Kemp-Harper and Broughton Laboratory
Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Pharmacology Group
Welcome to the Kemp-Harper and Broughton Lab
Jointly led by Associate Professor Barbara Kemp-Harper and Dr Brad Broughton, our lab’s current research interests involve identifying novel pharmacological and/or cell-based therapies that can limit the pathophysiology of systemic and pulmonary hypertension as well as stroke.
We're both part of the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, and members of the Cardiovascular Disease, Immunity (Associate Professor Kemp-Harper) and Neuroscience (Dr Broughton) Programs, and the Department of Pharmacology.
Associate Professor Barbara Kemp-Harper
My global research connections, partners and funding can be viewed on my Monash Research Profile.
If you are a student interested in doing research in our lab, visit Supervisor Connect.
Click the links below to connect with me on ORCID, Google Scholar and LinkedIn.
Dr Brad Broughton
My global research connections, partners and funding can be viewed on my Monash Research Profile.
If you are a student interested in doing research in our lab, visit Supervisor Connect.
Click the links below to connect with me on Google Scholar and LinkedIn.
Our research
The immune system plays an important role in the development and progression of many cardiovascular diseases. However, little is known about which leukocytes are involved and the signalling mechanisms they use to cause damaging effects. Our goal is to discover novel pharmacological and cell-based therapies that can supress the immune system and ultimately improve outcomes following systemic and pulmonary hypertension as well as ischaemic stroke.
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Systemic hypertension
Linked with hypertension is fibrosis and vascular stiffening. Current anti-hypertensives don’t necessarily target vascular stiffening and end-organ damage, placing patients at risk of a heart attack, or stroke. Hence, we are studying the impact of chemokines released from macrophages on fibrosis and collagen generation which may lead to the development of more effective therapies for hypertension.
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Pulmonary hypertension
Pulmonary hypertension is an incurable disease and a major cause of death and illness throughout the world. Current five- year survival is only around 50%. New therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. Our research focuses on the role of macrophages in the pathological pulmonary and cardiac remodelling in pulmonary hypertension.
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Stroke
Stroke is a crippling disease with very few treatment options. It involves numerous complex, yet poorly understood mechanisms that lead to brain cell death. Our research focuses on identifying novel pharmacological and cell-based therapies that can improve stroke outcomes, focussing on the acute post-stroke inflammatory response as well as those that can trigger long-term regenerative and reparative mechanisms.
Lab members
We are committed to excellence in research.
Join Our Lab
We're always interested in collaborating with bright and motivated researchers, clinicians and industry. Whether you want to research, study or partner with us to accelerate our discoveries, find out about the work we do.