Current Positions

• Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics
• Secondary Faculty, Psychiatry

Education

• B.Sc. (Hons.) in Forensic Science and Biological Anthropology in Forensic Science and Biological Anthropology, John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
• Ph.D. in Molecular Biology at the Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology in Molecular Biology, Queen’s University, Belfast, United Kingdom

Graduate Program Affiliations

• Biomedical Science (Molecular Medicine)
• Human Toxicology
• Neuroscience

Center, Program and Institute Affiliations

• Environmental Health Sciences Research Center
• Iowa Neuroscience Institute

Selected Awards & Honors

• Williams-Cannon Fellow
• Supervisor of the Year Certificate of Distinction, University of Iowa
• Career Enhancement Award, Enviromental Health Sciences Research Center at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
• NARSAD Young Investigator Award, NARSAD
• Postdoctoral Research Fellowship award, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
• Researcher of the Year: Northern Ireland Division, Northern Ireland Division, Roche

Professional Memberships

• International Academy of Suicide Research
• Society of Toxicology
• Environmental Health Science Research Center at the University of Iowa
• Society of Biological Psychiatry (SOBP)
• Iowa Neuroscience Institute

Research Concentration

The Gaine Lab is dedicated to understanding the role of genetics and epigenetics in the development and treatment of psychiatric disorders, and how environmental factors can influence this. Projects primarily focus on DNA methylation and methylation quantitative trait loci (meQTLs) as well as novel biomarkers such as extracellular vesicles and cell-free DNA, which hold promise for non-invasive diagnostics and precision medicine approaches. 

Our research prioritizes high-risk populations, including pregnant women and individuals with bipolar disorder, to better understand the unique epigenetic changes associated with these groups. By integrating cutting-edge sequencing techniques and interdisciplinary approaches using human samples and mouse models, we strive to advance knowledge and develop tools that can improve outcomes for individuals affected by these psychiatric disorders.