Professor Darryl Eyles

Professor (Conjoint)

Queensland Brain Institute
d.eyles@uq.edu.au
+61 7 334 66370

Overview

Prof Darryl Eyles is the head of the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research Developmental Neurobiology laboratory. One of Darryl’s research directions is focused on how known risk-factors for schizophrenia change the way the brain develops. His group have established the biological plausibility of various epidemiological risk factors for this disease including developmental vitamin D deficiency, prenatal hypoxia and maternal immune activation. Strikingly all these exposures affect the early development and later differentiation of early dopamine neurons. A second major focus is on understanding the effects of increased dopamine release in selective circuits and how this may be causal in schizophrenia. A third major interest is in factors such as the gut microbiome, and how increased testosterone contribute to altered brain function related to autism.

Research Impacts

The animal model produced to understand psychiatric neurobiology for Developmental Vitamin D deficiency is now in use in 8 international laboratories. The animal model of adolescent hyperdopaminergia is also being used by other laboratories in Australia and in the UK. Our work is a perfect example of reverse translation where we take clinical observations and build animal/cellular models to better understand neurobiology. The hope is that such findings can be forward translated back to the clinic to develop better treatments.

Qualifications

  • Postgraduate Diploma, Griffith University

Publications

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Supervision

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Publications

Book Chapter

  • Eyles, Darryl, Cui, Xiaoying and McGrath, John J. (2024). Vitamin D, brain development and function. Feldman and Pike' s Vitamin D. (pp. 537-562) Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-323-91386-7.00040-4

  • Eyles, Darryl and McGrath, John (2018). Vitamin D brain development and function. Vitamin D: Volume One: Biochemistry, Physiology and Diagnostics. (pp. 563-581) edited by David Feldman. Kidlington, Oxford, United Kingdom: Elsevier . doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-809965-0.00033-1

  • Eyles, D.W. and Dean, A.J. (2016). Maternal Nutritional Deficiencies and Schizophrenia: Lessons from Animal Models with a Focus on Developmental Vitamin D Deficiency.. Modeling the Psychopathological Dimensions of Schizophrenia — From Molecules to Behavior . (pp. 243-264) edited by Mikhail V. Pletnikov and John L. Waddington. London, United Kingdom: Academic Press (Elsevier Inc). doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-800981-9.00015-8

  • Cui, Xiaoying, Eyles, Darryl W., Burne, Thomas H. J. and McGrath, John J. (2012). Developmental vitamin D deficiency as a risk factor for schizophrenia. The origins of schizophrenia. (pp. 282-299) edited by Alan S. Brown and Paul H. Patterson. New York, United States: Columbia University Press.

  • Eyles, Darryl, Burne, Thomas H.J., Alexander, Suzy, Cui, Xiaoying and McGrath, John J. (2011). The developmental vitamin D (DVD) model of schizophrenia. Animal Models of Schizophrenia and Related Disorders. (pp. 113-125) edited by Patricio O’Donnell and Wolfgang Walz. New York , NY, U.S.A.: Humana Press. doi: 10.1007/978-1-61779-157-4_5

  • Eyles, Darryl, Burne, Thomas and McGrath, John (2011). Vitamin D: A neurosteroid affecting brain development and function; implications for neurological and psychiatric disorders. Vitamin D. (pp. 565-582) edited by David Feldman, J. Wesley Pike and John S. Adams. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-381978-9.10032-0

  • Burne, T. H. J., McGrath, J. J., MacKay-Sim, A. and Eyles, D. W. (2006). Prenatal Vitamin D Deficiency and Brain Development. Vitamin D: New Research. (pp. 153-172) edited by Veronica D. Stolzt. USA: Nova Science Publishers Inc.

  • Mackay-Sim, Alan, Feron, Francois, Eyles, Darryl, Burne, Thomas and McGrath, John (2004). Schizophrenia, vitamin D, and brain development. Disorders of Synaptic Plasticity And Schizophrenia. (pp. 351-380) edited by John Smythies. USA: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/S0074-7742(04)59014-1

Journal Article

Conference Publication

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

Completed Supervision