Head of Group

Dr Andrew Whitehouse is the Head and Principal Investigator of the Autism and Related Disorders team. Andrew trained as a Speech Pathologist (Curtin University) before completing his PhD in Psychology at the University of Western Australia. He then moved to the University of Oxford to undertake postdoctoral studies, where he was promoted to the Scott Family Junior Research Fellow for Studies in Autism (University College, Oxford). In 2009, he returned to Perth to take up his current position within the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research. He leads a team of hard-working researchers, who investigate the genetic and neurodevelopmental causes of Autism and specific language impairment, and conduct clinical intervention trials into these conditions. View publications...

Research staff

Jo Granich
In 2010, Jo joined the Autism research team as a coordinator of the West Australian (WA) arm of a randomised controlled trial named, Fluoxetine for Autistic Behaviours - The FAB Trial.  Jo holds a Masters of Public Health (by research) from the University of Western Australia. During the last decade, she has worked in a number of WA tertiary institutions and has extensive experience in coordinating family oriented, school-based and state-wide research projects. Other work included evaluating the impact of state-wide mass-media campaigns. She is well skilled in mixed methods studies which have led to peer-reviewed publications. In addition, she has 20 years of clinical experience in dental therapy/hygiene in the private sector. In 2011, Jo expanded her role in the autism team and currently coordinates a world-first study aimed at identifying biomarkers for autism in-utero and in the early post-natal period (PRISM Study).

Jo is a highly motivated and passionate researcher who is also a mother of two sons, of which the eldest has an Autism Spectrum Disorder. The combination of skills and experience she has gained from personal and professional domains has placed her in a unique position to work in this complex, rapidly evolving and exciting field of science. Her aspirations are to make a difference to individuals and families affected by autism through the eyes of rigorous autism research, thereby facilitate discoveries and improve our knowledge and understanding of this
life-long condition.

Anna Hunt
Anna is an experienced researcher, having come to the team after 15 years as an early childhood and special needs educator, and then several years as a researcher on the 'Looking at Language' project under Prof Kate Taylor. Anna is also a qualified phlebotomist. Anna currently coordinates the Western Australian Autism Biological Registry, and is a researcher working on the Pregnancy and Autism project (PRISM).

Blagica Penova-Veselinovic
Blagica is an experienced research officer with a Bachelor's degree in Biological Science. Blagica conducts the lab-based work for the Pregnancy and Autism project (PRISM).

Students

Lauren Taylor
Lauren is currently completing a Masters in Clinical Psychology and PhD at the University of Western Australia. She has worked in early intervention for children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder for several years. Her PhD project focuses on the cognitive characteristics of autism and specific 

 language impairment.

Lauren Hollier
Lauren is currently completing a Masters in Clinical Psychology and PhD at the University of Western Australia. Her PhD is investigating the association between prenatal testosterone exposure, cerebral lateralisation and language development.

Simone Fernandez

Simone is a PhD student at the University of Western Australia, who is investigating how children with autism process verbal and pictorial information.

Lisa Unwin

Lisa is a PhD student at the University of Western Australia, who is working on The PRISM project. Lisa is investigating prenatal brain growth in siblings of children with autism.

Alumni

Jessica Simons

Lydia Sung

Yonit Stoch

Tehani Wijesundera

Yong Xiang Yeo