Overview
Background
The objective of my research is to improve understanding of the genetic etiology and biological mechanisms underlying risk of common psychiatric disorders, particularly those with onset during childhood and adolescence. As a Senior Research Fellow at the Child Health Research Centre, I lead a number of domestic and international collaborations that evaluate the association between polygenic risk scores, environmental variables and behaviour during childhood and adolescence. My group applies innovative statistical methods to large longitudinal datasets with information from infancy through to adulthood and to evaluate genetic and environmental contributions to risk to mental health problems. In addition, our research focuses on the potential clinical utility of polygenic risk scores in psychiatry. I have contributed to major advances in understanding of the etiology of a number of psychiatric disorders, with a major focus on depression
PhD and Honours projects are available in the group. Please contact me for more information.
Availability
- Dr Enda Byrne is:
- Available for supervision
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Research interests
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Genomic Technologies
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Statistical and Computational methods
Research impacts
My research has contributed to advances in a number of fields through the identification of previously unknown genetic variants that contribute to risk to complex disorders. The identification of these variants opens up new avenues for developing drug targets to target the biological pathways in which they are found.
Works
Search Professor Enda Byrne’s works on UQ eSpace
2025
Journal Article
White blood cell proportions are associated with response to psychosocial therapy in young people at ultra-high risk for psychosis
Barker, Lauren F., McRae, Allan F., Yuen, Hok Pan, Henders, Anjali K., Wallace, Leanne M., Lin, Tian, Phassouliotis, Christina, Spark, Jessica, Kerr, Melissa, Byrne, Enda M., Amminger, G. Paul, Nelson, Barnaby, Wray, Naomi R. and McGorry, Patrick D. (2025). White blood cell proportions are associated with response to psychosocial therapy in young people at ultra-high risk for psychosis. Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science, 5 (5) 100546, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2025.100546
2025
Conference Publication
Distinct Clinical, Metabolic-Inflammatory-Genetic Characteristics and Treatment Responses of Atypical Depression
Shin, Mirim, Crouse, Jacob J., Lin, Tian, Byrne, Enda M., Mitchell, Brittany L., Lind, Penelope A., Parker, Richard, McKenna, Sarah, Tonini, Emiliana, Carpenter, Joanne S., Wray, Naomi, Medland, Sarah E., Martin, Nicholas G. and Hickie, Ian B. (2025). Distinct Clinical, Metabolic-Inflammatory-Genetic Characteristics and Treatment Responses of Atypical Depression. HOBOKEN: WILEY.
2025
Conference Publication
Mental Health and Sleep Correlates of Self-Reported Outdoor Daylight Exposure in Over 13,000 Adults With Depression
Crouse, Jacob, Park, Shin Ho, Mitchell, Brittany, Byrne, Enda, Medland, Sarah, Lin, Tian, Scott, Jan, de Haan, Zsofi, Tonini, Emiliana, Iorfino, Frank, Wray, Naomi, Martin, Nicholas and Hickie, Ian (2025). Mental Health and Sleep Correlates of Self-Reported Outdoor Daylight Exposure in Over 13,000 Adults With Depression. HOBOKEN: WILEY.
2025
Conference Publication
Circadian Depression Subtype in Adolescents: Validation Using the Brisbane Longitudinal Twin Study
Shin, Mirim, Crouse, Jacob J., Mitchell, Brittany L., Park, Shin Ho, Tonini, Emiliana, Carpenter, Joanne S., Mcaloney, Kerrie, Byrne, Enda, Medland, Sarah, Martin, Nicholas and Hickie, Ian B. (2025). Circadian Depression Subtype in Adolescents: Validation Using the Brisbane Longitudinal Twin Study. HOBOKEN: WILEY.
2025
Conference Publication
Clinical and Genetic Correlates of Circadian Depression in the Australian Genetics of Depression Study
Tonini, Emiliana, Crouse, Jacob J., Byrne, Enda, Mitchell, Brittany L., Shin, Mirim, Carpenter, Joanne S., Medland, Sarah, Scott, Jan, Martin, Nicholas G. and Hickie, Ian B. (2025). Clinical and Genetic Correlates of Circadian Depression in the Australian Genetics of Depression Study. HOBOKEN: WILEY.
2025
Conference Publication
Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) of Circadian Depression in the UK Biobank
Tonini, Emiliana, Crouse, Jacob J., Byrne, Enda, Mitchell, Brittany L., Shin, Mirim, Carpenter, Joanne S., Hindmarch, Gabrielle, Mckenna, Sarah, Iorfino, Frank and Hickie, Ian B. (2025). Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) of Circadian Depression in the UK Biobank. HOBOKEN: WILEY.
2025
Conference Publication
Mitochondrial DNA Variants Influence Sleep in Individuals With Major Depressive Disorder
Dos Santos, Fernanda, Camacho, Natasha, Mendes-Silva, Ana Paula, Gordon, Scott D., Mitchell, Brittany L., Byrne, Enda M., Kennedy, James, Martin, Nicholas G., Melhuish-Beaupre, Lindsay and Goncalves, Vanessa (2025). Mitochondrial DNA Variants Influence Sleep in Individuals With Major Depressive Disorder. NEW YORK: ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC.
2025
Journal Article
Caffeine consumption, psychological distress, and insomnia in a cohort of individuals with depression
McIntosh, Harry A., Borgas, Aleah J., Aouira, Nisreen, Mitchell, Brittany L., Crouse, Jacob J., Medland, Sarah E., Hickie, Ian B., Wray, Naomi R., Martin, Nicholas G., Middeldorp, Christel M. and Byrne, Enda M. (2025). Caffeine consumption, psychological distress, and insomnia in a cohort of individuals with depression. Complex Psychiatry, 11 (1), 37-49. doi: 10.1159/000545393
2025
Journal Article
Markers of positive affect and brain state synchrony discriminate melancholic from non-melancholic depression using naturalistic stimuli
Mosley, Philip E., van der Meer, Johan N., Hamilton, Lachlan H. W., Fripp, Jurgen, Parker, Stephen, Jeganathan, Jayson, Breakspear, Michael, Parker, Richard, Holland, Rebecca, Mitchell, Brittany L., Byrne, Enda, Hickie, Ian B., Medland, Sarah E., Martin, Nicholas G. and Cocchi, Luca (2025). Markers of positive affect and brain state synchrony discriminate melancholic from non-melancholic depression using naturalistic stimuli. Molecular Psychiatry, 30 (3) 11605, 848-860. doi: 10.1038/s41380-024-02699-y
2025
Journal Article
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Predictors of Relapsing, Recurrent, and Chronic Depression in Young People
Tagliaferri, Scott D., Han, Laura K.M., Khetan, Muskan, Nguyen, Joshua, Markulev, Connie, Rice, Simon, Cotton, Susan M., Berk, Michael, Byrne, Enda M., Rickwood, Debra, Davey, Christopher G., Koval, Peter, Ratheesh, Aswin, McGorry, Patrick D., Alvarez-Jimenez, Mario and Schmaal, Lianne (2025). Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Predictors of Relapsing, Recurrent, and Chronic Depression in Young People. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2025.03.019
2025
Journal Article
Improving Outcomes in Mental Health (IOMH)—an Australian longitudinal clinical study of families with children with neurodevelopmental problems: cohort profile
Galligan, Dana E, Payne, Leanne, Sullivan, Daniel P., Bhadravathi Lokeshappa, Madhura, Ziser, Laura, Nunn, Lorelle, Wallace, Leanne M., Andersen, Isabella, Howarth, Sophie, Kato, Akina, Karunanithi, Mohan, Mingin, Cassandra, O’Scanaill, Sally, Aouira, Nisreen, Paramecwari, Ayu, Sanders, Matthew R., Cobham, Vanessa E., Wray, Naomi R., Henders, Anjali K., Byrne, Enda M., Heussler, Honey and Middeldorp, Christel M. (2025). Improving Outcomes in Mental Health (IOMH)—an Australian longitudinal clinical study of families with children with neurodevelopmental problems: cohort profile. BMJ Open, 15 (3) e091676, 1-12. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-091676
2025
Journal Article
Mental health and sleep correlates of self-reported outdoor daylight exposure in over 13,000 adults with depression
Crouse, Jacob J., Park, Shin Ho, Mitchell, Brittany L., Byrne, Enda M., Medland, Sarah E., Lin, Tian, Scott, Jan, de Haan, Zsofi, Tonini, Emiliana, Iorfino, Frank, Wray, Naomi R., Martin, Nicholas G. and Hickie, Ian B. (2025). Mental health and sleep correlates of self-reported outdoor daylight exposure in over 13,000 adults with depression. European Psychiatry, 68 (1) e41, 1-9. doi: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2025.20
2025
Journal Article
Trans-ancestry genome-wide study of depression identifies 697 associations implicating cell types and pharmacotherapies
Adams, Mark J., Streit, Fabian, Meng, Xiangrui, Awasthi, Swapnil, Adey, Brett N., Choi, Karmel W., Chundru, V. Kartik, Coleman, Jonathan R.I., Ferwerda, Bart, Foo, Jerome C., Gerring, Zachary F., Giannakopoulou, Olga, Gupta, Priya, Hall, Alisha S.M., Harder, Arvid, Howard, David M., Hübel, Christopher, Kwong, Alex S.F., Levey, Daniel F., Mitchell, Brittany L. (Major Depressive Disorder Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium member), Ni, Guiyan, Ota, Vanessa K., Pain, Oliver, Pathak, Gita A., Schulte, Eva C., Shen, Xueyi, Thorp, Jackson G., Walker, Alicia, Yao, Shuyang ... McIntosh, Andrew M. (2025). Trans-ancestry genome-wide study of depression identifies 697 associations implicating cell types and pharmacotherapies. Cell, 188 (3), 640-652.e9. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.12.002
2024
Conference Publication
EXAMINING VARIANTS IN MITOCHONDRIAL DNA AND SLEEP MEASURES IN INDIVIDUALS WITH DEPRESSION
dos Santos, Fernanda, Camasho, Natasha, Gordon, Scott D., Mitchell, Brittany L., Byrne, Enda M., Kennedy, James, Martin, Nicholas G., Melhuish-Beaupre, Lindsay and Goncalves, Vanessa (2024). EXAMINING VARIANTS IN MITOCHONDRIAL DNA AND SLEEP MEASURES IN INDIVIDUALS WITH DEPRESSION. 63rd Annual Meeting of the American-College-of-Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP), Phoenix Az, Dec 08-11, 2024. LONDON: SPRINGERNATURE.
2024
Journal Article
The effect of polygenic liability to mental disorders on COVID-19 outcomes in people with depression: the mediating role of anxiety
Monistrol-Mula, Anna, Felez-Nobrega, Mireia, Byrne, Enda M., Lind, Penelope A., Hickie, Ian B., Martin, Nicholas G., Medland, Sarah E., Colodro-Conde, Lucía and Mitchell, Brittany L. (2024). The effect of polygenic liability to mental disorders on COVID-19 outcomes in people with depression: the mediating role of anxiety. Psychological Medicine, 54 (15), 4140-4149. doi: 10.1017/s0033291724001983
2024
Conference Publication
Cohort Profile: Improving Outcomes Of Mental Health (IOMH) A Longitudinal Clinical Study Of Families With Children With Neurodevelopmental Problems
Galligan, Dana, Payne, Leanne, Sullivan, Daniel, Bhadravathi Lokeshappa, Madhura, Ziser, Laura, Nunn, Lorelle, Wallace, Leanne, Sanders, Matthew, Cobham, Vanessa, Wray, Naomi, Henders, Anjali, Byrne, Enda, Heussler, Helen and Middeldorp, Christel M. (2024). Cohort Profile: Improving Outcomes Of Mental Health (IOMH) A Longitudinal Clinical Study Of Families With Children With Neurodevelopmental Problems. World Congress of Psychiatric Genetics WCPG 2024, Singapore, 15-19 October 2024. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2024.08.469
2024
Journal Article
Development and temporal validation of a clinical prediction model of transition to psychosis in individuals at ultra-high risk in the UHR 1000+ cohort
Hartmann, Simon, Dwyer, Dominic, Cavve, Blake, Byrne, Enda M., Scott, Isabelle, Gao, Caroline, Wannan, Cassandra, Yuen, Hok Pan, Hartmann, Jessica, Lin, Ashleigh, Wood, Stephen J., Wigman, Johanna T.W., Middeldorp, Christel M., Thompson, Andrew, Amminger, Paul, Schlögelhofer, Monika, Riecher-Rössler, Anita, Chen, Eric Y.H., Hickie, Ian B., Phillips, Lisa J., Schäfer, Miriam R., Mossaheb, Nilufar, Smesny, Stefan, Berger, Gregor, de Haan, Lieuwe, Nordentoft, Merete, Verma, Swapna, Nieman, Dorien H., McGorry, Patrick D. ... Nelson, Barnaby (2024). Development and temporal validation of a clinical prediction model of transition to psychosis in individuals at ultra-high risk in the UHR 1000+ cohort. World Psychiatry, 23 (3), 400-410. doi: 10.1002/wps.21240
2024
Journal Article
Genome-wide meta-analysis of ascertainment and symptom structures of major depression in case-enriched and community cohorts
Adams, Mark J., Thorp, Jackson G., Jermy, Bradley S., Kwong, Alex S. F., Kõiv, Kadri, Grotzinger, Andrew D., Nivard, Michel G., Marshall, Sally, Milaneschi, Yuri, Baune, Bernhard T., Müller-Myhsok, Bertram, Penninx, Brenda W. J. H., Boomsma, Dorret I., Levinson, Douglas F., Breen, Gerome, Pistis, Giorgio, Grabe, Hans J., Tiemeier, Henning, Berger, Klaus, Rietschel, Marcella, Magnusson, Patrik K., Uher, Rudolf, Hamilton, Steven P., Lucae, Susanne, Lehto, Kelli, Li, Qingqin S., Byrne, Enda M., Hickie, Ian B., Martin, Nicholas G. ... Derks, Eske M. (2024). Genome-wide meta-analysis of ascertainment and symptom structures of major depression in case-enriched and community cohorts. Psychological Medicine, 54 (12), 3459-3468. doi: 10.1017/s0033291724001880
2024
Journal Article
Genome-wide meta-analysis of ascertainment and symptom structures of major depression in case-enriched and community cohorts
Adams, Mark J., Thorp, Jackson G., Jermy, Bradley S., Kwong, Alex S. F., Koiv, Kadri, Grotzinger, Andrew D., Nivard, Michel G., Marshall, Sally, Milaneschi, Yuri, Baune, Bernhard T., Mueller-Myhsok, Bertram, Penninx, Brenda W. J. H., Boomsma, Dorret I., Levinson, Douglas F., Breen, Gerome, Pistis, Giorgio, Grabe, Hans J., Tiemeier, Henning, Berger, Klaus, Rietschel, Marcella, Magnusson, Patrik K., Uher, Rudolf, Hamilton, Steven P., Lucae, Susanne, Lehto, Kelli, Li, Qingqin S., Byrne, Enda M., Hickie, Ian B., Martin, Nicholas G. ... Derks, Eske M. (2024). Genome-wide meta-analysis of ascertainment and symptom structures of major depression in case-enriched and community cohorts. Psychological Medicine, 54 (12), 3459-3468. doi: 10.1017/S0033291724001880
2024
Journal Article
Patterns of stressful life events and polygenic scores for five mental disorders and neuroticism among adults with depression
Crouse, Jacob J., Park, Shin Ho, Byrne, Enda M., Mitchell, Brittany L., Scott, Jan, Medland, Sarah E., Lin, Tian, Wray, Naomi R., Martin, Nicholas G. and Hickie, Ian B. (2024). Patterns of stressful life events and polygenic scores for five mental disorders and neuroticism among adults with depression. Molecular Psychiatry, 29 (9), 2765-2773. doi: 10.1038/s41380-024-02492-x
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Enda Byrne is:
- Available for supervision
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Available projects
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Gene Environment interactions in Mental health trajectories of Youth (Youth-GEMs)
Mental health problems are common in young people, with life-long enduring impacts on individuals, families and societies. More than 63% of mental disorders throughout the life span emerge before 24 years of age, peaking at 14.5-18 years. Adolescence and young adulthood represent a critical period that forecasts the level of mental wellbeing over lifetime and interventions early in life may be critical in preventing later mental illness.
The Child and Youth Mental Health Group is part of an Australian and European Union-funded consortium called Youth-GEMs that seeks to characterise and model trajectories of mental health in youth. In collaboration with researchers from universities in Europe, this project will combine datasets from longitudinal cohort studies from around the world to investigate the interplay between genetic, epigenetic, and environmental risk in influencing mental health across development.
This project will involve advanced data analytics and statistical inference and will involve combining and analysing different types of data including genetic, clinical and environmental data. The ultimate goal is to develop predictive tools that can be used to aid clinical decision-making in youth mental health.
We are seeking a motivated PhD scholar with a background in genetics, biomedical science, psychology, data science, machine learning or a related field to join our team and work closely with collaborators overseas on this project. There is also the possibility to spend time overseas at one of the collaborating labs.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Genetics of childhood onset psychiatric symptoms, their persistence and comorbidity with other traits
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Naomi Wray
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Doctor Philosophy
Gene Environment interactions in Mental health trajectories of Youth
Principal Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
Genetics of Neurodevelopmental Disorders and associated comorbidities
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Allan McRae
Completed supervision
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
The Genomics of Perinatal Depression
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Naomi Wray
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2025
Doctor Philosophy
Multi-Omic Analyses of a Clinical Trial Cohort of Young People at Ultra-High Risk for Psychosis
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Allan McRae, Professor Naomi Wray
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Embracing Complexity in Psychiatric Genetics: Investigating Heterogeneity and Pleiotropy in Depression and Major Psychiatric Disorders
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Sarah Medland
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Genetic and Environmental Influences on Sleep and Internalising Symptoms in Adolescence
Associate Advisor
Media
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