Alan Mackay-Sim | |
---|---|
Born | Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia | 16 May 1951
Died | 4 January 2023 71) | (aged
Nationality | Australian |
Alma mater | Macquarie University |
Awards | Australian of the Year (2017) |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Biomedical science |
Institutions | Griffith University |
Thesis | Odorous communication by stressed rats (1978) |
Alan Mackay-Sim AM (16 May 1951 – 4 January 2023) was an Australian biomedical scientist specializing in adult stem cell research, and winner of the 2017 Australian of the Year. Some of his research focused on olfactory ensheathing cells, [1] which are cells in the human nose that interact with the nervous system to cause a sense of smell.
His research into stem cells contributed to the treatment of spinal cord injuries. The restoration of mobility to Darek Fidyka, a Polish paraplegic man, used research by Mackay-Sim. [2] [3] [4]
Mackay-Sim received his PhD from Macquarie University in 1980, [5] then subsequently studied at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Wyoming. [3]
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Mackay-Sim was the director of the National Centre for Adult Stem Cell Research at Griffith University before his retirement in 2015. [6]
Mackay-Sim was born on 16 May 1951. [7] He grew up in Roseville, New South Wales, [3] the third of four brothers. [8] He attended North Sydney Boys High School. [9]
Mackay-Sim was married, with two children. [8]
In 2015, [10] he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, and was treated with stem cell transplant. [6] [11] [12]
Mackay-Sim retired in 2015, and lived in Currimundi, Queensland. [8] He died on 4 January 2023, at the age of 71. [13] [14] [15]
Multiple myeloma (MM), also known as plasma cell myeloma and simply myeloma, is a cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell that normally produces antibodies. Often, no symptoms are noticed initially. As it progresses, bone pain, anemia, renal insufficiency, and infections may occur. Complications may include hypercalcemia and amyloidosis.
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In mammalian anatomy, the cribriform plate, horizontal lamina or lamina cribrosa is part of the ethmoid bone. It is received into the ethmoidal notch of the frontal bone and roofs in the nasal cavities. It supports the olfactory bulb, and is perforated by olfactory foramina for the passage of the olfactory nerves to the roof of the nasal cavity to convey smell to the brain. The foramina at the medial part of the groove allow the passage of the nerves to the upper part of the nasal septum while the foramina at the lateral part transmit the nerves to the superior nasal concha.
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Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs), also known as olfactory ensheathing glia or olfactory ensheathing glial cells, are a type of macroglia found in the nervous system. They are also known as olfactory Schwann cells, because they ensheath the non-myelinated axons of olfactory neurons in a similar way to which Schwann cells ensheath non-myelinated peripheral neurons. They also share the property of assisting axonal regeneration.
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