CV

Primary Appointment

• 2016-present: Senior Research Officer
  • Psychiatric Genetics Group, QIMR Berghofer*, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
• 2005-2016: Research Officer
  • Psychiatric Genetics Group, QIMR Berghofer*, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

*QIMR Berghofer was previously named QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute

Education

• Postgraduate:
  • Post-doctoral Fellow in the Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
  • Post-doctoral Fellow at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center, Neurology Department at the University of California, San Francisco, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA
• Graduate:
  • Graduate Diploma in Education (Senior Years) with Distinction (Science Education - Biology Extension), Queensland University of Technology, Australia.
  • Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, University of Waikato, New Zealand. Dissertation Title: ‘Comparative Characterization of Esterases and Lipases for Biosensors.
• Undergraduate:
  • First Class Bachelor of Science with Honors in Biochemistry, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
  • Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Genetics & Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

Adjunct/Honorary Appointments

• 2019–present: Honorary Associate Professor, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
• 2019–present: Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Publications

• You can view my publications here.

Ongoing Research Support

• APP2038383, National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia; 01/01/2025-31/12/2026 ($342,840)
  • CIA: Wallis, Katherine. My role: CIB (co-Chief Investigator)
  • Title: Finding the genetic variants influencing antidepressant withdrawal symptoms.
  • This goal of this project is to identify genetic variants associated with antidepressant withdrawal symptoms in order to increase a clinicians’ ability to personalise medicine to support safer antidepressant cessation.
• MRF2024891, Medical Research Future Fund; 01/06/2023-31/05/2027 ($2,595,260)
  • CIA: Medland, Sarah. My role: co-Chief Investigator
  • Title: Enabling pharmacogenomics in the Australian context: improving the accuracy of clinical utility and cost effectiveness analyses.
  • The goal of this project is to improve the accuracy of estimates of the likelihood and severity of effects for medications used to treat Anxiety and Affective disorders. Given how common these disorders are, the high rates of side effects, variable treatment efficacy and the availability of pharmacogenomics tests targeting these disorders, accurate estimates are needed in order to undertake modelling of the cost effectiveness of pharmacogenomic tests in the Australian context.
• MRF2025803, Medical Research Future Fund; 01/06/2023-31/05/2027 ($1,126,562)
  • CIA: Medland, Sarah. My role: co-Chief Investigator
  • Title: Using risk profiles to overcome challenges in incorporating polygenic risk scores into clinical mental health practice.
  • The goal of this project is to develop profile-based approaches to overcome the issues of differential diagnosis, comorbidity and changes across the life span in incorporating polygenic risk scores into mental health practice.
• MRF1200644, Medical Research Future Fund; 01/06/2020-31/05/2025 ($1,371,571)
  • CIA: Medland, Sarah. My role: co-Chief Investigator
  • Title: Australian Pharmacogenomics Diversity Project: Examining the evidence and improving the performance of pharmacogenomics in the Australian context.
  • The goal of this project is to use large-scale data, including clinical and biomarker data, to address evidence gaps that present barriers to the wide-scale adoption of pharmacogenomics-guided pharmacological treatment for MDD within the Australian context.

Completed Research Support

• APP1138514, National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia; 01/01/18-12/30/22 ($1,840,594)
  • CIA: Medland, Sarah. My role: Associate Investigator
  • Title: Leveraging record linkage for single-indication medications to boost recruitment in Psychiatric and Pharmaco-Genetics.
  • The goal of this project is to recruit, phenotype and genotype individuals who have been prescribed Clozapine and Lithium Carbonate which are single-indication medications for Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder. Through our collaborations with the Psychiatric Genomic Consortium, we will significantly advance our understanding of the genetics of these disorders.
• Queensland State Government (Queensland Health); 01/12/2020-30/11/2021 ($246,043)
  • PI: Colodro-Conde, Lucia. My role: co-Chief Investigator.
  • Title: Exploring the impacts of responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The goal of this project is to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic response on individuals and examine the associations with psychosocial factors, genetic vulnerability, and previous history of mental health disorders.
• APP1158125, National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia; 01/01/19-12/30/20 ($1,523,438)
  • CIA: Medland, Sarah. My role: co-Chief Investigator
  • Title: Examining the impact of changes to diagnostic criteria on Autism Spectrum and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders.
  • The goal of this project is to examine how changes to the criteria used to diagnose ASD and ADHD affect the symptom profile, cost of treatment and generalization of GWAS results, to determine the implications of these changes for personalized medicine.
• HGA-MEDLAND, Genetics and Human Agency Program; 12/01/16-12/30/19 (USD $507,086)
  • PI: Medland, Sarah. My role: Co-Principal Investigator
  • Title: Genetic determinism; misunderstanding or fundamental attribution error? Implications for our understanding of behavior and personal responsibility.
  • The goal of this study is to examine the role that language and attribution play in deterministic understanding of genetic research.
• APP1084325, National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia; 01/01/15-12/30/18 ($583,468)
  • CIA: Medland, Sarah. My role: co-Chief Investigator
  • Title: Investigating the relationship between Depression, Anxiety and Nausea and Vomiting during Pregnancy: Causation or shared liability?
  • The goal of this study was to collect and genotype DNA samples in a cohort enriched for severe Nausea and Vomiting during Pregnancy.
• APP1060663, National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia; 01/01/14-12/30/17 ($587,109)
  • CIA: Lind, Penelope
  • Title: A comprehensive analysis of the role of the Alcohol Dehydrogenase gene cluster in alcohol-related disorders and esophageal cancer through deep resequencing.
  • The goal of this study was to examine Alcohol Dehydrogenase sequence variants that significantly affect risk for hazardous alcohol consumption, alcohol use disorders and the development of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in the Australian population.
• 552482, National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia; 01/01/11-12/30/13 ($846,000)
  • CIA: Whitfield, John. My role: CIB (co-Chief Investigator)
  • Title: A genome wide association study for alcohol and nicotine addiction susceptibility genes.
  • The goal of this project was to identify genetic variants that influence alcohol and nicotine addiction and the degree of shared genetic influences between the two disorders.
• Alcohol and Health Research Grants Scheme (Australia); 01/01/10-12/30/10 ($35,000)
  • PI: Lind, Penelope
  • Title: The impact of rare variants in the ADH gene cluster on harmful alcohol consumption.
• Alcohol and Health Research Grants Scheme (Australia) 01/01/08-12/30/08 ($35,000)
  • PI: Lind, Penelope
  • Title: Genetics of alcohol and nicotine addiction.

Other Current Appointments/Roles

• 2025-present: Member, LGBTIQA+ Ally Network, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
• 2023-present: Member, Consumer and Community Involvement Working Group, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
• 2022-present: Accredited Mental Health First Aider, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
• 2022-present: Member, LGBTIQA+ Ally Network, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
• 2022-present: Member, Data Governance Working Group, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
• 2022-present: Research Integrity Advisor, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
• 2021-present: RO/SRO Representative, Staff Association Executive, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
• 2018-present: Membership Committee, International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism.
• 2018-present: Representative, Work Health and Safety Consultative Forum, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
• 2016-present: Secretary, Post-doctoral Association of QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute.

Service and leadership

• 2025-present Co-Chair, Gambling Working Group, Psychiatric Genomics Consortium.
• 2024-present Primary Analyst, Genetics Working Group, Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis Consortium.
• 2022-present Member, Meta-analysis and Phenotypic Working Groups, Musicality Genetics Consortium.
• 2022-present Member, Analysis Group, Bipolar Disorder Working Group, Psychiatric Genomics Consortium.
• 2021-present Member, Analysis Group, Genetics of Osteoarthritis Consortium.
• 2017-present Member, Genetics Working Group, Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis Consortium.
• 2017-present Member, Major Depressive Disorder Working Group, Psychiatric Genomics Consortium.
• 2014-present Member, GWAS and Sequencing Consortium of Alcohol and Nicotine Use.
• 2013-present Member, Substance Use Disorder Working Group, Psychiatric Genomics Consortium.
• 2018-present Membership Committee, International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism.
• 2024 Organising Committee, Seventh QIMR Berghofer Post-Doctoral Forum (October 7, Brisbane, Australia)
• 2022 Organising Committee, Sixth QIMR Berghofer Post-Doctoral Forum (October 7, Brisbane, Australia)
• 2021 Local Organising Committee, Annual Meeting, 15th GeneMappers Conference (Brisbane, Australia)
• 2021 Organising Committee, Fifth QIMR Berghofer Post-Doctoral Forum (June 25, Brisbane, Australia)
• 2019 Organising Committee, Fourth QIMR Berghofer Post-Doctoral Forum (31 May, Brisbane, Australia)
• 2016 Local Organising Committee, Annual Meeting, Behavior Genetics Association (Brisbane, Australia)
• 2016 Local Host, Satellite Meeting, International Society of Twin Studies (Brisbane, Australia)
• 2015 Queensland Gala Dinner Sub-committee, Australian Society for Medical Research
• 2014–15 Queensland Committee, Australian Society for Medical Research

Teaching and Supervision

• You can view my teaching and supervision history here.