Caitlin Cowan

Dr. Caitlin Cowan is an NHMRC Investigator fellow and Scientia Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of New South Wales. Her research focuses on the developing gut microbiome and its contribution to mental health risk and resilience through the gut-brain axis.

Dr. Cowan completed her PhD in Behavioural Neuroscience and Masters of Clinical Psychology at UNSW. She subsequently undertook a prestigious Marie Curie postdoctoral fellowship at the APC Microbiome Ireland (University College Cork), establishing her expertise at the intersection of neuroscience and microbiome research.

Dr. Cowan's research program examines how the gut microbiome influences mental health development, particularly in childhood. Her work bridges behavioral neuroscience and clinical psychology, employing both preclinical animal models and translational human studies. Her expertise spans gut-brain axis mechanisms, early-life microbiome development, anxiety and depression pathways, and potential microbiome-based interventions for mental health conditions. Her research has significant implications for understanding mental health risk and resilience factors during critical developmental windows.

Analysis of Dr. Cowan's recent publications reveals a strong focus on the microbiome-gut-brain axis with particular emphasis on anxiety disorders, depression, and developmental mental health. Her work spans basic science investigating microbial mechanisms through to clinical applications and dietary interventions. A notable trend is her increasing focus on methodological rigor in microbiome research and the development of standardized protocols for animal studies.

• 2023-24 Superstars of STEM (Science & Technology Australia)
• 2022 Young Tall Poppy (Australian Institute of Policy and Science)
• 2021 APS Rising Star (Association for Psychological Science)
• 2021 Research Excellence and Impact Recognition Award (Brain & Mind Centre)
• 2020 Education & Public Engagement Person of the Year (APC Microbiome Ireland)

Dr. Cowan currently leads an NHMRC Investigator Grant (2021-2025) titled 'The developing microbiome as a predictor and modulator of mental health risk & resilience: A translational gut-brain axis approach to improving childhood mental health.' Previously, she held a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Individual Fellowship (2018-2020) for her project 'GutMIND: Gut microbiota-Microglia Interactions in NeuroDevelopment.' Her research program has attracted significant funding that supports her translational approach to understanding how early-life microbiome development influences mental health trajectories.

Dr. Cowan's work is conducted within interdisciplinary research networks connecting UNSW with international collaborators, particularly through her previous fellowship at APC Microbiome Ireland. Her research bridges psychology, neuroscience, microbiology, and clinical practice, positioning her at the forefront of the emerging field of nutritional psychiatry and microbiome-based mental health interventions.