Professor Christel Middeldorp has a conjoint appointment with the Child Health Research Centre (CHRC), UQ, and Child and Youth Mental Health Service (CYMHS), Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service (CHQ HHS). Her research interests involve the role of genetic and other familial influences on the development and persistence of psychopathology across the lifespan. She is the co-PI of the Behavior&Cognition working group of the EAGLE consortium (EArly Genetics and Lifecourse Epidemiology). EAGLE aims to identify genetic variants underlying the development and persistence of childhood psychopathology by using data from population based longitudinal child and adolescent cohorts from over the world. She further investigates associations between parental and offspring psychopathology and the development of these associations over time in a clinical cohort consisting of families with children treated at outpatient psychiatric services, who are followed longitudinally.

Qualifications

MD (Rotterdam, The Netherlands), PhD (Amsterdam, The Netherlands),  Child and adolescent psychiatrist (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

Research Support

Ongoing

2021-2026: PRE-EMPT: Prediction of Early Mental Disorder and Preventive Treatment - Centre of Research Excellence. NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence, Aus$2.5M, Role Chief Investigator (CI)-F.

2020-2024: Does repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), compared to sham rTMS, improve social communication in adolescents and young adults with autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Medical Research Future Fund – Unmet needs. AUS$1.9M. Role CI-G

2020-2023: Child & Adolescent Victimisation: prevalence and predictors in Australia. ARC Discovery Project, DP200102159, Aus$500k, Role CI-G

2019-2021: Children with ADHD in Child & Youth Mental Health services. Governmental funding for the Australian ADHD Professional Association (AADPA), Aus$150k

Completed

 

2017-2021 CAPICE: Childhood and Adolescence Psychopathology: unravelling the complex etiology by a large Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Europe. EU Marie Curie European Training Network €3,100,000.

2011-2017 Genetic influences on stability and change in psychopathology from childhood to young adulthood. The Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw-TOP 91210020).

2007-2012 The interplay of genetic and environmental factors in the development of anxious depression in children and adults. The Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) – Innovational Research Incentives scheme –VENI grant (91676125), €208.000,-. Role: PI.

2009-2011 Psychopathology in parents of children with a psychiatric disorder. The Netherlands. Foundation for Mental Health (Fonds Psychische Gezondheid 20096398), € 50,000. Role: PI.

Awards

2018 Children’s Health Queensland Research Excellence Award.

2017 AACAP’s Ülkü Ülgür, MD, International Scholar Award. This award from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) is established by dr Ülgür in order to honor international child and adolescent psychiatrists who have significantly enhanced mental health services for children and adolescents around the world.

2012 EPA Research Prize in the category: “Clinical psychopathology and refinement of psychiatric diagnostic categories”. The prize is awarded by the European Psychiatric Association (EPA) for the best article of 2011 written by an early career psychiatrist.

2012 Fuller & Scott Early Career award, Behavior Genetics Association

Supervision of PhD students

Completed:

  • Risk factors for childhood problem behavior. Studies in twins and triplets.
  • Keeping focus. A study on attention problems in the gwas era.
  • Developmental genetics of psychopathology
  • Risk factors for the development and outcome of childhood psychopathology
  • Polygenic analyses of mental health comorbidity during childhood

Current:

  • (Epi)genetic factors in anxiety and traumatic stress related symptoms.
  • Polygenic analyses of childhood and adolescent internalizing problems.
  • Enhanced Stepping stones Triple P for parents with mental health issues