A/Prof. Deborah Hodgson

Biography

Associate Professor Deborah Hodgson is the Deputy Head of Faculty (Science and IT) and the Assistant Dean of Research at The University of Newcastle, Australia. She is a Neuroimmunologist and Director of The Laboratory of Neuroimmunology. The research focus of her laboratory is the role of early life events in the programming of development. Over the past 15 years her laboratory has been addressing the impact of maternal and neonatal factors on fetal development and subsequent susceptibility to pathology in later life. Using a variety of animal models Dr Hodgson’s laboratory has demonstrated that perinatal factors drive the ontogeny of the neuroendocrine and immune systems, altering physiological processes, that then contribute to a predisposition toward pathology in later life.

Qualifications

• PhD, Macquarie University, 1993
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Macquarie University
• Bachelor of Arts (Psychology), Macquarie University
• Registered Psychologist, Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, 1993

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Research

Research keywords

• fetal physiology
• neuoimmunology
• psychobiology

Research expertise

Role of early life events in neuroendocrine and immune development,

Characterisation of communication pathways between the brain and the immune system,

Endogenous pain inhibitory systems and the role of psychological factors as mediators,

The neurobehavioural and neuroendocrine and immunological responses of animals to stress,

The interactions between neuro-endocrine, psychological processes and immune systems in relation to stress and pathology (specifically, cancer and HIV).

Collaboration

Dr Hodgson is involved in international and national collaborations. At an international level, she is investigating the imapct of earlylife events on disease susceptibility with Prof. Chris Coe (University of Wisconsin), Professor Gayle Page (John Hopkins University, USA)Prof Yehuda Shavit (Hebrew University Israel), and Dr Mark Vickers (Liggins institute, NZ). At a national level Dr Hodgson is investigating the predisposition towards psychiatric disorders following prenatal stress in collaboration with Prof. Pat Mitchie (University of Newcastle) and Dr Katerina Zavitsano (ANSTO), and programming of fertility with Assoc Prof Stephen Kent (La Trobe University), Prof Vicki Clifton (Univ of Adelaide) and Drs Charles Allen (Sydney University) and Kate Loveland (Monash University).

Fields of Research

Code	Description	Percentage
170100	Psychology	50
110999	Neurosciences Not Elsewhere Classified	35
110499	Complementary And Alternative Medicine Not Elsewhere Classified	15

Centres and Groups

Centre

• Hunter Medical Research Institute
• PRC - Priority Research Centre for Translational Neuroscience and Mental Health (CTNMH)

Group

• Hunter Medical Research Institute - Brain and Mental Health

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Administrative

Administrative expertise

School executive committee,

School Post graduate committee

Faculty executive committee

faculty research and research training committee

Equity committee

Assistant dean research training.

Porgram director of Women at University of Newcastle

University ethics committee

University OSPRO committee

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Teaching

Teaching keywords

• health psychology
• neuroimmunology
• neuroscience
• psychobiology

Teaching expertise

Undergraduate teaching expertise in neuroscience, psychobiology and

neuroimmunology, general anatomy and pysiology, physiology of emotions

and motivation

Postgraduate teaching expertise in health psychology, fetal physiology and

fetal programming