Education

PhD, Queensland Brain Institute (2019)
Bachelor of Science (Hons I), Queensland Brain Institute (2013)
Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science, Australian National University (2011)

Research interests

My research is focussed on understanding the neurobiological basis of psychiatric disorders. I am particularly interested in using animal models of relevance to schizophrenia to understand how dopaminergic dysfunction in this disorder contributes to schizophrenia-relevant behaviours including cognitive deficits. To answer this question, I have used a range of sophisticated techniques which range from behavioural testing and ex vivo molecular biology to in vivo neuroimaging in rodents using positron emission tomography. I am also interested in using animal models to trial novel compounds for treatment. I am especially interested in compounds which could be used as interventions at early stages of the disorder, to delay or prevent disorder onset. Currently I am assessing the contribution of different cortio-striatal pathways on behaviours which are relevant to psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia but also obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

PUBLICATIONs

Petty, A., Garcia-Hidalgo, A., Halff, E. F., Natesan, S., Withers, D. J., Irvine, E. E., Kokkinou, M., Wells, L. A., Bonsall, D. R., Tang, S. P., Veronese, M., & Howes, O. D. (2023). Sub-Chronic Ketamine Administration Increases Dopamine Synthesis Capacity in the Mouse Midbrain: a Preclinical In Vivo PET Study. Molecular imaging and biology, 25(6), 1054–1062. Read More.

Petty, A., Glass, L. J., Rothmond, D. A., Purves-Tyson, T., Sweeney, A., Kondo, Y., Kubo, S., Matsumoto, M., & Weickert, C. S. (2022). Increased levels of a pro-inflammatory IgG receptor in the midbrain of people with schizophrenia. Journal of neuroinflammation, 19(1), 188. Read More.

Petty, A., Howes, O., & Eyles, D. (2021). Animal Models of Relevance to the Schizophrenia Prodrome. Biological psychiatry global open science, 3(1), 22–32. Read More.

Petty, A., Cui, X., Ali, A., Du, Z., Srivastav, S., Kesby, J. P., Kirik, D., Howes, O., & Eyles, D. (2021). Positive symptom phenotypes appear progressively in "EDiPS", a new animal model of the schizophrenia prodrome. Scientific reports, 11(1), 4294. Read More.

Petty, A., Cui, X., Tesiram, Y., Kirik, D., Howes, O., & Eyles, D. (2019). Enhanced Dopamine in Prodromal Schizophrenia (EDiPS): a new animal model of relevance to schizophrenia. NPJ schizophrenia, 5(1), 6. Read More.

Cui, X., Gooch, H., Petty, A., McGrath, J. J., & Eyles, D. (2017). Vitamin D and the brain: Genomic and non-genomic actions. Molecular and cellular endocrinology, 453, 131–143. Read More.

Ferguson, L., Petty, A., Rohrscheib, C., Troup, M., Kirszenblat, L., Eyles, D. W., & van Swinderen, B. (2017). Transient Dysregulation of Dopamine Signaling in a Developing Drosophila Arousal Circuit Permanently Impairs Behavioral Responsiveness in Adults. Frontiers in psychiatry, 8, 22. Read More.