Biography

Dr Fernandez completed her Ph.D in 2003 studying the role of corticotropic axis and sympathetic system in the genetic variability study of neurotoxic effects following 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or ecstasy) administration in rats. Before her appointment at the University of Wollongong (Wollongong, NSW, Australia), Dr Fernandez-Enright has been working in Human Genetics’ field for several years in collaboration with Pr Griffiths at the Genomics Research Centre, Griffith University, QLD, Australia. In keeping with the need for scientists to constantly learn and apply new techniques, she joined the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (Biopolis, Singapore) and has been working for a couple of years in the characterization of a phosphatase protein and its function in the brain and more specifically in memory signalling processes using neurostem cell culture and immunochemistry techniques in a transgenic mice. She then joined the University of Wollongong where her research includes, schizophrenia, depression, addiction, nutrition and Alzheimer's Disease.
Her current position at the Australian Catholic University offers her the possibility to use her skills in Genetics, through collaborations in ageing, nutrigenomics, obesity, schizotypy, addiction and schizophrenia.