Psychosocial & Genetic Research

Pyschological Medicine also collaborates with other clinical departments at The Children's Hospital at Westmead, undertaking research into the psychosocial aspects and genetics of childhood illnesses.

> Liver Transplant

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in parents of liver transplant recipients
• Family risk and resilience in serious paediatric liver disease

> Deafness Clinic

•  Psychological intervention needs of families of children who have been diagnosed with congenital hearing loss
• Development of primary psychosocial interventions for deaf/ hearing impaired children and their families

> Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory

• The relationship between genotype and therapeutic response to specific psychotropic drugs
• Gene-gene interactions in closely connected biological systems
• The molecular genetics of anorexia nervosa
• Gene-environment interactions

The research team

> The Deafness Clinic Team

• Siew Koo, Clinical Psychologist
• Rosemary Douglas, Head Audiologist
• Dr Elizabeth Peadon, Developmental Paediatrician

> The Liver Transplant Research Team

• Dr Michael Bowden, Staff Specialist in Psychological Medicine
• Diana Carmody, Social Worker- Renal & Gastroenterology
• Vicki Jermyn, Clinical Nurse Consultant - Hepatology
• Dr Ted O'Loughlin, Head of Gastroenterology
• Dr Michael Stormon, Staff Specialist in Gastroenterology

> Molecular Psychiatry Research:

• Dr Ruth Urwin, Principal Hospital Scientist

Key publications

Bowden MR, Stormon M, Hardikar W, Ee LC, Krishnan U, Carmody D, Jermyn V, Lee MM, O'Loughlin EV, Sawyer J, Beyerle K, Lemberg DA, Day AS, Paul C, Hazell P (2015) Family adjustment and parenting stress when an infant has serious liver disease: the Australian experience. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 60(6):717-22

Dadds MR, Moul C, Cauchi A, Dobson-Stone C, Hawes DJ, Brennan J, Urwin R, Ebstein RE (2014) Polymorphisms in the oxytocin receptor gene are associated with the development of psychopathy. Dev Psychopathol 26(1):21-31

Starling J (2014) Are we over-diagnosing autism? The case against. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 48(1):92-3

Bowden MR (2013) Family Risk and Resilience in Pediatric Liver Disease and Transplantation. Liver Transplantation 19(suppl.1): S235

Starling J (2013) Time for some reason in the ADHD debate. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47(10):958-9

Johnson K, Bowden M, Coyne D, Trollor J (2013) Competency Based Advanced Training in Intellectual Disability Psychiatry: a NSW Prototype. Australasian Psychiatry 21(4): 393-39

de Kloet L, Starling J, Berntsen E, Hainsworth C, Chapman L, Hancock K (2011) Risk factors for self harm in children and adolescents admitted to a mental health inpatient unit. Australasian Psychiatry 45(9): 749-755

Berntsen E, Starling J, Durheim E, Hainsworth C, de Kloet L, Chapman L, Hancock K (2011) Temporal trends in self harm and aggression on a paediatric mental health ward. Australasian Psychiatry 19(1): 64-69

Starling J, Foley S (2006) From pilot to permanent service: ten years of paediatric telepsychiatry. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare 12 (Suppl 3):S3:80-82

Urwin RE, Nunn KP (2005) Epistatic interaction between the monoamine oxidase A and serotonin transporter genes in anorexia nervosa. Eur J Hum Genet 13(3):370-5