, 'TNF and leptin tell essentially the same story in Alzheimer's disease', Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 26, pp. 201 - 205, http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/JAD-2011-110266
    Journal articles | 2010
    2010, 'A role for calcium-permeable AMPA receptors in synaptic plasticity and learning', PLoS One, 5, pp. 1 - 18, http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0012818
    Journal articles | 2010
    2010, 'A study of clustered data and approaches to its analysis', Journal of Neuroscience, 30, pp. 10601 - 10608, http://dx.doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0362-10.2010
    Journal articles | 2010
    2010, 'P1‐161: Characterization of learning deficits in two models of Alzheimer's disease', Alzheimer's & Dementia, 6, pp. S220 - S220, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2010.05.711
    Journal articles | 2010
    2010, 'The roles of TNF in brain dysfunction and disease', Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 128, pp. 519 - 548, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pharmthera.2010.08.007
    Journal articles | 2009
    2009, 'Activin A is essential for neurogenesis following neurodegeneration', Stem Cells, 27, pp. 1330 - 1346, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/stem.80
    Journal articles | 2009
    2009, 'Alzheimer's Disease Selective Vulnerability and Modeling in Transgenic Mice', Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 18, pp. 243 - 251, http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/JAD-2009-1143
    Journal articles | 2009
    2009, 'Functional heterogeneity at dopamine release sites', Journal of Neuroscience, 29, pp. 14670 - 14680, http://dx.doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1349-09.2009
    Journal articles | 2008
    Abdipranoto A; Wu S; Stayte S; Vissel B, 2008, 'The role of neurogenesis in neurodegenerative diseases and its implications for therapeutic development', CNS and Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets, 7, pp. 187 - 210, http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/187152708784083858
    Journal articles | 2008
    2008, 'Enhanced LTP of primary afferent neurotransmission in AMPA receptor GluR2-deficient mice', Pain, 136, pp. 158 - 167, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2007.07.001
    Journal articles | 2008
    2008, 'T1442 Tissue Specific Knockdown of NMDA Receptors in Primary Afferent Neurons Decreases Inflammatory Hyperalgesia', Gastroenterology, 134, pp. A - 556, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0016-5085(08)62596-2
    Journal articles | 2007
    2007, 'Concordant epigenetic silencing of transforming growth factor-beta signaling pathway genes occurs early in breast carcinogenesis', Cancer research, 67, pp. 11517 - 11527, http://dx.doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-07-1284
    Journal articles | 2007
    2007, 'Long-term potentiation in the hippocampal CA1 region does not require insertion and activation of GluR2-lacking AMPA receptors', Journal of Neurophysiology, 98, pp. 2488 - 2492, http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/jn.00473.2007
    Journal articles | 2006
    2006, 'Probing N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptor desensitization with the substituted-cysteine accesibility method', Molecular Pharmacology, 69, pp. 1296 - 1303, http://dx.doi.org/10.1124/mol.105.017350
    Journal articles | 2006
    2006, 'Production of conditional point mutant knockin mice', Genesis, 44, pp. 345 - 353, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/dvg.20222
    Journal articles | 2005
    Sonner JM; Vissel B; Royle G; Maurer A; Gong D; Baron NV; Harrison N; Fanselow M; Eger EI, 2005, 'The effect of three inhaled anesthetics in mice harboring mutations in the GluR6 (kainate) receptor gene', Anesthesia and Analgesia, 101, pp. 143 - 148, http://dx.doi.org/10.1213/01.ANE.0000152615.53435.B4
    Journal articles | 2005
    2005, 'Pathobiology of dynorphins in trauma and disease', Frontiers in Bioscience, 10, pp. 216 - 235, http://dx.doi.org/10.2741/1522
    Journal articles | 2004
    Sonner JM; Antognini JF; Dutton RC; Flood P; Gray AT; Harris RA; Homanics GE; Kendig J; Orser B; Raines DE; Rampil IJ; Trudell J; Vissel B; Eger EI, 2004, 'Erratum: Inhaled Anesthetics and Immobility: Mechanisms, Mysteries, and Minimum Alveolar Anesthetic Concentration (Anesthesia and Analgesia (September 2003) 97 (718-740))', Anesthesia and Analgesia, 98, pp. 29
    Journal articles | 2004
    2004, 'Loss of GLUR2 alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazoleproprionic acidreceptor subunit differentially affects remaining synaptic glutamatereceptors in cerebellum and cochlear nuclei', European Journal of Neuroscience, 19, pp. 2017 - 2029, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.0953-816X.2004.03324.x
    Journal articles | 2003
    Sans N; Vissel B; Petralia RS; Wang YX; Chang K; Royle GA; Wang CY; O'Gorman S; Heinemann SF; Wenthold RJ, 2003, 'Aberrant Formation of Glutamate Receptor Complexes in Hippocampal Neurons of Mice Lacking the GluR2 AMPA Receptor Subunit', Journal of Neuroscience, 23, pp. 9367 - 9373, http://dx.doi.org/10.1523/jneurosci.23-28-09367.2003
    Journal articles | 2000
    2000, 'Room B, 10/16/2000 2: 00 PM - 4: 00 PM (PS) Altered Nociception in GluR2 AMPA Receptor Subunit Knockout Mice ', Anesthesiology, 93, pp. A - 917, http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00000542-200009001-00917
  • Preprints | 2022
    2022, GluK2 Q/R editing regulates kainate receptor signalling and synaptic AMPA receptor expression and function, , http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2022.10.31.514576
    Preprints | 2022
    2022, Goal-directed action is transiently impaired in an hAPP-J20 mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, and in aging male mice regardless of genotype, , http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2022.07.25.501480
    Preprints | 2021
    2021, Outcome-selective reinstatement is predominantly context-independent, and associated with c-Fos activation in the posterior dorsomedial striatum, , http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2021.07.28.454246
    Conference Papers | 2017
    Morris G; Wright A; Stayte S; Zinn R; Tan R; Vissel B, 2017, 'Attaining reliable data in pre-clinical mouse models of middle cerebral artery occlusion: a case study with brain-derived and glial-derived neurotrophic factors', in INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF STROKE, SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, pp. 38 - 39, https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000408221100104&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=891bb5ab6ba270e68a29b250adbe88d1
    Reports | 2016
    Richards LR; Michie PT; Badcock DR; Bartlett PF; Bekkers JM; Bourne JA; Castles A; Egan GF; Fornito A; Hannan AJ; Hickie IB; Mattingley JB; Schofield PR; Shum DH K; Stuart GJ; Vickers JC; Vissel B, 2016, Australian Brain Alliance, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2016.10.038
  • Neuroscience
  • Neurodegenerative diseases – Alzheimers Disease, Parkinson’s Disease
  • Regenerative medicine - spinal cord injury
  • Synaptic plasticity