Mary Tolcos

Professor Mary Tolcos is a faculty member in the Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences at RMIT University. Her research focuses on neurodevelopment, particularly the mechanisms of cortical folding and conditions affecting brain development such as fetal growth restriction and prematurity. She collaborates with institutions including Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and Monash Children’s Hospital to investigate translational therapies for developmental brain injury. Her work includes using cerebral organoids, neuroimaging, and preclinical models to develop neuroprotective strategies. Professor Tolcos is open to supervising Masters and PhD students in areas like brain regeneration and neurodevelopmental disorders.

• Affiliations: RMIT University, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Monash Children’s Hospital
• Key Research Themes: Cortical folding, fetal growth restriction, neonatal stroke, neuroprotection, myelination deficits

Her research group, Neurodevelopment, Protection and Repair, applies cutting-edge techniques such as RNA sequencing and gene silencing to understand brain development anomalies linked to schizophrenia, autism, and epilepsy. They also explore biomarkers for anxiety disorders in preterm children using neuroimaging data from the Victorian Infant Brain Study (VIBeS).

Recent studies highlight potential therapies like thyroid hormone analogues to reverse myelination deficits and hydrogel-based treatments for neonatal stroke. Professor Tolcos actively engages in collaborative projects with engineers and clinicians to advance translational research.