Biography summary
Dr Nicholas Ryan (PhD, MPsych, MAPS) is a practicing Clinical Neuropsychologist and holds a continuing academic position as Senior Lecturer (Teaching and Research) in the School of Psychology at Deakin University. Dr Ryan also holds an honorary appointment as Senior Fellow in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Melbourne and the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital.
Dr Ryan's research program is focused on answering clinically relevant questions to improve prognostic accuracy, treatment and care for children and families impacted by neurodevelopmental differences, brain injury, and other childhood chronic health conditions. Broadly defined, his research aims to understand how neurostructural, genetic, and family-environmental factors interact to influence child development and functioning in high-risk clinical populations.
To date, Dr Ryan’s research has primarily focused on delineating the neurobiological and family-environmental correlates of cognitive and socio-emotional development after childhood acquired brain insults (e.g. traumatic brain injury, cancer, ischemic stroke, concussion). Using prospective, longitudinal research methods, his work employs structural brain imaging, behavioural testing, and psychometric assessments of children and families to identify modifiable risk factors that may be amenable to psychological interventions. This body of work directly informs Dr Ryan's other concurrent research priorities, which include the development and evaluation of cognitive-behavioural interventions to strengthen child self-regulation skills and parent mental health, particularly in young people and families impacted by early life brain injuries and neurodevelopmental differences.
More recently, in collaboration with the Victorian Clinical Genetics Services (VCGS) and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Dr Ryan is undertaking research to examine the association between autism and alterations of the Ras-MAPK signalling pathway. Dr Ryan is particularly interested in using social neuroscience techniques to identify potential mechanisms that underlie this association. This research will ultimately inform novel methods for assessment, treatment and management of social challenges in children with neurodevelopmental differences.
Research interests
Clinical neuropsychology
Psychiatric and neuropsychiatric sequelae of early brain injury
Neuroimaging for outcome prediction in neurodevelopmental and acquired brain conditions (particularly Traumatic Brain Injury, Stroke, and ADHD)
Social cognition across the lifespan
Cognitive remediation and enhancement
Cognitive-behavioural Interventions to optimise mental health and wellbeing in children and families living with chronic health conditions
Affiliations
The ENIGMA Brain Injury Consortium
Brain and Mind Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute
Psychology Service, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne
Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne
Teaching interests
Psychological Assessment
Clinical Neuropsychology
Neurodiversity Affirming Assessment and Therapy
Child and Adolescent Psychopathology
Developmental Psychology
Units taught
Current teaching committment
- Unit Chair for HPY740 / HPY940 - Psychological Assessment 1 (MPsych/DPsych Clinical Programs)
- Unit Chair for HPS779 / HPS979 - Psychological Assessment 2 (MPsych/DPsych Clinical Programs)
- Lecturing into HPY723 - Psychological Assessment in Practice
- Supervision of Honours and Doctoral students.
Previous teaching contributions
- 2018-2023: Unit Chair for HPS431 / HPS715 - Principles of Psychological Assessment (4th Year / Honours Program)
Professional activities
Faculty Academic Board - Health (2023 - Present)
Academic Progress and Integrity Committee - Health (2021 - Present)
Associate Editor, BMC Neurology (Springer Nature)
Consulting Editor, Neuropsychology (American Psychological Association)
Board Certified Clinical Neuropsychologist, Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA)
Board Approved Supervisor and Registrar Program Principal Supervisor - Clinical Neuropsychology (PsyBA)
Member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) and Australasian ADHD Professionals Association
Fellow of the APS College of Clinical Neuropsychologists
Co-Chair, Brain Injury Special Interest Group (SIG), International Neuropsychological Society
Research groups
ENIGMA Brain Injury Consortium
Clinical Mental Health Care Stream, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development (SEED)
Cognitive Neuroscience Unit (CNU)
Brain and Mind Research, Clinical Sciences, Murdoch Children's Research Institute
Awards
Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to Education and Employability: Teaching Team of the Year 2021
Douglas & Tate Prize: Australasian Society for the Study of Brain Impairment
Publications
S Thomas, N Ryan, L Byrne, C Hendrieckx, V White
(2024), Vol. 49, pp. 45-55, Journal of Pediatric Psychology, C1
Nicholas Ryan, Dawn Koester, Louise Crossley, Edith Botchway, Stephen Hearps, Cathy Catroppa, Vicki Anderson
(2024), Vol. 41, pp. 1-10, NeuroImage: Clinical, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
Nohely Lee Marmol, Nicholas Ryan, Nikita Sood, Elle Morrison, Edith Botchway-Commey, Vicki Anderson, Cathy Catroppa
(2024), pp. 1-18, Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, London, Eng., C1-1
Nature and correlates of self-esteem in young adult survivors of childhood traumatic brain injury
N Khan, V Anderson, L Crossley, S Hearps, C Catroppa, N Ryan
(2024), pp. 1-17, Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, London, Eng., C1
Vicki Anderson, Stephen Hearps, Cathy Catroppa, Miriam Beauchamp, Nicholas Ryan
(2023), Vol. 53, pp. 3568-3579, Psychological Medicine, Cambridge, Eng., C1-1
N Ryan, C Catroppa, M Beauchamp, R Beare, M Ditchfield, L Coleman, M Kean, L Crossley, S Hearps, V Anderson
(2023), Vol. 40, pp. 449-456, Journal of Neurotrauma, C1
Nicholas Ryan, Cathy Catroppa, Storm Ward, Keith Yeates, Louise Crossley, Marisa Hollenkamp, Stephen Hearps, Miriam Beauchamp, Vicki Anderson
(2023), Vol. 53, pp. 5291-5300, PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE, England, C1
Eamonn Kennedy, Shashank Vadlamani, Hannah Lindsey, Pui-Wa Lei, Mary Jo-Pugh, Maheen Adamson, Martin Alda, Silvia Alonso-Lana, Sonia Ambrogi, Tim Anderson, Celso Arango, Robert Asarnow, Mihai Avram, Rosa Ayesa-Arriola, Talin Babikian, Nerisa Banaj, Laura Bird, Stefan Borgwardt, Amy Brodtmann, Katharina Brosch, Karen Caeyenberghs, Vince Calhoun, Nancy Chiaravalloti, David Cifu, Benedicto Crespo-Facorro, John Dalrymple-Alford, Kristen Dams-O’Connor, Udo Dannlowski, David Darby, Nicholas Davenport, John DeLuca, Covadonga Diaz-Caneja, Seth Disner, Ekaterina Dobryakova, Stefan Ehrlich, Carrie Esopenko, Fabio Ferrarelli, Lea Frank, Carol Franz, Paola Fuentes-Claramonte, Helen Genova, Christopher Giza, Janik Goltermann, Dominik Grotegerd, Marius Gruber, Alfonso Gutierrez-Zotes, Minji Ha, Jan Haavik, Charles Hinkin, Kristen Hoskinson, Daniela Hubl, Andrei Irimia, Andreas Jansen, Michael Kaess, Xiaojian Kang, Kimbra Kenney, Barbora Keřková, Mohamed Khlif, Minah Kim, Jochen Kindler, Tilo Kircher, Karolina Knížková, Knut Kolskår, Denise Krch, William Kremen, Taylor Kuhn, Veena Kumari, Jun Kwon, Roberto Langella, Sarah Laskowitz, Jungha Lee, Jean Lengenfelder, Spencer Liebel, Victoria Liou-Johnson, Sara Lippa, Marianne Løvstad, Astri Lundervold, Cassandra Marotta, Craig Marquardt, Paulo Mattos, Ahmad Mayeli, Carrie McDonald, Susanne Meinert, Tracy Melzer, Jessica Merchán-Naranjo, Chantal Michel, Rajendra Morey, Benson Mwangi, Daniel Myall, Igor Nenadić, Mary Newsome, Abraham Nunes, Terence O’Brien, Viola Oertel, John Ollinger, Alexander Olsen, Victor de la Foz, Mustafa Ozmen, Heath Pardoe, Marise Parent, Fabrizio Piras, Federica Piras, Edith Pomarol-Clotet, Jonathan Repple, Geneviève Richard, Jonathan Rodriguez, Mabel Rodriguez, Kelly Rootes-Murdy, Jared Rowland, Nicholas Ryan, Raymond Salvador, Anne-Marthe Sanders, Andre Schmidt, Jair Soares, Gianfranco Spalleta, Filip Španiel, Alena Stasenko, Frederike Stein, Benjamin Straube, April Thames, Florian Thomas-Odenthal, Sophia Thomopoulos, Erin Tone, Ivan Torres, Maya Troyanskaya, Jessica Turner, Kristine Ulrichsen, Guillermo Umpierrez, Elisabet Vilella, Lucy Vivash, William Walker, Emilio Werden, Lars Westlye, Krista Wild, Adrian Wroblewski, Mon-Ju Wu, Glenn Wylie, Lakshmi Yatham, Giovana Zunta-Soares, Paul Thompson, David Tate, Frank Hillary, Emily Dennis, Elisabeth Wilde
(2023), bioRxiv, United States, C1
Sangeetha Thomas, Linda Byrne, Nicholas Ryan, Christel Hendrieckx, Victoria White
(2023), Vol. 19, pp. 1181-1191, World Journal of Pediatrics, Berlin, Germany, C1-1
Unmet supportive care needs of families of children with chronic illness: A systematic review
Sangeetha Thomas, Nicholas Ryan, Linda Byrne, Christel Hendrieckx, Victoria White
(2023), Vol. 32, pp. 7101-7124, Journal of Clinical Nursing, London, Eng., C1
Noor Khan, Nicholas Ryan, Louise Crossley, Stephen Hearps, Cathy Catroppa, Vicki Anderson
(2023), Journal of Neurotrauma, New Rochelle, N.Y., C1
Multimodal Analysis of Secondary Cerebellar Alterations After Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury
F Keleher, H Lindsey, R Kerestes, H Amiri, R Asarnow, T Babikian, B Bartnik-Olson, E Bigler, K Caeyenberghs, C Esopenko, L Ewing-Cobbs, C Giza, N Goodrich-Hunsaker, C Hodges, K Hoskinson, A Irimia, M Königs, J Max, M Newsome, A Olsen, N Ryan, A Schmidt, D Stein, S Suskauer, A Ware, A Wheeler, B Zielinski, P Thompson, I Harding, D Tate, E Wilde, E Dennis
(2023), Vol. 6, pp. e2343410-, JAMA network open, United States, C1
The link between sleep and quality of life in childhood traumatic brain injury
E Botchway-Commey, C Godfrey, N Ryan, N Sood, J Yumul, V Anderson, C Catroppa
(2022), pp. 563-573, Cellular, molecular, physiological, and behavioral aspects of traumatic brain injury, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, B1
Social Cognition in Paediatric Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Z On, N Ryan, M Konjarski, C Catroppa, R Stargatt
(2022), Vol. 32, pp. 127-148, Neuropsychology Review, United States, C1
S Thomas, V White, N Ryan, L Byrne
(2022), Vol. 63, pp. e72-e81, Journal of Pediatric Nursing, United States, C1
Noor Khan, Nicholas Ryan, Louise Crossley, Stephen Hearps, Miriam Beauchamp, Cathy Catroppa, Vicki Anderson
(2022), Vol. 65, pp. 1-6, Annals of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
Noor Khan, Nicholas Ryan, Louise Crossley, Stephen Hearps, Cathy Catroppa, Vicki Anderson
(2022), pp. 1-19, Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, London, Eng., C1
Sangeetha Thomas, Victoria White, Nicholas Ryan, Linda Byrne
(2022), Vol. 63, pp. E72-E81, JOURNAL OF PEDIATRIC NURSING-NURSING CARE OF CHILDREN & FAMILIES, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
P Chan, N Ryan, D Chen, J McNeil, I Hopper
(2022), Vol. 77, pp. 1268-1280, Anaesthesia, London, Eng., C1
E Dennis, K Caeyenberghs, R Asarnow, T Babikian, B Bartnik-Olson, E Bigler, A Figaji, C Giza, N Goodrich-Hunsaker, C Hodges, K Hoskinson, M Königs, H Levin, H Lindsey, A Livny, J Max, T Merkley, M Newsome, A Olsen, N Ryan, M Spruiell, S Suskauer, S Thomopoulos, A Ware, C Watson, A Wheeler, K Yeates, B Zielinski, P Thompson, D Tate, E Wilde
(2021), Vol. 15, pp. 555-575, Brain Imaging and Behavior, United States, C1
N Ryan, V Anderson, E Bigler, M Dennis, H Taylor, K Rubin, K Vannatta, C Gerhardt, T Stancin, M Beauchamp, S Hearps, C Catroppa, K Yeates
(2021), Vol. 38, pp. 252-260, Journal of Neurotrauma, United States, C1
N Ryan, C Catroppa, N Hughes, F Painter, S Hearps, M Beauchamp, V Anderson
(2021), Vol. 62, pp. 1150-1161, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, England, C1
N Ryan, M Greenham, A Gordon, M Ditchfield, L Coleman, A Cooper, L Crowe, R Hunt, P Monagle, M MacKay, V Anderson
(2021), Vol. 52, pp. 1609-1617, Stroke, United States, C1
Emily Dennis, Karen Caeyenberghs, Kristen Hoskinson, Tricia Merkley, Stacy Suskauer, Robert Asarnow, Talin Babikian, Brenda Bartnik-Olson, Kevin Bickart, Erin Bigler, Linda Ewing-Cobbs, Anthony Figaji, Christopher Giza, Naomi Goodrich-Hunsaker, Cooper Hodges, Elizabeth Hovenden, Andrei Irimia, Marsh Konigs, Harvey Levin, Hannah Lindsey, Jeffrey Max, Mary Newsome, Alexander Olsen, Nicholas Ryan, Adam Schmidt, Matthew Spruiell, Benjamin Wade, Ashley Ware, Christopher Watson, Anne Wheeler, Keith Yeates, Brandon Zielinski, Peter Kochunov, Neda Jahanshad, Paul Thompson, David Tate, Elisabeth Wilde
(2021), Vol. 97, pp. E298-E309, NEUROLOGY, United States, C1
C Catroppa, E Botchway, N Ryan, V Anderson, E Morrison, B Lam, C Piazza, D Krasts, E McIntosh, N Khan, N Sood
(2021), Brain Impairment, C1
S Darling, M Goods, N Ryan, A Chisholm, K Haebich, J Payne
(2021), Vol. 175, JAMA Pediatrics, United States, C1
A Zamani, N Ryan, D Wright, K Caeyenberghs, B Semple
(2020), Vol. 37, pp. 724-738, Journal of Neurotrauma, New Rochelle, N.Y., C1
Neuroimaging in paediatric mild traumatic brain injury: a systematic review
V Rausa, J Shapiro, M Seal, G Davis, V Anderson, F Babl, R Veal, G Parkin, N Ryan, M Takagi
(2020), Vol. 118, pp. 643-653, Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, C1
E Botchway, C Godfrey, N Ryan, S Hearps, C Nicholas, V Anderson, C Catroppa
(2020), Vol. 34, pp. 1579-1589, Brain Injury, England, C1
C Resch, V Anderson, M Beauchamp, L Crossley, S Hearps, C van Heugten, P Hurks, N Ryan, C Catroppa
(2019), Vol. 124, pp. 236-245, Neuropsychologia, England, C1
H Farrell, S Andrews, N Ryan, M Davis, S Gordon, J Stout, F Fisher
(2019), Vol. 8, pp. 87-95, Journal of Huntington's Disease, Netherlands, C1
Nicholas Ryan, Jonathan Reyes, Louise Crossley, Miriam Beauchamp, Cathy Catroppa, Vicki Anderson
(2019), Vol. 36, pp. 2895-2903, Journal of neurotrauma, New Rochelle, N.Y., C1
Nicholas Ryan, Kate Noone, Celia Godfrey, Edith Botchway, Cathy Catroppa, Vicki Anderson
(2019), Vol. 62, pp. 342-350, Annals of physical and rehabilitation medicine, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
M Greenham, N Ryan, V Anderson
(2018), pp. 413-437, The neurobiology of brain and behavioral development, London, Eng., B1-1
N Ryan, L Scott, M McPhee, S Mathers, M Davis, R Maule, F Fisher
(2018), Vol. 2018, Behavioural Neurology, Netherlands, C1
N Ryan, S Genc, M Beauchamp, K Yeates, S Hearps, C Catroppa, V Anderson, T Silk
(2018), Vol. 48, pp. 679-691, Psychological medicine, Cambridge, Eng., C1-1
K Yu, M Seal, J Reyes, C Godfrey, V Anderson, C Adamson, N Ryan, S Hearps, C Catroppa
(2018), Vol. 96, pp. 642-651, Journal of Neuroscience Research, United States, C1
N Ryan, K Mihaljevic, M Beauchamp, C Catroppa, L Crossley, S Hearps, T Silk, C Godfrey, K Yeates, V Anderson
(2017), Vol. 18, pp. 88-101, Brain impairment, Cambridge, Eng., C1-1
N Ryan, C Catroppa, R Beare, T Silk, Stephen Hearps, M Beauchamp, K Yeates, V Anderson
(2017), Vol. 12, pp. 1414-1427, Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, Oxford, Eng, C1
Recovery of White Matter following Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury Depends on Injury Severity
S Genc, V Anderson, N Ryan, C Malpas, C Catroppa, M Beauchamp, T Silk
(2017), Vol. 34, pp. 798-806, Journal of Neurotrauma, United States, C1
Social Competence at Two Years after Childhood Traumatic Brain Injury
V Anderson, M Beauchamp, K Yeates, L Crossley, N Ryan, S Hearps, C Catroppa
(2017), Vol. 34, pp. 2261-2271, Journal of Neurotrauma, United States, C1-1
N Ryan, C Catroppa, R Beare, T Silk, S Hearps, M Beauchamp, K Yeates, V Anderson
(2017), Vol. 12, pp. 1414-1427, Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, England, C1-1
N Ryan, C Catroppa, R Beare, T Silk, L Crossley, M Beauchamp, K Yeates, V Anderson
(2016), Vol. 11, pp. 683-692, Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, England, C1-1
Social dysfunction after pediatric traumatic brain injury: a translational perspective
Nicholas Ryan, Cathy Catroppa, Celia Godfrey, Linda Noble-Haeusslein, Sandy Shultz, Terence O'Brien, Vicki Anderson, Bridgette Semple
(2016), Vol. 64, pp. 196-214, Neuroscience & biobehavioral reviews, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1-1
Nicholas Ryan, Loeka van Bijnen, Cathy Catroppa, Miriam Beauchamp, Louise Crossley, Stephen Hearps, Vicki Anderson
(2016), Vol. 49, pp. 23-30, International journal of developmental neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1-1
N Ryan, M Beauchamp, R Beare, L Coleman, M Ditchfield, M Kean, T Silk, S Genc, C Catroppa, V Anderson
(2016), Vol. 83, pp. 222-230, Cortex, Italy, C1-1
Nicholas Ryan, Nathan Hughes, Celia Godfrey, Stefanie Rosema, Cathy Catroppa, Vicki Anderson
(2015), Vol. 30, pp. 75-85, Journal of head trauma rehabilitation, Philadelphia, Pa., C1-1
Nicholas Ryan, Cathy Catroppa, Janine Cooper, Richard Beare, Michael Ditchfield, Lee Coleman, Timothy Silk, Louise Crossley, Miriam Beauchamp, Vicki Anderson
(2015), Vol. 36, pp. 1677-1691, Human brain mapping, Chichester, Eng., C1-1
Nicholas Ryan, Cathy Catroppa, Richard Beare, Lee Coleman, Michael Ditchfield, Louise Crossley, Miriam Beauchamp, Vicki Anderson
(2015), Vol. 142, pp. 86-95, Brain and language, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1-1
Nicholas Ryan, Cathy Catroppa, Janine Cooper, Richard Beare, Michael Ditchfield, Lee Coleman, Timothy Silk, Louise Crossley, Kirrily Rogers, Miriam Beauchamp, Keith Yeates, Vicki Anderson
(2015), Vol. 66, pp. 32-38, Neuropsychologia, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1-1
Nicholas Ryan, Vicki Anderson, Celia Godfrey, Miriam Beauchamp, Lee Coleman, Senem Eren, Stefanie Rosema, Kaitlyn Taylor, Cathy Catroppa
(2014), Vol. 31, pp. 649-657, Journal of neurotrauma, New Rochelle, N.Y., C1-1
Nicholas Ryan, Vicki Anderson, Celia Godfrey, Senem Eren, Stefanie Rosema, Kaitlyn Taylor, Cathy Catroppa
(2013), Vol. 31, pp. 811-819, International journal of developmental neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1-1
Funded Projects at Deakin
No Funded Projects at Deakin found
Supervisions
No completed student supervisions to report