Dr Garth Stephenson

Garth Stephenson completed his PhD at the University of Melbourne and CSIRO AAHL in 2014. In 2015 he joined the School of Medicine and is currently Course Director of the Biomedical Molecular Majors stream. His research is focused on neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) such as autism spectrum disorder and the relationship of the human Gastrointestinal (GIT) and Female Reproductive Tract (FRT) microbiotas to the development of these conditions during gestation. His current studies aim to investigate the impact of the Maternal Immune Activation and the effect of proinflammatory cytokines on neurodevelopmental genes during gestation with an aim to identify epigenetic changes in neural gene regulation.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a term describing a range of neurodevelopmental conditions which include characteristics such as impaired social behavior, communication and language, and a narrow range of interests. ASD is thought to be the outcome of a combination of both genetic and environmental influences and that external and biological environmental influences can lead to a state of elevated Maternal Immune Activation (MIA) which can result in fetal neural inflammation resulting in ASD. My research focus is on the relationaship between maternal inflammatory  and the development of neural develomental disorders.

My current teaching research is focused on teaching anatomy to rural students through the use of virtual reality.

My primary interest is in the areas of Medical Biotechnology and Immunity. My current research focus in on the immunological and inflammatory causes of neurodenvelopmental disorders. 

HMM203 - Human Anatomy - Current

HMM302 - Innovations in Medical Biotechnology - Current

Guest Lecturer

HMM305 - Cell and Tissue Engineering

Previous Units

HMM301 Principles of Pharmacology

HMM304 Therapeutic Developments.

HBS400 - Research Methods - Current

Mammalian Heamatopoiesis and the inflammatory immune response.

Cell and tissue engineering

Pharmacology

Human Anatomy

Embryology

Early Life Epigenetics

•Identifying varying states of inflammation which may relate to disease, from neonatal cord blood white blood cell differential counts within a twin birth cohort. (Peri/Postnatal Epigenetics Twin Study (PETS)) Garth Stephenson, Jeff Craig.
• Identifying Perinatal and Obstetric Risk Factors for Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Twin Study. (PETS). Garth Stephenson, Jeff Craig.
• Identifying inflammation and risk factors in cord blood from children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A multiplex analysis of proinflammatory cytokines. Garth Stephenson, Jeff Craig.
• Diet and the microbiome: implications for neurodevelopment in early to mid-childhood. Garth Stephenson, Amy Loughman, Tim Silk, Jeffrey Craig
• Identifying CPR levels in cord blood as an early indicator of cardiometabolic disorders. A twin’s longitudinal study. (Deakin University). Garth Stephenson, Jeff Craig.
• The role of faecal microbiome in mediating disease risk in children: a longitudinal twin study.  Dr Amy Loughman, Dr Yen Ting Wong, Dr Stella Loke, Dr Garth Stephenson, Dr Martin O’Hely, Professor Peter Vuillermin, Associate Professor Andres Gomez.

• Identifying placental Inflammatory mediators that may influence epigenetic modification to neurodevelopmental genes. Garth Stephenson, Bryony McNeil

• Relationship between epigenetic state and inflammatory markers at birth, and BMI level  at two age point: a longitudinal twin study Garth Stephenson, Mojgan Gharipour, Jeffrey Craig