Overview
Background
Associate Professor Paul Dawson is the Mater Research Head of Education, MRI-UQ Director of Higher Degree Research, and a Mater Foundation Principal Research Fellow. Paul leads the Neurodevelopmental Research Group at Mater, which is focussed on cerebral palsy in preterm infants, non-syndromic intellectual disability and autism.
Paul’s research group collaborates very closely with neonatologists, maternal fetal medicine specialists, obstetricians, bioinformaticians and biochemical pathologists at Mater to investigate clinical, biochemical and genetic markers that predict adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. In particular, his research is focussed on the role of nutrient sulphate in brain development. Paul through his work has brought many collaborative groups together. Some of his notable collaborations are with the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI), Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH), UQ Centre for Clinical Research (UQCCR), the University of Sydney and the Cerebral Palsy Alliance.
With over 80 research publications, Paul notes a career highlight as being one of the key investigators, and Autism Biobank member, in the Autism Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) which was awarded $31 million from the Australian government.
Paul is heavily involved in national and international peer review and is a strong advocate for health and medical research with executive roles (Past-President 2012, Chair Advisory Committee) for the Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR).
‘My career in medical research happened for many reasons, including my interest and passion for understanding the genetics of disorders that impact on people’s health and well-being. In my early days, I was fortunate to work with a group of like-minded biomedical and clinician scientists which kicked off many discoveries in neurodevelopment, as well as the opportunity to develop and investigate pre-clinical models with the aim of implementing research outcomes to improve healthcare. Working at Mater provides a fantastic opportunity to investigate new approaches for reducing the risk of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants. I look forward to the coming years when the benefits of our Mater-led research will be realised and proven around the globe. It’s a privilege to contribute to Australian health and medical research.’
Availability
- Dr Paul Dawson is:
- Available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor (Honours) of Science (Advanced), University of New England Australia
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Research impacts
Since joining Mater Research in 2010, A/Prof Dawson has brought together collaborative groups of clinicians, biomedical researchers, research entities (MCH/LCCH, MMH, QBI, QCIDD, AIBN, UQ CAI and SBMS) and the Mater Foundation, to investigate the aetiology of neurodevelopmental disorders. These collaborations align with Mater’s strategic research programs Neuroscience and Cognitive Health and Mothers, Babies and Maternal Care. A/Prof Dawson was appointed Program Leader of Neurosciences and Cognitive Health in June 2016. Highlights of A/Prof Dawson’s research achievements include:
- Investigator (and Autism Biobank member representing Mater Research) in Program 1 of Autism CRC ($31.01M) 2013-2020.
- Investigator in the Queensland Floods 2011 (QF2011) study, studying the consequences of prenatal maternal stress on child behavioural, developmental and metabolic outcomes. Co-author on 2 publications.
- CIA on NHMRC-funded study ($720k 2015-2019, ranked 3rd quartile category 6) to investigate the links between biochemistry, genetics and neurodevelopmental outcomes, including cerebral palsy, in preterm infants.
- Principal Investigator on an Autism CRC Innovative grant using iPS cells as a model to study the cellular and molecular basis of autism ($40k, 2014-2015).
- Investigator on genetic/clinical studies of Intellectual Disability, with collaborations between Mater Research, LCCH, QCIDD and the Queensland Brain Institute.
- Initiated and led a world-first NATA approved diagnostic test (and establishment of clinical reference ranges) for plasma and urine sulphate measurements in Mater Pathology, South Brisbane, which has gained media attention for use in his NHMRC-funded neurodevelopmental studies.
- His achievements in perinatal research were recognised with the 2016 Simon & Nell George Award ($10,000) in recognition of exceptional work undertaken at the Mater in the area of Maternal and/or early childhood health and for support for the work of the Mater Foundation.
- Oral presentations at 25 local and 20 national/international scientific meetings.
- Initiated and prepared grant applications with successful funding of $1.5M (2010-present).
- Contributed as investigator on equipment grants with funding of $540,000 (2011-present).
- Recipient of Mater Foundation Research Fellowship (2014-20).
Works
Search Professor Paul Dawson’s works on UQ eSpace
2021
Journal Article
Evaluation of two intelligent packaging prototypes with a pH indicator to determine spoilage of cow milk
Romero, Ana, Sharp, Julia L., Dawson, Paul L., Darby, Duncan and Cooksey, Kay (2021). Evaluation of two intelligent packaging prototypes with a pH indicator to determine spoilage of cow milk. Food Packaging and Shelf Life, 30 100720, 100720. doi: 10.1016/j.fpsl.2021.100720
2021
Journal Article
Autism-related dietary preferences mediate autism-gut microbiome associations
Yap, Chloe X., Henders, Anjali K., Alvares, Gail A., Wood, David L.A., Krause, Lutz, Tyson, Gene W., Restuadi, Restuadi, Wallace, Leanne, McLaren, Tiana, Hansell, Narelle K., Cleary, Dominique, Grove, Rachel, Hafekost, Claire, Harun, Alexis, Holdsworth, Helen, Jellett, Rachel, Khan, Feroza, Lawson, Lauren P., Leslie, Jodie, Frenk, Mira Levis, Masi, Anne, Mathew, Nisha E., Muniandy, Melanie, Nothard, Michaela, Miller, Jessica L., Nunn, Lorelle, Holtmann, Gerald, Strike, Lachlan T., de Zubicaray, Greig I. ... Gratten, Jacob (2021). Autism-related dietary preferences mediate autism-gut microbiome associations. Cell, 184 (24), 5916-5931.e17. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.10.015
2021
Journal Article
Analysis of common genetic variation and rare CNVs in the Australian Autism Biobank
Yap, Chloe X., Alvares, Gail A., Henders, Anjali K., Lin, Tian, Wallace, Leanne, Farrelly, Alaina, McLaren, Tiana, Berry, Jolene, Vinkhuyzen, Anna A. E., Trzaskowski, Maciej, Zeng, Jian, Yang, Yuanhao, Cleary, Dominique, Grove, Rachel, Hafekost, Claire, Harun, Alexis, Holdsworth, Helen, Jellett, Rachel, Khan, Feroza, Lawson, Lauren, Leslie, Jodie, Levis Frenk, Mira, Masi, Anne, Mathew, Nisha E., Muniandy, Melanie, Nothard, Michaela, Visscher, Peter M., Dawson, Paul A., Dissanayake, Cheryl ... Gratten, Jacob (2021). Analysis of common genetic variation and rare CNVs in the Australian Autism Biobank. Molecular Autism, 12 (1) 12, 12. doi: 10.1186/s13229-020-00407-5
2021
Journal Article
Detecting and correlating bacterial populations to visual color change of polydiacetylene-coated filters
Zhang, Yueyuan, Dawson, Paul L., Hanks, Timothy W., Northcutt, Julie K., Tzeng, Tzuen-Rong and Pennington, William T. (2021). Detecting and correlating bacterial populations to visual color change of polydiacetylene-coated filters. Talanta, 221 121482, 1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.talanta.2020.121482
2021
Journal Article
Surface decontamination of fresh, whole peaches (Prunus persica) using sodium hypochlorite or acidified electrolyzed water solutions
Hopkins, Dylan Zachary, Parisi, Michelle Ann, Dawson, Paul Lynn and Northcutt, Julie Kathleen (2021). Surface decontamination of fresh, whole peaches (Prunus persica) using sodium hypochlorite or acidified electrolyzed water solutions. International Journal of Fruit Science, 21 (1), 1-11. doi: 10.1080/15538362.2020.1822269
2020
Journal Article
The effect of different freezing rates and long-term storage temperatures on the stability of sliced peaches
Dawson, Paul, Al-Jeddawi, Wesam and Rieck, James (2020). The effect of different freezing rates and long-term storage temperatures on the stability of sliced peaches. International Journal of Food Science, 2020 9178583, 1-17. doi: 10.1155/2020/9178583
2020
Journal Article
Cell-extrinsic requirement for sulfate in regulating hippocampal neurogenesis
Zhang, Zhe, Jhaveri, Dhanisha, Sharmin, Sazia, Harvey, Tracey J., Dawson, Paul A., Piper, Michael and Simmons, David G. (2020). Cell-extrinsic requirement for sulfate in regulating hippocampal neurogenesis. Biology Open, 9 (7) bio053132, 1-7. doi: 10.1242/bio.053132
2020
Journal Article
Whole genome investigation of an atypical autism case identifies a novel ANOS1 mutation with subsequent diagnosis of Kallmann syndrome
Dawson, Paul A., Lee, Soohyun, Ewing, Adam D., Prins, Johannes B. and Heussler, Helen S. (2020). Whole genome investigation of an atypical autism case identifies a novel ANOS1 mutation with subsequent diagnosis of Kallmann syndrome. Molecular Genetics and Metabolism Reports, 23 100593, 100593. doi: 10.1016/j.ymgmr.2020.100593
2020
Journal Article
Molecular analysis of the human placental cysteine dioxygenase type 1 gene
Dawson, Paul A., Weerasekera, Shalini J., Atcheson, Ranita J., Twomey, Sarah A. and Simmons, David G. (2020). Molecular analysis of the human placental cysteine dioxygenase type 1 gene. Molecular Genetics and Metabolism Reports, 22 100568, 100568. doi: 10.1016/j.ymgmr.2020.100568
2020
Journal Article
A proposed mechanism to induce multi-layer polydiacetylene-coated filter color response to bacteria
Zhang, Yueyuan, Dawson, Paul L., Tzeng, Tzuen-Rong, Hanks, Timothy W., Northcutt, Julie K. and Pennington, William T. (2020). A proposed mechanism to induce multi-layer polydiacetylene-coated filter color response to bacteria. Results in Chemistry, 2 100065, 100065. doi: 10.1016/j.rechem.2020.100065
2019
Journal Article
Kidney microRNA profile in pregnant mice reveals molecular insights into kidney adaptation to pregnancy: a pilot study
Lee, Soohyun, Temple, Fergal Thomas and Dawson, Paul Anthony (2019). Kidney microRNA profile in pregnant mice reveals molecular insights into kidney adaptation to pregnancy: a pilot study. Molecular Genetics and Metabolism Reports, 20 100486, 100486. doi: 10.1016/j.ymgmr.2019.100486
2019
Journal Article
Postnatal N-acetylcysteine administration rescues impaired social behaviors and neurogenesis in Slc13a4 haploinsufficient mice
Zhang, Zhe, Dawson, Paul Anthony, Piper, Michael and Simmons, David Gordon (2019). Postnatal N-acetylcysteine administration rescues impaired social behaviors and neurogenesis in Slc13a4 haploinsufficient mice. EBioMedicine, 43, 435-446. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.03.081
2018
Journal Article
Study protocol for the Australian autism biobank: an international resource to advance autism discovery research
Alvares, Gail A., Dawson, Paul A., Dissanayake, Cheryl, Eapen, Valsamma, Gratten, Jacob, Grove, Rachel, Henders, Anjali, Heussler, Helen, Lawson, Lauren, Masi, Anne, Raymond, Emma, Rose, Felicity, Wallace, Leanne, Wray, Naomi R. and Whitehouse, Andrew J. O. (2018). Study protocol for the Australian autism biobank: an international resource to advance autism discovery research. BMC Pediatrics, 18 (1) 284, 284. doi: 10.1186/s12887-018-1255-z
2018
Journal Article
Natural disaster-related prenatal maternal stress is associated with alterations in placental glucocorticoid system: the QF2011 Queensland Flood Study
St-Pierre, Joey, Laplante, David P., Elgbeili, Guillaume, Dawson, Paul A., Kildea, Sue, King, Suzanne and Vaillancourt, Cathy (2018). Natural disaster-related prenatal maternal stress is associated with alterations in placental glucocorticoid system: the QF2011 Queensland Flood Study. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 94, 38-48. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.04.027
2018
Conference Publication
Supreme Study: Investigating the Neuroprotective Role of Sulphate Among Preterm Babies
Dawson, P. A., Colditz, P. B., Boyd, R. N., Badawi, N., Koorts, P. J., Kumar, S., Flenady, V. J. and Hurrion, E. M. (2018). Supreme Study: Investigating the Neuroprotective Role of Sulphate Among Preterm Babies. 22nd Annual Congress of the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand (PSANZ), Auckland, New Zealand, 25–28 March 2018. Chichester, West Sussex United Kingdom: Wiley. doi: 10.1111/jpc.13882_2
2018
Conference Publication
Preterm piglets are a model of human preterm infant sulphate deficiency
Dawson, P. A., Eiby, Y. A., Barnes, S. K., Boyd, R. N., Badawi, N., Koorts, P. J., Kumar, S., Flenady, V. J., Hurrion, E. M, Colditz, P. B. and Lingwood, B. E. (2018). Preterm piglets are a model of human preterm infant sulphate deficiency. 22nd Annual Congress of the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand (PSANZ), Auckland, New Zealand, 25–28 March 2018. Chichester, West Sussex United Kingdom: Wiley. doi: 10.1111/jpc.13882_186
2018
Journal Article
Evaluation of an ion chromatography method for quantitating sulfate in plasma, serum and urine
Dawson, Paul A., McWhinney, Avis, Reimer, Matthew and Bowling, Francis G. (2018). Evaluation of an ion chromatography method for quantitating sulfate in plasma, serum and urine. Journal of Chromatography and Separation Techniques, 09 (05). doi: 10.4172/2157-7064.1000411
2017
Journal Article
Gene networks associated with non-syndromic intellectual disability
Lee, Soohyun, Rudd, Stephen, Gratten, Jacob, Visscher, Peter M., Prins, Johannes B. and Dawson, Paul A. (2017). Gene networks associated with non-syndromic intellectual disability. Journal of Neurogenetics, 32 (1), 6-14. doi: 10.1080/01677063.2017.1404058
2017
Conference Publication
G490(P) Neuroprotective benefit of antenatal magnesium sulfate for preterm infants. Is it the magnesium or the sulfate?
Hurrion, EM, Colditz, PB, Boyd, RN, Badawi, N, Koorts, PJ, Kumar, S, Flenady, VJ and Dawson, PA (2017). G490(P) Neuroprotective benefit of antenatal magnesium sulfate for preterm infants. Is it the magnesium or the sulfate?. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2017-313087.482
2017
Journal Article
Polydiacetylene sensor interaction with food sanitizers and surfactants
Zhang, Yueyuan, Northcutt, Julie, Hanks, Tim, Miller, Ian, Pennington, Bill, Jelinek, Raz, Han, Inyee and Dawson, Paul (2017). Polydiacetylene sensor interaction with food sanitizers and surfactants. Food Chemistry, 221, 515-520. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.09.168
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Paul Dawson is:
- Available for supervision
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Available projects
-
Neuroprotective role of sulfate in preterm infants
PhD project to investigate the molecular genetics and pathophysiology of nutrient sulfate deficiency in human fetal and neonatal development. The project will incorporate clinical, biochemical, genetic and molecular biology approaches.
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Investigation of individuals with idiopathic intellectual disability
This study will investigate the genetic causes/factors that may contribute to currently unexplained intellectual disability. The study will increase understanding of fundamental biological abnormalities underpinning intellectual disability.
Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
Characterisation of sulfate deficiency on preterm neonatal bone growth and development.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Allison Pettit, Dr Yvonne Eiby, Dr Susan Millard
-
Doctor Philosophy
Neuroprotective role of sulphate among preterm infants (SuPreme study)
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Molecular analyses of sulfation pathways in neurodevelopment following preterm birth
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Yvonne Eiby
-
Doctor Philosophy
Neuroprotective role of sulphate among preterm infants (SuPreme study)
Principal Advisor
-
Master Philosophy
The right ventricular (RV) response to exercise in patients with established pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) or chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and correlation to prognostic markers
Associate Advisor
Completed supervision
-
2008
Doctor Philosophy
Physiological analysis of xenobiotic toxicity, steroids and neurotransmitters in mouse models of hyposulfataemia
Principal Advisor
-
2015
Doctor Philosophy
Investigating the role of the placental sulfate transporter Slc13a4 in fetal development.
Joint Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr David Simmons
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Genetic variants in Angelman syndrome and related disorders: relationship to phenotype and neuronal function
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Honey Heussler
-
2018
Doctor Philosophy
Role of the Sulfate Transporter SLC13A4 in Brain Development and Function
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr David Simmons
Media
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