Oliver Rawashdeh

Dr. Oliver Rawashdeh is a Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences at the School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences at The University of Queensland. His research focuses on the intersection of circadian biology and neuroscience, particularly how biological clocks modulate learning, memory, and sleep processes across species.

Education:

• Bachelor's in Biology (2001) from Yarmouk University in Jordan
• Master's in Science (2005) from University of Houston
• Ph.D. (2007) from University of Houston

Dr. Rawashdeh's research centers on understanding how the circadian system regulates complex physiological processes, particularly learning and memory. His seminal 2007 Science paper demonstrated how melatonin modulates long-term memory consolidation. He investigates the mechanisms by which biological clocks shape daily variations in memory processing efficiency and how circadian disruption contributes to neurodegenerative diseases. His work spans from basic molecular mechanisms in model organisms to clinical applications in Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.

Dr. Rawashdeh's extensive publication record (47 works including 40 journal articles) demonstrates a clear evolution from fundamental circadian mechanisms to translational research in neurodegeneration. His recent work shows increasing focus on circadian dysfunction in Parkinson's disease and other synucleinopathies, with multiple 2023-2025 publications examining sleep-circadian interactions in neurodegenerative conditions. He has developed methodological innovations like the CircaCompare statistical tool for circadian rhythm analysis.

Dr. Rawashdeh is actively supervising PhD students on projects related to circadian biology and neurodegeneration. His current funding includes an NHMRC IDEAS Grant (2020-2024) titled 'The clock as a therapeutic target to improve sleep quality and circadian dysfunction in Parkinson's disease: fighting neurodegeneration by treating chronodegeneration.' He has previously secured equipment funding for advanced microscopy capabilities.

He leads an interdisciplinary research program that spans chronobiology, neuroscience, pharmacology, engineering, and mathematics. His collaborative groups work on urgent translational research questions related to sleep and circadian rhythms in health and disease, with particular emphasis on developing therapeutic approaches to enhance human adaptability to temporal environmental changes and to treat circadian dysfunction in neurodegenerative conditions.