Rate My Professor Dylan Kiltschewskij

Dr. Dylan Kiltschewskij is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Casual Academic in the School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy within the Faculty of Health and Medicine at the University of Newcastle, Australia. He earned a Bachelor of Biomedical Science with First Class Honours from the University of Newcastle in 2015 and completed his Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Genetics at the same institution between 2016 and 2020. Beginning his research journey in Professor Murray Cairns' complex disorder group as an Honours student, he has advanced to his current postdoctoral role, where he applies a diverse skill set encompassing next-generation RNA sequencing, gene expression analysis, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS), Mendelian Randomisation, polygenic and epigenetic risk scoring, and tissue culture techniques. His academic excellence has been recognized through several prestigious awards, including the Faculty of Health and Medicine Medal for outstanding academic achievement in 2014 and 2015, the Australian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Prize for Biomedical Science in 2014, the ADInstruments Prize for Human Structure and Function in 2014, the Life Technologies Prize for Cellular and Molecular Science in 2014, and the Australian Postgraduate Award along with Research Training Program scholarships in 2016.

Dylan Kiltschewskij's research centers on the intersection of neuroscience, genetics, and psychiatric disorders, utilizing multidimensional high-throughput molecular techniques, systems biology, and statistical genetics. His work explores noncoding RNAs such as microRNAs in neuronal cells, epigenetic mechanisms including DNA methylation variance in schizophrenia, causal relationships between circulating metabolites and brain structure relevant to psychiatric liability, and strategies for precision medicine through genomic risk profiling. Key publications include 'A genetic atlas of relationships between circulating metabolites and liability to psychiatric conditions' (Molecular Psychiatry, 2026), 'Schizophrenia is associated with altered DNA methylation variance' (Molecular Psychiatry, 2025), 'Genetic influences on circulating retinol and its relationship to human health' (Nature Communications, 2024), 'PI3K/mTOR is a therapeutically targetable genetic dependency in diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma' (Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2024), and 'Alteration of DNA Methylation and Epigenetic Scores Associated With Features of Schizophrenia and Common Variant Genetic Risk' (Biological Psychiatry, 2024). These contributions, published in high-impact journals, advance understanding of psychiatric etiologies and identify potential therapeutic targets and drug repurposing opportunities, fostering multidisciplinary collaborations in areas like paediatric brain cancer and chemotherapeutic cardiotoxicity.