Susannah Tye

Associate Professor Susannah Tye is a Principal Research Fellow at the Queensland Brain Institute within the University of Queensland's Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences. She joined the Queensland Brain Institute in 2017 and has established a research program within the Asia Pacific Centre for Neuromodulation. Prior to this, she directed the Translational Neuroscience Laboratory at the Mayo Clinic from 2012 to 2017, where she led efforts to develop brain stimulation devices that can quantify neural activity and neurotransmitter dynamics in the living brain. Her specific research expertise lies in utilizing voltammetric (electrochemical) recording techniques to monitor rapid, synaptic neurotransmission in the living brain.

Dr. Tye earned her Doctor of Philosophy from Macquarie University. With over ten years of experience studying neuromodulation in preclinical rodent models and human patients, she has established herself as a leading researcher in the field of neuromodulation and psychiatric disorders. Her long-term goal is to bridge preclinical and clinical studies to maximize translational impact, specifically in improving patient outcomes for those with severe refractory psychiatric illness.

Dr. Tye's research primarily focuses on neuromodulation, deep brain stimulation, depression, bipolar disorder, stress disorders, Parkinson's disease, biomarkers, and refractory psychiatric illness. Her work integrates neuroscience, engineering, and clinical research to develop novel approaches for treating psychiatric conditions. She maintains numerous international collaborations across clinical, engineering, and basic science fields, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of her research.

Analysis of Dr. Tye's recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on the intersection of neuromodulation technologies and treatment-resistant psychiatric conditions. Her work increasingly incorporates artificial intelligence to enhance brain stimulation devices and neurochemical monitoring systems. A significant portion of her research examines the role of inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, and neurotransmitter dynamics in psychiatric disorders, particularly in treatment-resistant cases. She has made notable contributions to understanding how deep brain stimulation can modulate neurotransmitter systems affected by substances like cocaine and oxycodone.

Dr. Tye has been actively mentoring young scientists and has supervised numerous PhD and Master's students in areas related to mood regulation, deep brain stimulation, and precision medicine for psychiatric disorders. Her current supervision includes projects on immunometabolic mechanisms of mood regulation, predictive biomarkers for deep brain stimulation efficacy, and development of precision medicine approaches for ketamine treatment in TRD and PTSD.

Her research is supported by multiple significant grants including 'Precision Medicine Approaches for Depression and Anxiety' (The Nicol Foundation, 2024-2026), 'Neural circuit control of effort under stress' (ARC Discovery Projects, 2023-2026), and 'Biomarker Discovery for Treatment Resistant Mood Disorders' (The Nicol Foundation, 2021-2027). The Tye group develops and applies novel technologies to modulate neuronal function, working toward translating cutting-edge brain stimulation technologies to the clinic to optimize therapeutic outcomes for patients with severe psychiatric conditions.