Dr Oliver Watkeys

Dr Oliver Watkeys

Postdoctoral Fellow

PhD (Psychiatry), UNSW, 2021.

Bachelor of Psychology, University of Newcastle, 2016.

 

Medicine & Health
School of Clinical Medicine

My research is focused on understanding the processes involved in the development of mental illness. Using a combination of epidemiological, genetic, and machine learning techniques, I strive to elucidate the interplay between different risk and protective factors for mental health difficulties. I am currently investigating factors which might be protective against adolescent suicidal ideation/self-harm following exposure to adverse childhood experiences. 

  • Journal articles | 2024
    Green MJ; Watkeys OJ; Harris F; O'Hare K; Whitten T; Tzoumakis S; Laurens KR; Carpendale EJ; Dean K; Carr VJ, 2024, 'Cohort Profile Update: The New South Wales Child Development Study (NSW-CDS) - Wave 3 (child age ∼18 years)', International Journal of Epidemiology, 53, pp. dyae069, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyae069
    Journal articles | 2024
    Kiltschewskij DJ; Reay WR; Geaghan MP; Atkins JR; Xavier A; Zhang X; Watkeys OJ; Carr VJ; Scott RJ; Green MJ; Cairns MJ, 2024, 'Alteration of DNA Methylation and Epigenetic Scores Associated With Features of Schizophrenia and Common Variant Genetic Risk', Biological Psychiatry, 95, pp. 647 - 661, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.07.010
    Journal articles | 2024
    Rootes-Murdy K; Panta S; Kelly R; Romero J; Quidé Y; Cairns MJ; Loughland C; Carr VJ; Catts SV; Jablensky A; Green MJ; Henskens F; Kiltschewskij D; Michie PT; Mowry B; Pantelis C; Rasser PE; Reay WR; Schall U; Scott RJ; Watkeys OJ; Roberts G; Mitchell PB; Fullerton JM; Overs BJ; Kikuchi M; Hashimoto R; Matsumoto J; Fukunaga M; Sachdev PS; Brodaty H; Wen W; Jiang J; Fani N; Ely TD; Lorio A; Stevens JS; Ressler K; Jovanovic T; van Rooij SJH; Federmann LM; Jockwitz C; Teumer A; Forstner AJ; Caspers S; Cichon S; Plis SM; Sarwate AD; Calhoun VD; Quide Y, 2024, 'Cortical similarities in psychiatric and mood disorders identified in federated VBM analysis via COINSTAC', Patterns, 5, pp. 100987 - 100987, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.patter.2024.100987
    Journal articles | 2024
    Watkeys OJ; Dean K; Laurens KR; Carr VJ; Green MJ; Harris F, 2024, 'Medicare-subsidised mental health service use during the first 15 years of life in New South Wales: a population cohort study', Medical Journal of Australia, 221, pp. 554 - 557, http://dx.doi.org/10.5694/mja2.52498
    Journal articles | 2024
    Watkeys OJ; O’Hare K; Dean K; Laurens KR; Harris F; Carr VJ; Green MJ; O'Hare K, 2024, 'Cumulative comorbidity between neurodevelopmental, internalising, and externalising disorders in childhood: a network approach', European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 33, pp. 2231 - 2241, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00787-023-02312-7
    Journal articles | 2024
    Watkeys OJ; O’Hare K; Dean K; Laurens KR; Tzoumakis S; Harris MAClinEpi F; Carr VJ; Green MJ; Harris F, 2024, 'Patterns of health service use for children with mental disorders in an Australian state population cohort', Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 58, pp. 857 - 874, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/00048674241258599
    Journal articles | 2023
    Harris F; Dean K; Watkeys OJ; Laurens KR; Tzoumakis S; Carr VJ; Green MJ, 2023, 'Conditions of Birth and Early Childhood Developmental Risk for Mental Disorders', Child Psychiatry and Human Development, pp. 1 - 13, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10578-023-01549-2
    Journal articles | 2023
    O'Hare K; Tzoumakis S; Watkeys O; Katz I; Laurens KR; Butler M; Harris F; Carr VJ; Green MJ, 2023, 'Out-of-home care characteristics associated with childhood educational underachievement, mental disorder, and police contacts in an Australian population sample', Child Abuse and Neglect, 139, pp. 106120, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106120
    Journal articles | 2023
    O'Hare K; Watkeys O; Badcock JC; Laurens KR; Tzoumakis S; Dean K; Harris F; Carr VJ; Green MJ, 2023, 'Pathways from developmental vulnerabilities in early childhood to schizotypy in middle childhood', British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 62, pp. 228 - 242, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bjc.12405
    Journal articles | 2023
    O'Hare K; Watkeys O; Dean K; Laurens KR; Tzoumakis S; Harris F; Carr VJ; Green MJ, 2023, 'Childhood Schizotypy and Adolescent Mental Disorder.', Schizophrenia Bulletin, 50, pp. 69 - 77, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/schbul/sbad132
    Journal articles | 2023
    O'Hare K; Watkeys O; Harris F; Dean K; Carr VJ; Green MJ, 2023, 'Self-harm and suicidal ideation in children and adolescents in contact with child protection services', Medical Journal of Australia, 218, pp. 526 - 527, http://dx.doi.org/10.5694/mja2.51898
    Journal articles | 2023
    O'Hare K; Watkeys O; Whitten T; Dean K; Laurens KR; Tzoumakis S; Harris F; Carr VJ; Green MJ, 2023, 'Cumulative Environmental Risk in Early Life: Associations With Schizotypy in Childhood', Schizophrenia bulletin, 49, pp. 244 - 254, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/schbul/sbac160
    Journal articles | 2023
    O’Hare K; Laurens KR; Watkeys O; Tzoumakis S; Dean K; Harris F; Linscott RJ; Carr VJ; Green MJ; O'Hare K, 2023, 'Parental mental disorders and offspring schizotypy in middle childhood: an intergenerational record linkage study', Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 58, pp. 1637 - 1648, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00127-023-02455-7
    Journal articles | 2023
    O’Hare K; Watkeys O; Dean K; Tzoumakis S; Whitten T; Harris F; Laurens KR; Carr VJ; Green MJ; O'Hare K, 2023, 'Self-harm and suicidal ideation among young people is more often recorded by child protection than health services in an Australian population cohort', Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 57, pp. 1527 - 1537, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/00048674231179652
    Journal articles | 2023
    Quidé Y; Watkeys OJ; Tonini E; Grotegerd D; Dannlowski U; Nenadić I; Kircher T; Krug A; Hahn T; Meinert S; Goltermann J; Gruber M; Stein F; Brosch K; Wroblewski A; Thomas-Odenthal F; Usemann P; Straube B; Alexander N; Leehr EJ; Bauer J; Winter NR; Fisch L; Dohm K; Rössler W; Smigielski L; DeRosse P; Moyett A; Houenou J; Leboyer M; Gilleen J; Thomopoulos SI; Thompson PM; Aleman A; Modinos G; Green MJ; Quide Y, 2023, 'Childhood trauma moderates schizotypy-related brain morphology: analyses of 1182 healthy individuals from the ENIGMA schizotypy working group.', Psychol Med, 54, pp. 1 - 13, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0033291723003045
    Journal articles | 2022
    Green MJ; Watkeys OJ; Kariuki M; Hindmarsh G; Whitten T; Dean K; Laurens KR; Harris F; Carr VJ, 2022, 'Forecasting childhood adversities from conditions of birth', Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, 36, pp. 230 - 242, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ppe.12828
    Journal articles | 2022
    Hesam-Shariati S; Overs BJ; Roberts G; Toma C; Watkeys OJ; Green MJ; Pierce KD; Edenberg HJ; Wilcox HC; Stapp EK; McInnis MG; Hulvershorn LA; Nurnberger JI; Schofield PR; Mitchell PB; Fullerton JM; Hesam Shariati S, 2022, 'Epigenetic signatures relating to disease-associated genotypic burden in familial risk of bipolar disorder', Translational Psychiatry, 12, pp. 310, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41398-022-02079-6
    Journal articles | 2022
    O'Hare K; Watkeys O; Whitten T; Dean K; Laurens KR; Harris F; Carr VJ; Green MJ, 2022, 'Cumulative environmental risk in early life is associated with mental disorders in childhood.', Psychological Medicine, 53, pp. 1 - 10, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0033291722001702
    Journal articles | 2022
    O'Hare K; Watkeys O; Whitten T; Dean K; Laurens KR; Harris F; Carr VJ; Green MJ, 2022, 'Parental and community risk factors for childhood self-harm thoughts and behaviours', Journal of Affective Disorders, 310, pp. 279 - 283, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2022.05.050
    Journal articles | 2022
    Quidé Y; Watkeys OJ; Girshkin L; Kaur M; Carr VJ; Cairns MJ; Green MJ; Quide Y, 2022, 'Interactive effects of polygenic risk and cognitive subtype on brain morphology in schizophrenia spectrum and bipolar disorders', European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 272, pp. 1205 - 1218, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00406-022-01450-4
    Journal articles | 2022
    Tonini E; Watkeys O; Quidé Y; Whitford TJ; Cairns MJ; Green MJ; Quide Y, 2022, 'Polygenic risk for schizophrenia as a moderator of associations between childhood trauma and schizotypy', Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 119, pp. 110612, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2022.110612
    Journal articles | 2022
    Watkeys OJ; Dean K; Laurens KR; Harris F; Carr VJ; Green MJ, 2022, 'Familial clustering of birth risk for adverse childhood outcomes', Journal of Perinatology, 42, pp. 603 - 610, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41372-021-01264-7
    Journal articles | 2022
    Watkeys OJ; O’Hare K; Dean K; Laurens KR; Harris F; Carr VJ; Green MJ; O'Hare K, 2022, 'Early childhood developmental vulnerability associated with parental mental disorder comorbidity', Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 57, pp. 1117 - 1129, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/00048674221116806
    Journal articles | 2021
    Green MJ; Watkeys OJ; Whitten T; Thomas C; Kariuki M; Dean K; Laurens KR; Harris F; Carr VJ, 2021, 'Increased incidence of childhood mental disorders following exposure to early life infection', Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 97, pp. 376 - 382, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2021.08.009
    Journal articles | 2021
    Quidé Y; Bortolasci CC; Spolding B; Kidnapillai S; Watkeys OJ; Cohen-Woods S; Carr VJ; Berk M; Walder K; Green MJ; Quide Y, 2021, 'Systemic inflammation and grey matter volume in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder: Moderation by childhood trauma severity', Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 105, pp. 110013, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110013
    Journal articles | 2021
    Quidé Y; Tonini E; Watkeys OJ; Carr VJ; Green MJ; Quide Y, 2021, 'Schizotypy, childhood trauma and brain morphometry', Schizophrenia Research, 238, pp. 73 - 81, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2021.09.021
    Journal articles | 2020
    Green MJ; Girshkin L; Kremerskothen K; Watkeys O; Quidé Y; Quide Y, 2020, 'A Systematic Review of Studies Reporting Data-Driven Cognitive Subtypes across the Psychosis Spectrum', Neuropsychology Review, 30, pp. 446 - 460, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11065-019-09422-7
    Journal articles | 2020
    Quidé Y; Girshkin L; Watkeys OJ; Carr VJ; Green MJ; Quide Y, 2020, 'The relationship between cortisol reactivity and emotional brain function is differently moderated by childhood trauma, in bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and healthy individuals', European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 271, pp. 1089 - 1109, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00406-020-01190-3
    Journal articles | 2020
    Watkeys OJ; Cohen-Woods S; Quidé Y; Cairns MJ; Overs B; Fullerton JM; Green MJ; Quide Y, 2020, 'Derivation of Poly-Methylomic Profile Scores for Schizophrenia', Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 101, pp. 607309, http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/607309
    Journal articles | 2020
    Watkeys OJ; Cohen-Woods S; Quidé Y; Cairns MJ; Overs B; Fullerton JM; Green MJ; Quide Y, 2020, 'Derivation of poly-methylomic profile scores for schizophrenia', Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 101, pp. 109925, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.109925
    Journal articles | 2019
    Quidé Y; Bortolasci CC; Spolding B; Kidnapillai S; Watkeys OJ; Cohen-Woods S; Berk M; Carr VJ; Walder K; Green MJ; Quide Y, 2019, 'Association between childhood trauma exposure and pro-inflammatory cytokines in schizophrenia and bipolar-I disorder', Psychological Medicine, 49, pp. 2736 - 2744, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0033291718003690
    Journal articles | 2018
    Quidé Y; O'Reilly N; Watkeys OJ; Carr VJ; Green MJ; Quide Y, 2018, 'Effects of childhood trauma on left inferior frontal gyrus function during response inhibition across psychotic disorders', Psychological Medicine, 48, pp. 1454 - 1463, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0033291717002884
    Journal articles | 2018
    Watkeys OJ; Kremerskothen K; Quidé Y; Fullerton JM; Green MJ; Quide Y, 2018, 'Glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1) DNA methylation in association with trauma, psychopathology, transcript expression, or genotypic variation: A systematic review', Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 95, pp. 85 - 122, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.08.017
  • Preprints | 2023
    Rootes-Murdy K; Panta S; Kelly R; Romero J; Quidé Y; Cairns M; Loughland C; Carr V; Catts S; Jablensky A; Green M; Henskens F; Kiltschewskij D; Michie P; Mowry B; Pantelis C; Rasser P; Reay W; Schall U; Scott R; Watkeys O; Cairns M; Roberts G; Mitchell P; Fullerton J; Overs B; Kikuchi M; Hashimoto R; Matsumoto J; Fukunaga M; Sachdev P; Brodaty H; Wen W; Jiang J; Fani N; Ely T; Lorio A; Stevens J; Ressler K; Jovanovic T; van Rooij S; Plis S; Sarwate A; Calhoun V, 2023, Cortical Similarities in Psychiatric and Mood Disorders Identified in Federated VBM Analysis via COINSTAC, http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2023.09.28.23296219
    Preprints | 2022
    Quidé Y; Watkeys O; Tonini E; Grotegerd D; Dannlowski U; Nenadić I; Kircher T; Krug A; Hahn T; Meinert S; Goltermann J; Gruber M; Stein F; Brosch K; Wroblewski A; Thomas-Odenthal F; Usemann P; Straube B; Alexander N; Leehr E; Bauer J; Winter N; Fisch L; Dohm K; Rössler W; Smigielski L; DeRosse P; Moyett A; Houenou J; Leboyer M; Gilleen J; Thomopoulos S; Thompson P; Aleman A; Modinos G; Green M, 2022, Childhood trauma moderates schizotypy-related brain morphology: Analyses of 1,182 healthy individuals from the ENIGMA Schizotypy working group, http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2022.11.22.22282598
    Conference Papers | 2019
    Hesam-Shariati S; Overs B; Toma C; Watkeys O; Green M; Roberts G; Leung V; Stuart A; Schofield PR; Mitchell PB; Fullerton J, 2019, 'EPIGENOME-WIDE ASSOCIATION STUDY (EWAS) OF YOUNG PEOPLE WITH FAMILIAL RISK OF BIPOLAR DISORDER', in EUROPEAN NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY, ELSEVIER, CA, Los Angeles, pp. S192 - S192, presented at 27th World Congress of Psychiatric Genetics (WCPG), CA, Los Angeles, 26 October 2019 - 31 October 2019, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2019.08.149
    Conference Abstracts | 2019
    Quide Y; Bortolasci C; Spolding B; Kidnapillai S; Watkeys O; Cohen-Woods S; Berk M; Carr V; Walder K; Green M, 2019, 'Childhood Trauma Exposure and Inflammation in Psychotic Disorders', in EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOTRAUMATOLOGY, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD, Vol. 10, https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000473714500040&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=891bb5ab6ba270e68a29b250adbe88d1
    Conference Abstracts | 2019
    Watkeys O; Fullerton J; Cohen-Woods S; Quide Y; Cairns M; Green M, 2019, 'ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN DNA METHYLATION PATTERNS AND CLINICAL STATUS ARE MODERATED BY POLYGENIC RISK FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA', in EUROPEAN NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY, ELSEVIER, CA, Los Angeles, Vol. 29, pp. S214 - S215, presented at 27th World Congress of Psychiatric Genetics (WCPG), CA, Los Angeles, 26 October 2019 - 31 October 2019, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2019.08.190
    Conference Abstracts | 2018
    Cohen-Woods S; Watkeys O; Teroganova N; Quide Y; Fullerton J; Cairns M; Green M, 2018, 'IMAGING GENETICS IN PSYCHOSIS STUDY: EPIGENETIC AGE ACCELERATION, TRAUMA, AND PSYCHOSIS OUTCOMES', in EUROPEAN NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY, ELSEVIER, SCOTLAND, Glasgow, Vol. 29, pp. 1302 - 1302, presented at 26th World Congress of Psychiatric Genetics (WCPG), SCOTLAND, Glasgow, 11 October 2018 - 15 October 2018, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2018.08.429

2024-25     Suicide Prevention Australia Post-Doctoral Fellowship (RG233038). Protective factors against suicide in the face of adverse childhood experiences. CIs: Watkeys, OJ.

Faculty of Science and IT Medal, University of Newcastle – 2016

Professor Barney Fenelon Prize in Neuropsychology, University of Newcastle – 2016

Vice Chancellor’s Honours Scholarship, University of Newcastle – 2016

Delta Electricity Undergraduate Excellence Scholarship, University of Newcastle – 2015

Faculty of Science and IT Summer Vacation Scholarship, University of Newcastle – 2014

PSYCH1020 Textbook Publisher Prize, University of Newcastle – 2012

Faculty of Science and IT commendation list, University of Newcastle – 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016