Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
I am currently looking for a new position in both research and non-research roles. As well as my laboratory skills detailed below I have gained many transferable skills I hope to use to take me career in a new direction. These include planning and managing projects, leadership, supervising junior staff and students, performing administrative tasks, competency in a range of computer programs, managing and interpreting large data sets and general communication skills. I have a strong publication record which demonstrates my ability to collaborate with different teams, analyse and critically interpret data and write up this data to a level accepted by experts. After moving to Melbourne in 2016, I spent 7 years in the Behavioural Neuroscience laboratory within the School of Psychology and Public Health at La Trobe University investigating animal behavioural models of psychiatric disorders with a focus on the role of BDNF and developmental factors. I then spent 18 months working in the Behavioural Neuroscience laboratory within the Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, investigating animal behavioural models of psychiatric disorders with a focus on the role of genetics and environmental factors on schizophrenia. My research originally focused on the drugs of dependence field, with a major focus on stimulant drugs. I completed a Bachelor of Science (Hons) majoring in Pharmacology at The University of Adelaide, achieving a 1st class degree in 2004. Following this I was awarded my PhD in Pharmacology in 2010 (The University of Adelaide). My thesis specialised in thermoregulatory, behavioural and neurochemical effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and related stimulant drugs and involved animal handling and behavioural observations as well as some molecular work. After completing my PhD I worked in a teaching position and conducted research on a preclinical drug trial. Since then, my research focus, while remaining in the field of neuroscience, moved into neuropsychiatric areas. This involved setting up a new Psychiatric Neuroscience laboratory in the Discipline of Psychiatry at the University of Adelaide, and conducting my own experiments using animal behavioural models, as well as supervising several students in this type of work.
Small animal testing
AEC vote counting
Working in the Behavioural Neuroscience laboratory within the Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, investigating animal behavioural models of psychiatric disorders with a focus on the role of genetics and environmental factors on schizophrenia. The lab looks at a wide range of behaviours including psychosis models as well as related behaviours of anxiety, learning, memory and cognition. My role is to plan, organise and perform experiments as well as supervise PhD and honours students and perform administrative tasks relevant to rodent animal colonies and research activities.
Working in the Behavioural Neuroscience laboratory within the School of Psychology and Public Health investigating animal behavioural models of psychiatric disorders with a focus on the role of BDNF and developmental factors. The lab looks at a wide range of behaviours including, anxiety and depression, memory and cognition, psychosis models and addiction. My role has been to plan, organise and perform experiments as well as supervise PhD and honours students and perform administrative tasks relevant to rodent animal colonies and research activities.
Psychiatric Neuroscience research group in the Discipline of Psychiatry. We applied a variety of cognition, depression- and anxiety-like behavioural assessment tools to study the neural signalling proteins of functionally relevant genes of cognitive and emotional function in a range of of transgenic and inducible strains of mice. This work was extended to investigate the effects of certain anti-psychotic medications on behaviour and the immune system.
This position involved teaching (coordinating and marking) as part of two online Graduate courses taught by University of Adelaide. I also fulfilled this role during a period from late 2008 until mid 2009.
This position involved running a preclinical drug study which included organising experiments and staff, dosing animals, analysing results. It also involved conducting other behavioural experiments in mice and rats.