Neuroepidemiology Group
Our group focuses on public health and neuroscience. We’re particularly interested in brain conditions that are becoming increasingly more common. These conditions include autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and multiple sclerosis. We aim to generate new knowledge to allow better prevention or treatment of these conditions.
Research interests
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Techniques
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About our research
Our goal is to use population-based study data to gain a better understanding of conditions that affect the brain and spinal cord, and to identify points of intervention to reduce their risk and progression.
Research projects
- A two-hit hypothesis of neurodevelopmental disorders: exploring BDNF val66met polymorphism and environmental prenatal exposures
- Advancing precision medicine for ADHD: deep phenotyping of neurodevelopment in an Australian based birth-cohort
- Chemical exposures in utero, child neurodevelopment and epigenetic programming
- Plastic chemicals, lipidomics and child neurodevelopment
- Prenatal factors (emphasis on nutrition), one-carbon metabolism, epigenetic programming and early childhood neurodevelopment
Research team
Research team head
Professor Anne-Louise Ponsonby
Group Head
Team members
Group Head
Research Officer
Dr Steve Simpson-Yap
Research Fellow
Research Fellow
Research and technical staff
- Ellen Morwitch
- Sarah Thomson
- Alex Gruen
- Dhaval Parikh
- Max Reissman
PhD students
- Alicia Bjorksten
- Alex Eisner
- Mehari Merid
- Lada Staskova
- Samuel Tanner
- Kristina Vacy
Selected publications
- Chapman C, Lucas RM, Ponsonby A-L, Taylor B and Ausimmune Investigator Group (2022), ‘Predictors of progression from a first demyelinating event to clinically definite multiple sclerosis’, Brain Communications, 4(4):fcac181, doi:10.1093/braincomms/fcac181
- Thomson S, Drummond K, O’Hely M, Symeonides C, Chandran C, Mansell T, Saffery R, Sly P, Mueller J, Vuillermin P and Ponsonby A-L (2023), ‘Increased maternal non-oxidative energy metabolism mediates association between prenatal di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) exposure and offspring autism spectrum disorder symptoms in early life: a birth cohort study’, Environment International, 171:107678, doi:10.1016/j.envint.2022.107678
- Ponsonby A-L (2021), ‘Reflection on modern methods: building causal evidence within high-dimensional molecular epidemiological studies of moderate size’, International Journal of Epidemiology, doi:10.1093/ije/dyaa174
- Tanner S, Thomson S, Drummond K, O’Hely M, Symeonides C, Mansell T, Saffery R, Sly PD, Collier F, Burgner D, Sugeng EJ, Dwyer T, Vuillermin P and Ponsonby A-L (2022), ‘A pathway-based genetic score for oxidative stress: an indicator of host vulnerability to phthalate-associated adverse neurodevelopment’, Antioxidants, 11(4):659, doi:10.3390/antiox11040659
- Pham C, Bekkering S, O’Hely M, Burgner D, Thomson S, Vuillermin P, Collier F, Marx W, Mansell T, Symeonides C, Sly PD, Tang MLK, Saffery R and Ponsonby A-L (2022), ‘Infant inflammation predicts childhood emotional and behavioral problems and partially mediates socioeconomic disadvantage’, Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 104:83–94, doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2022.05.011
Contact us
For more information about our group’s research you can contact us by submitting this form.
