Dr Carol Milligan

Carol Milligan was recruited from the University of Leeds, UK in 2012 to establish an Ion Channel Analysis Facility. The education infrastructure fund initially funded the facility and was integral to the Therapeutic Innovation Australia initiative. The core function of this facility is automated high throughput ion channel planar patch clamp electrophysiology.

Having beta tested the first Patchliner system (Nanion Technologies, GmbH) in 2006 and contributed ideas during the developmental stages, some of which were implemented, Carol was one of the few individuals in the world with considerable experience in this technology. Carol was pivotal in deploying several key instruments and establishing workflow and standard operating procedures in the Ion Channel and Human Diseases Group at The Florey. Data from the facility has contributed to several publications for the Ion Channel and Human Diseases Group and other groups within The Florey, as well as nationally and internationally. Carol’s main research has focused on ion channels associated with epilepsy, but more recently has expanded her investigations to the involvement of ion channels as targeted therapies in glioblastoma brain cancer.