RESEARCHER PROFILE
Professor Divya Mehta, Principal Research Fellow
Stress Genomics Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences
QUT (Queensland University of Technology), Australia
Understanding the interaction between genes and lifestyle factors in response to stress can lead to potential therapeutic interventions for stress-related disorders. This research is crucial for promoting health and well-being.
Professor Divya Mehta works as a Principal Research Fellow at the Stress Genomics Laboratory, in QUT (Queensland University of Technology) in Australia, specialising in stress genomics and mental health. Her education started in the UK with undergraduate and Masters, followed by her PhD in Germany and postdoctoral at Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry. 11 years ago Professor Mehta moved to Australia.
Her focus is research is understanding how genes and lifestyle factors interact to drive our response to stress, particularly in emergency responders, veterans, and elite athletes, with a focus on epigenetics.
Epigenetics are the dynamic part of our DNA, that change across our lifetime in response to stress, exercise, social support, and nutrition, impacting our overall health.
Social support can reduce and reverse negative impacts of stress on genes, leading to potential therapeutic interventions for stress-related disorders.
Research at the intersection of statistics, genomics, and mental health can provide valuable insights into the devastating impact of mental health disorders on individuals, families, and communities.
Professor Mehta has recently commenced research into elite athlete physical and mental health impact performance, with research at the intersection of statistics, genomics, and mental health. This research is ahead of, and in anticipation of, the Summer Olympics in Brisbane in 2032.
Understanding the drivers of health and well-being is crucial for ensuring a happy and healthy life, which is Professor Mehta’s passion. Outside of the work environment, she also enjoys sports, volunteering for animal rescue, and spending time with family.
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Paediatric haemorrhage and airway procedures
Dr Shane George is a paediatric critical care physician working in paediatric emergency medicine and paediatric intensive care at Gold Coast University Hospital. He is the clinical lead for children’s critical care research for Gold Coast Health, and is a Senior Lecturer at The University of Queensland and Griffith University.
Associate Professor George is also an active clinician researcher on topics that span both emergency medicine and PICU practice including safety in emergency intubation, sepsis, haemostatic resuscitation in children and respiratory support therapies.
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Integrated Oral Health Care
Dr Ajesh George is a Professor of Interprofessional Oral Health in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University (WSU) and Honorary Professor in the School of Dentistry at The University of Sydney. He is a dentist with extensive experience in integrated oral health care and is a renowned expert globally in providing oral health training to non-dental professionals and translating oral health guidelines into their practice. Dr George is also the Director and Co-founder of the “Australian Centre for Integration of Oral Health” (ACIOH) which is a leading national research centre led by WSU in collaboration with various partners including universities, health services and professional organisations.
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Dental care improvements using informatics and artificial intelligence
a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee for Dentroid, a startup in Australia aiming to revolutionise dentistry with laser technology. He has gained extensive experience in various roles at research-intensive institutions across three different continents.
