Skip to main content

Barwon Health / Research

(03) 4215 0000

Cancer Services Trials Unit - Dr Chiara Bortolasci

Background

I am a pharmacist from the State University of Londrina in Brazil. I have worked as an Oncology Pharmacist previously while conducting my master and PhD looking at inflammation and oxidative stress in various diseases (chronic renal disease, metabolic disease, bipolar disorder). In 2016 I moved to Australia to work as a Research Fellow at IMPACT Institute, Deakin University. I was involved in drug discovery research in Psychiatry, both lab-based and clinical trials.

I currently hold the position of Cancer Services Trials Manager, University Hospital, Barwon Health.

 Research Focus

My current research interests include multicentre, collaborative national and international trials in Haematology and Medical Oncology.
Chiara Bortolasci about me

 Awards & Achievements

  • Rafaelsen Young Investigator Award - The International College of Neuropsychopharmacology
  • World Federation of the Societies of Biological Psychiatry Young Investigator Award

 Feature Publications

  •  Vargas HO, Nunes SO, Pizzo de Castro M, Bortolasci CC, Sabbatini Barbosa D, Kaminami Morimoto H, Venugopal K, Dodd S, Maes M, Berk M. Oxidative stress and lowered total antioxidant status are associated with a history of suicide attempts. J Affect Disord. 2013 Sep 25;150(3):923-30. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2013.05.016. Epub 2013 Jul 12. PMID: 23856278.
  • Bortolasci CC, Vargas HO, Souza-Nogueira A, Barbosa DS, Moreira EG, Nunes SO, Berk M, Dodd S, Maes M. Lowered plasma paraoxonase (PON)1 activity is a trait marker of major depression and PON1 Q192R gene polymorphism-smoking interactions differentially predict the odds of major depression and bipolar disorder. J Affect Disord. 2014 Apr;159:23-30. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2014.02.018. Epub 2014 Feb 19. PMID: 24679385.
  • Kidnapillai S, Bortolasci CC, Udawela M, Panizzutti B, Spolding B, Connor T, Sanigorski A, Dean OM, Crowley T, Jamain S, Gray L, Scarr E, Leboyer M, Dean B, Berk M, Walder K. The use of a gene expression signature and connectivity map to repurpose drugs for bipolar disorder. World J Biol Psychiatry. 2020 Dec;21(10):775-783. doi: 10.1080/15622975.2018.1492734. Epub 2018 Aug 3. PMID: 29956574.
  • Vargas HO, Nunes SO, de Castro MR, Vargas MM, Barbosa DS, Bortolasci CC, Venugopal K, Dodd S, Berk M. Oxidative stress and inflammatory markers are associated with depression and nicotine dependence. Neurosci Lett. 2013 Jun 7;544:136-40. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2013.03.059. Epub 2013 Apr 11. PMID: 23583694.
  • Quidé Y, Bortolasci CC, Spolding B, Kidnapillai S, Watkeys OJ, Cohen-Woods S, Berk M, Carr VJ, Walder K, Green MJ. Association between childhood trauma exposure and pro-inflammatory cytokines in schizophrenia and bipolar-I disorder. Psychol Med. 2019 Dec;49(16):2736-2744. doi: 10.1017/S0033291718003690. Epub 2018 Dec 18. PMID: 30560764.

 

How you can help

Participate in a Clinical Trial

To find out about Clinical Trials currently underway at Barwon Health, click here. To learn more about the Adrian Costa Clinical Trials Centre, click here.

Donate

Research requires ongoing investment and there are several ways to support our work. You can make a donation today and contribute to an item on our research group’s wish list, consider a bequest in your will, or establish a lasting legacy fund in your name. No matter what size, your philanthropic support will deliver an immediate impact to this important work. To donate now or for more information, please contact the Barwon Health Foundation.

Last Modified: Monday, 23 October 2023

chiara bortolasci 005 smaller

Dr Chiara Bortolasci

BPharm, MSc, PhD

Clinical Trials Manager, CSTU

[email protected]

[email protected]

(03) 4215 2758