Our people

Professor Julia Rucklidge

Julia is a Professor of Clinical Psychology in the School of Psychology, Speech and Hearing, and the Director of the Mental Health and Nutrition Research Lab. Originally from Toronto, Canada, she completed her PhD at the University of Calgary in clinical psychology followed by a two year post-doctoral fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. In 2000, she joined the School of Psychology, Speech and Hearing where she teaches about child psychology in the Clinical Psychology Programme.

Dr. Aaron Stevens

Aaron leads the Genomic and Epigenomic Research Lab at UOW . His laboratory investigates how environmental factors including diet and immune derived oxidants (produced during inflammation and infection) can impact on human disease progression.

Visit the Genomic and Epigenomic Research Lab

Methylated cytosine is an important epigenetic regulator of gene activity and plays a dynamic process in cell growth, differentiation, migration, and overall tissue architecture.

Changing the methylation patterns during DNA replication may alter gene activity and redirect cell fate, which could be an important process in understanding how genes respond to their environmental conditions and is a central question for managing health and disease. Reactive oxygen species can act as key drivers in epigenetic change.

This could affect how specific proteins bind and recognise DNA and may contribute to the link between inflammation and cancer.

He also investigates how diet can alter the composition of the human gut microbiome, and the implications of this for perinatal depression.

Angela Sherwin

Angela is a PhD candidate with Te Puna Toiora, the Mental Health and Nutrition Research Lab at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand.  As a mature student, Angela came back to study, after a career in broadcast media, with the aim of gaining a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Psychology.  Enjoying the process of study, Angela quickly chose to do a double major in Psychology and Biology, topping that off with First-Class Honours in Psychology. 

During her Honours year, Angela became aware of a urinary component purportedly involved in mental health disturbance; with little research to back up its genesis and function.  A biological component with a psychological outcome - a perfect match to ignite Angela’s curiosity.