Rate My Professor Madeleine Hinwood

Dr Madeleine Hinwood is a Conjoint Lecturer in the Newcastle Evaluation Group within the School of Medicine and Public Health, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, at the University of Newcastle. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy, Bachelor of Psychology (Honours), and Master of Clinical Epidemiology, all obtained from the University of Newcastle. With a background in psychology, neurobiology, epidemiology, and biostatistics, her research employs causal inference, target trial emulation, and evidence synthesis to explore how medicines, chronic stress, and socioeconomic status affect long-term brain and heart health outcomes such as cognitive decline, dementia, and post-stroke recovery. Hinwood focuses on reducing health inequities in disadvantaged populations through analyses of large-scale linked administrative and clinical datasets. She leads projects like the FOCUS-R study investigating effective stress management strategies and serves on the Biostatistics team at the Hunter Medical Research Institute, providing advanced statistical support.

Hinwood has produced over 30 peer-reviewed publications, including highly influential papers on stress-induced neurobiological changes: 'Evidence that microglia mediate the neurobiological effects of chronic psychological stress on the medial prefrontal cortex' (Cerebral Cortex, 2012), 'Chronic stress induced remodeling of the prefrontal cortex: structural re-organization of microglia and the inhibitory effect of minocycline' (Cerebral Cortex, 2013), and 'Chronic stress alters the density and morphology of microglia in a subset of stress-responsive brain regions' (Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 2010). She has attracted more than $15 million in funding, encompassing an NHMRC Project Grant on antiplatelet therapies post-stroke and dementia risk, and over eight years of commissioned evaluations for the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee influencing Australia's medicines subsidy decisions. As an elected Communications and Membership Officer on the Council of the Australasian Epidemiological Association, she contributes to governance and professional development. Hinwood coordinates postgraduate courses in Biostatistics A and B, has co-supervised two completed PhD theses, and delivers workshops on reproducible research methods.