Professor Johanna Montgomery completed her PhD in Physiology at the University of Otago, New Zealand. She then performed her postdoctoral research at Stanford University USA, where her research focus was the plasticity of synapses in the hippocampus. She returned to New Zealand where she is Principal Investigator of the Synaptic Function Research Group (https://www.fmhs.auckland.ac.nz/en/sms/about/our-departments/physiology/research-groups/synaptic-function.html) in the Department of Physiology at the University of Auckland. Her research team focusses on understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie the physiology of synapses in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Her laboratory combines electrophysiology, molecular biology and imaging techniques to investigate how changes in synapse function could underlie developmental disorders such as Autism. Recently, her research has expanded to examine how neuronal and synapse plasticity may contribute to normal and abnormal heart rhythm, particularly in atrial fibrillation.

Lab webpage: Synaptic Function Research Group (https://www.fmhs.auckland.ac.nz/en/sms/about/our-departments/physiology/research-groups/synaptic-function.html)

Lab members

- Postdoctoral Fellows: Dr Amatul Ahmad
- PhD students: Zoe Mills, Laura McNamara, Charlotte Hamilton, Bronwyn Riley, Xin Li
- Research Assistant: Te Paea Ma'u

Distinctions/Honours:

2023: Nina Kondelos Award, Australasian Neuroscience Society

2022: James Cook Fellowship, Royal Society of New Zealand

2018: Physiological Society of New Zealand Excellence in Research Award

2016: Royal Society London Colin Pillinger International Exchanges Award

2015: Kellaway Medical Research Fellowship

2015: DAAD Research Stay Award, Germany

2010: Rand Research Award, Colwin Research Award, Marine Biological Laboratory, USA.

2007: University of Auckland Early Career Research Excellence Award

2005: Eppendorf and Science International Prize for Neurobiology, Finalist Award

2005: Fulbright New Zealand Award

2001: Servier Distinguished Young Investigator Award, presented by the International Union of Physiological Scientists

2000: Kathryn MacCormack Scholarship (Stanford University)

1998: Goddard Prize, Australasian Winter Conference on Brain Research

Qualifications:
PhD (Physiology), University of Otago

Areas of Expertise:
Neurophysiology, cardiovascular physiology, electrophysiology (whole cell patch clamp) and cell biology.

Media Keywords:
Mechanisms of learning and memory, neural plasticity, neurophysiology, synapses, neurodegeneration, neuroscience, cardiac arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation.