Catherine Toben

Dr Catherine Toben

Senior Lecturer

School of Medicine

College of Health

Dr Catherine TobenUniversity of Adelaide , Discipline of Psychiatry.

Research Interests

A strong association between stressful life events and the onset of mental health disorders is often linked with chronic low grade inflammation. As an immunobiologist I am particularly interested in gaining a better understanding of the bidirectional and molecular links between brain function and immune system responses to stress which can lead to mental health pathophysiology. Specifically my work focuses on the identification of transcriptomic and proteomic signatures associated with alterations in particular symptom domains (such as cognition) of psychiatric disorders including depression, PTSD and schizophrenia. A further research focus is how interventions such as altered nutrition and/or mindfulness based practices can harness inherent neuro- regenerative and protective immune mechanisms to reduce stress induced psychiatric symptoms. Ongoing collection of empirical data from clinical cohorts as well as animal models of early and later life chronic stress is an important component of my methodology. 

Available Research Projects

Project 1 - miRNAs and their role in cognitive impairment in depression

Project description: In addition to mood changes, major depressive disorder (MDD) is also accompanied by cognitive dysfunction. The underlying biological mechanisms of altered cognition remain undefined. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a type of small non coding RNA predominantly control the expression of their target mRNA to exert their function. Recent research demonstrates that brain alterations accompanying altered symptom domains such as cognition are associated with altered miRNA expression.

This study will conduct a PRISMA guided systematic review of existing literature to identify distinct miRNA signatures underlying cognitive impairment in depression. Using edgeR statistical package and pilot data from a larger Cognitive and Functional analyses in Mood study (CoFaMs), miRNA transcriptome wide and candidate based expression differences between those with low and high cognition in depression will also be analysed.  

Project available for: Third Year / Honours

Location: Discipline of Psychiatry, Level 6, Adelaide Health & Medical Sciences Building, North Tce

Research project start: Semester 1 and Semester 2

Special requirements: n/a

 

Project 2 - differing and shared immune signatures across psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders 

Project description: This project is a collaborative work with Dr Tim Sargeant at the Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology, SAHMRI.

Major psychiatric disorders and neurodegenerative diseases are pathologically related to brain abnormalities. Although the manifestations differ in each case the aetiologies remain undefined. Current research implies neuroinflammation to be a key pathogenic mediator of neuropsychiatric disorders. Unclear are the immune signatures across disorders which contribute to the specific pathology.

Using PRISMA guidelines this study will systematically identify the shared and differing immune signatures across three neuropsychiatric disorders including major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and three neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s disease. It will also include both innate and adaptive cellular and molecular immune responses.

Project available for: Third Year students

Location: Discipline of Psychiatry, Level 6, Adelaide Health & Medical Sciences Building, North Tce

Research project start: Semester 1 and 2

Special requirements: Nil

Year Citation
2025 Stacey, D., Gaziano, L., Eldi, P., Toben, C., Benyamin, B., Lee, S. H., & Hyppönen, E. (2025). A Transcriptome-Wide Mendelian Randomization Study in Isolated Human Immune Cells Highlights Risk Genes Involved in Viral Infections and Potential Drug Repurposing Opportunities for Schizophrenia. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics, 198(6), 19-31.
DOI Scopus2 WoS2
2025 Perkins, D. O., Jeffries, C. D., Clark, S. R., Upthegrove, R., Wannan, C. M. J., Wray, N. R., . . . Woods, S. W. (2025). Body fluid biomarkers and psychosis risk in The Accelerating Medicines Partnership® Schizophrenia Program: design considerations.. Schizophrenia (Heidelb), 11(1), 78.
DOI Scopus5 WoS6 Europe PMC2
2025 Clark, S. R., Toben, C., Jawahar, M. C., Amare, A. T., Palmer, L. J., & Schubert, K. O. (2025). Infection, inflammation, and personalisation: time for an integrated approach to clozapine monitoring. Lancet Psychiatry, 12(9), 620-621.
DOI
2025 Clark, S. R., Arnet, V. K., Jawahar, M. C., Toben, C., Schubert, K. O., & Amare, A. T. (2025). Using Multi-Omic Signatures in the Understanding of Inflammation and Psychosis: Can Methylation-Derived White Blood Cell Proportions Guide Early Intervention?. Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science, 5(6), 3 pages.
DOI
2025 Sundram, S., Weston-Green, K., Walder, K., Tye, S. J., Todd, J., Toben, C., . . . Hill, R. A. (2025). Of mice, molecules and mental health: establishment of the consortium for preclinical psychiatric research to find solutions to the translational gap. Molecular Psychiatry, 31(2), 4 pages.
DOI
2024 Ciobanu, L. G., Baryshnikova, N. V., Jawahar, M. C., Toben, C. G., Sokolenko, E., Arnet, V. K., . . . Clark, S. R. (2024). Pre-COVID life expectancy, mortality, and burden of diseases for adults 70 years and older in Australia: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease 2019 Study. The Lancet Regional Health. Western Pacific, 47, 101092-1-101092-14.
DOI Scopus3 WoS3 Europe PMC3
2023 Clark, S., Wilton, L., Dawson, J., Chiew, K., Jawahar, M. C., Toben, C., . . . Saleem, M. (2023). Dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s: A South Australian perspective on variability in troponin thresholds for myocarditis risk in clozapine treatment. Schizophrenia Research, 268, 114-117.
DOI Scopus3 WoS3 Europe PMC3
2023 Sbisa, A. M., Madden, K., Toben, C., McFarlane, A. C., Dell, L., & Lawrence-Wood, E. (2023). Potential peripheral biomarkers associated with the emergence and presence of posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology: A systematic review. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 147, 105954-1-105954-17.
DOI Scopus13 WoS9 Europe PMC10
2021 Singhal, G., Morgan, J., Corrigan, F., Toben, C., Jawahar, M. C., Jaehne, E. J., . . . Baune, B. T. (2021). Short-term environmental enrichment is a stronger modulator of brain glial cells and cervical lymph node T cell subtypes than exercise or combined exercise and enrichment. Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, 41(3), 469-486.
DOI Scopus13 WoS12 Europe PMC10
2021 Ahluwalia, T. S., Prins, B. P., Abdollahi, M., Armstrong, N. J., Aslibekyan, S., Bain, L., . . . Alizadeh, B. Z. (2021). Genome-Wide Association Study of Circulating Interleukin 6 Levels Identifies Novel Loci.. Hum Mol Genet, 30(5), 393-409.
DOI Scopus40 WoS37 Europe PMC43
2021 Singhal, G., Jawahar, M. C., Morgan, J., Corrigan, F., Jaehne, E. J., Toben, C., . . . Baune, B. T. (2021). TNF signaling via TNF receptors does not mediate the effects of short-term exercise on cognition, anxiety and depressive-like behaviors in middle-aged mice. Behavioural Brain Research, 408(113269), 113269-1-113269-9.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1
2021 Knight, M. J., Lyrtzis, E., Fourrier, C., Aboustate, N., Sampson, E., Hori, H., . . . Baune, B. T. (2021). Psychological training to improve psychosocial function in patients with major depressive disorder: A randomised clinical trial. Psychiatry Research, 300, 113906-1-113906-7.
DOI Scopus10 WoS10 Europe PMC5
2021 Jernbom Falk, A., Galletly, C., Just, D., Toben, C., Baune, B. T., Clark, S. R., . . . Schubert, K. O. (2021). Autoantibody profiles associated with clinical features in psychotic disorders. Translational Psychiatry, 11(1), 1-9.
DOI Scopus25 WoS25 Europe PMC25
2020 Singhal, G., Morgan, J., Jawahar, M. C., Corrigan, F., Jaehne, E. J., Toben, C., . . . Baune, B. T. (2020). Effects of aging on the motor, cognitive and affective behaviors, neuroimmune responses and hippocampal gene expression. Behavioural Brain Research, 383(6), 112501-1-112501-16.
DOI Scopus26 WoS24 Europe PMC24
2020 Ciobanu, L. G., Sachdev, P. S., Trollor, J. N., Reppermund, S., Thalamuthu, A., Mather, K. A., . . . Baune, B. T. (2020). Downregulated transferrin receptor in the blood predicts recurrent MDD in the elderly cohort: a fuzzy forests approach. Journal of Affective Disorders, 267, 42-48.
DOI Scopus11 WoS12 Europe PMC8
2020 Singhal, G., Morgan, J., Jawahar, M. C., Corrigan, F., Jaehne, E. J., Toben, C., . . . Baune, B. T. (2020). Duration of environmental enrichment determines astrocyte number and cervical lymph node T lymphocyte proportions but not the microglial number in middle-aged C57BL/6 mice. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 14(57), 57-1-57-12.
DOI Scopus13 WoS13 Europe PMC10
2019 Andreazza, A. C., Laksono, I., Fernandes, B. S., Toben, C., Lewczuk, P., Riederer, P., . . . Baune, B. T. (2019). Guidelines for the standardized collection of blood-based biomarkers in psychiatry: steps for laboratory validity–a consensus of the Biomarkers Task Force from the WFSBP. World Journal of Biological Psychiatry, 20(5), 340-351.
DOI Scopus28 WoS26 Europe PMC22
2019 Singhal, G., Morgan, J., Jawahar, M. C., Corrigan, F., Jaehne, E. J., Toben, C., . . . Baune, B. T. (2019). The effects of short-term and long-term environmental enrichment on locomotion, mood-like behavior, cognition and hippocampal gene expression. Behavioural Brain Research, 368(111917), 111917-1-111917-10.
DOI Scopus35 WoS32 Europe PMC31
2019 Opel, N., Cearns, M., Clark, S. R., Toben, C., Grotegerd, D., Heindel, W., . . . Baune, B. T. (2019). Large-scale evidence for an association between low-grade peripheral inflammation and brain structural alterations in major depression in the BiDirect study. Journal of Psyciatry and Neuroscience, 44(6), 423-431.
DOI Scopus46 WoS41 Europe PMC39
2019 Singhal, G., Morgan, J., Jawahar, M. C., Corrigan, F., Jaehne, E. J., Toben, C., . . . Baune, B. T. (2019). Short-term environmental enrichment, and not physical exercise, alleviate cognitive decline and anxiety from middle age onwards without affecting hippocampal gene expression. Cognitive, Affective and Behavioral Neuroscience, 19(5), 1143-1169.
DOI Scopus17 WoS15 Europe PMC16
2018 Culverhouse, R., Saccone, N., Horton, A., Ma, Y., Anstey, K., Banaschewski, T., . . . Bierut, L. (2018). Collaborative meta-analysis finds no evidence of a strong interaction between stress and 5-HTTLPR genotype contributing to the development of depression. Molecular psychiatry, 23(1), 133-142.
DOI Scopus257 WoS201 Europe PMC187
2018 Ciobanu, L. G., Sachdev, P. S., Trollor, J. N., Reppermund, S., Thalamuthu, A., Mather, K. A., . . . Baune, B. T. (2018). Co-expression network analysis of peripheral blood transcriptome identifies dysregulated protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum and immune response in recurrent MDD in older adults. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 107, 19-27.
DOI Scopus31 WoS30 Europe PMC31
2016 Hagstrom, A., Marshall, P., Lonsdale, C., Papalia, S., Cheema, B., Toben, C., . . . Green, S. (2016). The effect of resistance training on markers of immune function and inflammation in previously sedentary women recovering from breast cancer: a randomized controlled trial. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, 155(3), 471-482.
DOI Scopus91 WoS84 Europe PMC75
2015 Jaehne, E., Corrigan, F., Toben, C., Jawahar, M., & Baune, B. (2015). The effect of the antipsychotic drug quetiapine and its metabolite norquetiapine on acute inflammation, memory and anhedonia. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior, 135, 136-144.
DOI Scopus36 WoS35 Europe PMC32
2015 Toben, C., & Baune, B. (2015). An act of balance between adaptive and maladaptive immunity in depression: a role for T lymphocytes. Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology, 10(4), 595-609.
DOI Scopus85 WoS79 Europe PMC66
2014 Singhal, G., Jaehne, E., Corrigan, F., Toben, C., & Baune, B. (2014). Inflammasomes in neuroinflammation and changes in brain function: a focused review. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 8(315), 315-1-315-22.
DOI Scopus318 WoS280 Europe PMC245
2014 Grundy, T., Toben, C., Jaehne, E., Corrigan, F., & Baune, B. (2014). Long-term omega-3 supplementation modulates behavior, hippocampal fatty acid concentration, neuronal progenitor proliferation and central TNF-alpha expression in 7 month old unchallenged mice. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 8(399), 399-1-399-13.
DOI WoS14 Europe PMC14
2013 Stacey, D., Cohen-Woods, S., Toben, C., Arolt, V., Dannlowski, U., & Baune, B. (2013). Evidence of increased risk for major depressive disorder in individuals homozygous for the high-expressing 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 (LA) allele of the serotonin transporter promoter. Psychiatric Genetics, 23(5), 222-223.
DOI Scopus7 WoS6 Europe PMC4
2013 Ried, K., Toben, C., & Fakler, P. (2013). Effect of garlic on serum lipids: an updated meta-analysis. Nutrition Reviews, 71(5), 282-299.
DOI Scopus173 WoS133 Europe PMC95
2008 Na, S. Y., Cao, Y., Toben, C., Nitschke, L., Stadelmann, C., Gold, R., . . . Hunig, T. (2008). Naive CD8 T-cells initiate spontaneous autoimmunity to a sequestered model antigen of the central nervous system. Brain, 131(9), 2353-2365.
DOI Scopus78 WoS73 Europe PMC70
2006 Cao, Y., Toben, C. G., Na, S. -Y., Stark, K., Nitschke, L., Peterson, A., . . . Hünig, T. (2006). Induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in transgenic mice expressing ovalbumin in oligodendrocytes. European Journal of Immunology, 36(1), 207-215.
DOI Scopus39 WoS37 Europe PMC36

Year Citation
2024 Sbisa, A., Graham, K., Lawrence-Wood, E., McFarlane, A. C., & Toben, C. (2024). PTSD biomarkers: Neuroendocrine signaling to epigenetic variants. In G. Makowski (Ed.), Advances in Clinical Chemistry (Vol. 122, pp. 209-260). US: Elsevier.
DOI Scopus1 Europe PMC1
2021 Fourrier, C., Toben, C., & Baune, B. T. (2021). Transdiagnostic Features of the Immune System in Major Depressive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia. In Immunopsychiatry an Introduction (pp. 309-335). Cambridge University Press.
DOI
2020 Toben, C., Arnet, V. K., Lo, A., Saunders, P. H., & Baune, B. T. (2020). Standardized biomarker and biobanking requirements for personalized psychiatry. In B. T. Baune (Ed.), Personalized Psychiatry (pp. 537-547). London, United Kingdom: Academic Press.
DOI Scopus1
2019 Jawahar, M. C., Toben, C. G., & Baune, B. T. (2019). Gene-environment interactions and epigenetic mechanisms in depression. In J. L. de Quevedo, A. F. Carvalho, & C. A. Zarate (Eds.), Neurobiology of Depression: Road to Novel Therapeutics (pp. 17-25). Londone, United Kingdom: Academic Press.
DOI Scopus2
2018 Toben, C., & Baune, B. T. (2018). The Roles of T Cells in Clinical Depression. In B. T. Baune (Ed.), Inflammation and Immunity in Depression Basic Science and Clinical Applications (pp. 115-133). United Kingdom: Academic Press.
DOI Scopus1

Year Citation
2022 Falk, A. J., Galletly, C., Just, D., Toben, C., Baune, B. T., Clark, S. R., . . . Schubert, K. O. (2022). BEYOND NEURORECEPTOR AUTOIMMUNITY: PERIPHERAL AUTOANTIBODY PROFILES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH CLINICAL FEATURES IN PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS. Poster session presented at the meeting of AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY. Sydney, NSW: SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD.
2022 Clark, S., Mills, N., Toben, C., Catharine, J., & Galletly, C. (2022). Evaluating Technological Solutions To Mental Health Teaching And Assessment During The Pandemic. Poster session presented at the meeting of Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists Congress 2022. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry.
2020 Ahluwalia, T. S., Armstrong, N. J., Aslibekyan, S., Beekman, M., Cheng, Y., deGeus, E., . . . Alizadeh, B. Z. (2020). Genome wide association study of circulating interleukin 6 levels identifies novel loci. Poster session presented at the meeting of EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN GENETICS. SPRINGERNATURE.
2017 Ciobanu, L., Sachdev, P. S., Trollor, J. N., Reppermund, S., Thalamuthu, A., Mather, K. A., . . . Baune, B. (2017). TRANSCRIPTOME SIGNATURE OF DEPRESSION. Poster session presented at the meeting of EUROPEAN NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY. Jerusalem, ISRAEL: ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV.
DOI
2017 Ciobanu, L., Sachdev, P. S., Trollor, J. N., Reppermund, S., Thalamuthu, A., Mather, K. A., . . . Baune, B. (2017). GENOME-WIDE GENE EXPRESSION SIGNATURE OF DEPRESSION. Poster session presented at the meeting of EUROPEAN NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY. Jerusalem, ISRAEL: ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV.
DOI WoS1
2015 Jawahar, M. C., Toben, C., Izzo, J., Heriot, N., Harrison, E., Murgatroyd, C., & Baune, B. T. (2015). The two-hit stress model:effect of early life stress and later life stressors on adult psychiatric disorders. Poster session presented at the meeting of Abstract. Brisbane.
2015 Jawahar, M. C., Toben, C., Izzo, J., Heriot, N., Harrison, E., Murgatroyd, C., & Baune, B. T. (2015). The two-hit stress model: effect of early life stress and later life stressors on adult psychiatric disorders. Poster session presented at the meeting of Society for Mental Health Research (SMHR) 2015. Brisbane.

Year Citation
2024 Stacey, D., Gaziano, L., Eldi, P., Toben, C., Benyamin, B., Lee, H., & Hyppönen, E. (2024). A transcriptome-wide Mendelian randomization study in isolated human immune cells highlights risk genes involved in viral infections and potential drug repurposing opportunities for schizophrenia.
DOI

2018:

Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) Research Funds: Clinical Project research grant – 2018 $40,242.00, CI-B Title: To investigate the association of complement, oxidative and inflammatory markers and BDNF with cognitive and general function in chronic psychosis

2017:

Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, Australia, SA Branch: Student Research Scholarship - 2017 $2,500.00, CI-C Title: The association between Interleukin-1 and psychotic symptoms in patients treated with clozapine and aripiprazole

2016:

Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) Research Funds: Clinical Project research grant – 2017 $44,588.00, CI-A Title: Identification of altered regulatory miRNA expression associated with altered systemic cytokine expression in a clinical cohort of patients with recurrent depression at the Royal Adelaide Hospital 

2014:

Rebecca L Cooper Grant – 2015 $19,850, CI-B Title: A centralised Neuropsychiatric Biobank and Disease Marker Centre

Undergraduate Programmes

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences Elective Course "Fundamentals of Biological Psychiatry": topic lectures - "Pathways to neuroinflammation"; "Neuroinflammation associated with major psychiatric disorders", "The serotonergic system in major depression", The dopaminergic system in psychiatric diseases".

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences "Scientific Basis of Medicine III Part 2": topic lecture - "Immune System and the Nervous System"

Postgraduate Programmes

MBBS Yr6 Psychiatry Selective Coordinator 

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2025 Principal Supervisor Predicting resilience to trauma in adolescence using a multivariate analysis and machine learning approach Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Breanna Terrington
2025 Principal Supervisor Predicting resilience to trauma in adolescence using a multivariate analysis and machine learning approach Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Breanna Terrington
2024 Principal Supervisor The interplay between diet, brain functional connectivity, cognition, and mental health in participants with irritable bowel syndrome: UK Biobank Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Mahnaz Reisian
2024 Principal Supervisor The interplay between diet, brain functional connectivity, cognition, and mental health in participants with irritable bowel syndrome: UK Biobank Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Mahnaz Reisian
2018 Co-Supervisor Analysis of symptomatic and biological changes in Major Depressive Disorder related to co-administered antidepressant and anti-inflammatory treatment Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Miss Emma Karen Sampson
2018 Co-Supervisor Analysis of symptomatic and biological changes in Major Depressive Disorder related to co-administered antidepressant and anti-inflammatory treatment Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Miss Emma Karen Sampson

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2016 - 2019 Co-Supervisor Investigating the Transcriptome Signature of Depression: Employing Co-expression Network, Candidate Pathways and Machine Learning Approaches Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Dr Liliana Ciobanu

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