Femke Buisman-Pijlman

Femke Buisman-Pijlman

School of Biomedicine

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

Femke is a Behavioural Neuroscientist with a strong interest in the neurobiological basis of individual differences in behaviour and mental health. She likes to work on the intersection between psychology, physiology and behaviour using a translational approach. She has proposed a new theory about the effects of early life experiences on the developing oxytocin system and the impact this has on later drug use. Her research group is using a range of techniques to test the impact on infants and kids of observed early life environment.

Femke is a leader in online education and curriculum development. She developed and coordinates full online postgraduate degrees in Addiction Studies. She is the program leader for the International Programme in Addiction Studies in Adelaide, which she teaches with King's College London (UK) and Virginia Commonwealth University (USA). She is also the convener for the new Major in Addiction and Mental health of the Bachelor of Health and Medical Sciences.

Femke engages extensively with the community. She has for example developed a free online course on Managing addiction for Health professionals (EdX). She likes to actively engaging school kids in neuroscience, for example as the State co-coordinator of the Australian Brain Bee Challenge and as a Scientist in School.

Femke is a Behavioural Neuroscientist with a strong interest in the neurobiological basis of individual differences in behaviour and mental health, including addiction. She likes to work on the intersection between psychology, physiology and behaviour using a translational approach. She has proposed a new theory about the effects of early life experiences on the developing oxytocin system and the impact this has on later drug use. Her research group is using a range of techniques to test the impact on infants and kids of observed early life environment on development, addiction and mental health.

My research was featured in ABC Catalyst (Feb, 2016) in an episode on Oxytocin and addiction.

Click here to view the episode.

ABC Catalyst presenter in Femke's lab

 

  • Appointments
    Date Position Institution name
    2022 - ongoing Academic lead Campus Mental Health Strategy University of Melbourne
    2019 - ongoing Associate Professor and Academic Program Director (Health) University of Melbourne
    2019 - ongoing Adj. Senior Lecturer University of Adelaide
    2017 - ongoing Affiliate member Robinson Research Institute
    2012 - 2019 Senior Lecturer in Addiction Studies The University of Adelaide
    2011 - 2012 Affiliate researcher Psychiatric Neuroscience Research Group University of Adelaide
    2008 - ongoing Graduate affiliate Faculty Psychology Virginia Commonwealth University
    2007 - 2012 Lecturer Addiction Studies The University of Adelaide
    2007 - 2008 Senior Lecturer Flinders University
    2005 - 2007 Senior researcher (postdoctoral) Leiden University
    2004 - 2005 Research associate/author Trimbos Institute
    2002 - 2005 Program officer Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development
    2002 - 2004 Research associate Trimbos Institute
    1996 - 2001 Student teacher University Medical Center Utrecht

  • Awards and Achievements
    Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
    2017 Achievement Affiliate Member Robinson Institute Robinson Research Institute Australia -
    2017 Award Erasmus+ Staff exchange to University of Trento - Italy -
    2017 Award Visiting academic Freiburg University- Prof. Markus Heinrichs - Germany -
    2016 Scholarship Scholarship Australian Higher Education Sector Leadership Colloquium National Excellence in Educational Leadership Initiative Australia 3.500
    2016 Scholarship Scholarship for Australian Higher Education Sector Leadership Colloquium - - -
    2016 Award Selected to attend FENS SfN Summer School 2016 on Addiction Biology - - -
    2016 Award Convener new Major in Addiction and Mental Health - Bachelor of health and Medical Sciences - - -
    2016 Achievement Featured in ABC Catalyst special on Oxytocin and Addiction - - -
    2016 Achievement PwC Educational collaborator for the 21st Century Minds (21CM) Accelerator Program - - -
    2015 Achievement MOOC team leader and content developer: Managing Addiction: a framework for succesfful treatment - - -
    2014 Achievement Team member MOOC: Essential Human Biology - - -
    2014 Achievement Neuroscientist in residence at Seymour College - - -
    2012 Teaching Award South Australian Early Career STEM Educator of the Year Government of South Australia Australia 10.000
    2012 Achievement Promoted to Senior Lecturer at the University of Adelaide - - -
    2012 Award Winner for South Australian Early Career STEM Educator of the Year - Tertiary Education - - -
    2012 Award 2012 Travel award from the US National Institute on Drugs Abuse to present at NIDA International Forum and CPDD - - -
    2012 Award Faculty of Health Sciences International Conference Award (FICA) - - -
    2011 Teaching Award Executive Dean's Award for Excellence in Teaching The University of Adelaide Australia -
    2011 Teaching Award Recipient of the Executive Dean's Award for Excellence in Teaching - - -
    2011 Teaching Award finalist for South Australian Early Career STEM Educator of the Year - Tertiary Education - - -
    2011 Award Travel award from the US National Institute on Drugs Abuse to present at NIDA International Forum and CPDD - - -
    1997 Scholarship PhD Scholarship Utrecht University and Solvay Pharmacueticals Netherlands -

  • Language Competencies
    Language Competency
    Dutch; Flemish Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review
    German Can read and understand spoken

  • Education
    Date Institution name Country Title
    2012 - 2014 University of Adelaide Australia Graduate Certificate
    1997 - 2001 Utrecht University Netherlands Ph.D. Medicine
    1997 Utrecht University Netherlands M.Sc. Biology
    Utrecht University Netherlands B.Sc. Biology

  • Postgraduate Training
    Date Title Institution Country
    2005 - 2007 Postdoctoral researcher Leiden University Netherlands

  • Certifications
    Date Title Institution name Country
    2014 Certificate in Infant Mental Health Women's and Children's Hospital Australia

  • Research Interests
    Animal Behaviour Behavioral Science & Comparative Psychology Biological Psychology Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics Developmental & Child Psychology Education Mental Health Neurosciences Physiology Child and Adolescent Health Indigenous and Disadvantaged Health Neuroscience, Behaviour and Brain Health Translational Health Outcomes
Grants

2018

2017

Research grant "Early life adversity: trajectories to mental health and drug use"

Erasmus+ Staff exchange to University of Trento

Channel 7 

EU Erasmus program 2500
2017 UofA Prefered partner grant Visiting academic Freiburg University- Prof. Markus Heinrichs UofA 5000
2016 Scholarship Australian Higher Education Sector Leadership Colloquium

National Excellence in Educational

Leadership Initiative 2500
2016 E-learning grant Faculty of Health Sciences
2015 MOOC team leader and content developer: Managing Addiction: a framework for succesfful treatment UofA PVCA (40.000)
2014 Buisman-Pijlman equipment grant Alcohol self-administration equipment

School of Medical Sciences,

Faculty of Health Sciences

$8.500
2014 Collins-Praino, Buisman-Pijlman

South Australian Community Grant:

National Science week

$1,500
2012 South Australian Early Career STEM Educator of the Year -Tertiary Education Government of South Australia (10.000)
2012 Travel award from the US National Institute on Drugs Abuse to present at NIDA International Forum and CPDD US National Institute on Drugs Abuse 1000
2012 Faculty of Health Sciences International Conference Award (FICA) UofA/Fac
2012 Mobile centrifuge unit for research on biomarkers in mental health research in perinatal and adolescent populations. UofA/School 4000
2012 Self-administration apparatus to study food preference, learning and addiction in rat and mice. NHMRC equipment grant. 90000
1997 - 2001 PhD Scholarship Utrecht University and Solvay Pharmaceuticals

Femke now works as an Associate Professor at the Melbourne School of Professional and Continued Education at the University of Melbourne.

Femke is a leader in online education and curriculum development. She developed and coordinates full online postgraduate degrees in Addiction Studies. She is the program leader for the International Programme in Addiction Studies in Adelaide, which she teaches with King's College London (UK) and Virginia Commonwealth University (USA). She is also the convener for the new Major in Addiction and Mental health of the Bachelor of Health and Medical Sciences.

Femke engages extensively with the community. She has for example developed a free online course on Managing addiction for Health professionals (EdX). She likes to actively engaging school kids in neuroscience, for example as the State co-coordinator of the Australian Brain Bee Challenge and as a Scientist in School.

Postgraduate

Femke was program coordinator for:

Master of Science in Addiction Studies (IPAS)

Graduate Diploma in International Addiction Studies (IPAS)

Graduate Certificate in International Addiction Studies (IPAS)

Graduate Certificate in Alcohol and Drug Studies

Femke coordinated and taught the following courses

PHARM 7015EX Biological Basis of Addiction

PHARM 7017EX Treatment of Addiction: Pharmacotherapies

PHARM 7021EX Research Methodology in Addictions

PHARM 7022EX Research Project in Addictions

PHARM 7011EX Drug Effects and Biology of Addiction

PHARM 7012EX Pharmacotherapy and other Responses to Drug Problems

Femke is the Postgraduate coordinator for the Discipline of Pharmacology

Undergraduate

Femke was Convenor of the Major in Addiction and Mental Health for the Bachelor of Health and Medical Sciences

She developed and coordinates the following course with a colleague:

PHARM3010 Biological and Psychosocial factors in Addictions

Femke teaches about drugs and addiction into the Bachelor of Health Sciences (Pharmacology  y2 and 3 Pharm 2100, 2200 and 3100, Neurological diseases (y3), Essential of Neuroscience (y1)), MBBS (y3), Nursing (y2) and Dentistry (y2).

Femke supervisors research project in the MBBS (y3), pharmacology (y3) and Master of Science in Addiction Studies.

Femke supervises Honour students and PhD students

  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2019 - 2019 Co-Supervisor Peripheral-to-Central Neuroimmune Communication and the Sun: Implications for Addiction and Neurodegenerative Disease Pathology Master of Philosophy (Medical Science) Master Full Time Ms Krystal Lee Iacopetta
    2015 - 2020 Co-Supervisor Investigation of a Functional Relationship Between Toll-Like Receptor 4 and Transient Receptor Potential Cation Channel Subfamily V Member 1 in Relation to a Novel Neuroimmune Pain Model Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Samuel Greig Evans
    2014 - 2017 Co-Supervisor Exploring the Bidirectional Interface between Stress and Innate Immunity: A Focus on Glucocorticoid and TLR4-MyD88 Signalling Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Jiajun Liu
    2013 - 2017 Co-Supervisor Exploring the Pharmacology of (+)-Naltrexone on Alcohol Reward and Anxiety Behaviours Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Jonathan Henry Jacobsen
    2010 - 2015 Co-Supervisor The thermal grill as a tool to investigate analgesic clinical pharmacology Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Nicole Martha Sumracki

  • Other Supervision Activities
    Date Role Research Topic Location Program Supervision Type Student Load Student Name
    2016 - ongoing External Supervisor Impact of oxytocin treatment to augment labour on mother-infant bonding University of South Australia - Doctorate - Hannah Edwards
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