Julie Wixey

Dr. Julie Wixey is a Senior Research Fellow at the Perinatal Research Centre within the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences at The University of Queensland. She leads the fetal growth restriction research group and holds an NHMRC Investigator Grant (2023-2027) for brain injury detection/treatment in FGR newborns. Her work focuses on neuroinflammation, blood-brain barrier integrity, and novel therapies for 32 million annual FGR cases.

Research trends from her 49 journal articles (2025-2001) reveal:

• Systematic analysis of inflammatory mechanisms in FGR brain injury
• Development of blood biomarker panels for early brain damage detection
• Testing stem cell therapies and anti-inflammatory treatments in piglet models
• Investigations into serotonin pathway disruptions and neurodevelopmental outcomes
• Validation of neurovascular unit as treatment target
• Translational emphasis on postnatal interventions despite prenatal onset

Grants include:

• NHMRC Investigator Grant (2023-2027)
• Cerebral Palsy Alliance funding (2021-2025)
• The Children's Hospital Foundation grants
• Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital Foundation support
• UQ infrastructure grants

Her work has attracted 16 media outlets including Medical Xpress and Sydney Morning Herald.