DrGarth Stephenson

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.
I am also investigating the relationship of the Kynurenine pathway in both childhood obestity and ASD 

Knowledge Areas

Mammalian Heamatopoiesis and the inflammatory immune response.
Cell and tissue engineering
Pharmacology
Human Anatomy
Embryology

Projects
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.

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