Rate My Professor Mary Collins

Professor Mary Collins Chebib, BSc (Hons) PhD FRACI FASCEPT, is a distinguished senior academic leader at the University of Sydney. She serves as Head of the School of Medical Sciences and Interim Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Medicine and Health. With over 25 years as a neuropharmacologist and medicinal chemist, her research centers on the molecular mechanisms of ionotropic GABA and nicotinic receptors and their roles in neurological and psychiatric disorders. She has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed publications, including "Gain-of-function GABRB3 variants identified in vigabatrin responders with refractory epilepsy" (2020, Brain Communications), "α4βδ GABAA receptors are high-affinity targets for γ-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB)" (2012, PNAS), "Structurally Diverse GABA Antagonists Interact Differently with a Chimeric Ste6/γ-Aminobutyric Acid Type A (GABAA) Receptor" (2012, Molecular Pharmacology), "Naringin directly activates inwardly rectifying potassium channels (Kir) via a distinct PKA-independent pathway" (2011, British Journal of Pharmacology), and "Identifying the Binding Site of Novel Methyllycaconitine (MLA) Analogs at α4β2 Nicotinic Receptors" (2010, ACS Chemical Neuroscience). As an inventor on five patents for neurologically active compounds, she has advanced translational research.

Professor Collins Chebib earned her PhD from Griffith University in 1994, followed by a six-year postdoctoral position in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Sydney. She joined the Faculty of Pharmacy as Lecturer in 2000, advancing to Senior Lecturer (2003), Associate Professor (2008), and Professor of Pharmaceutical Neuroscience (2012). Her leadership has expanded the School of Medical Sciences' annual research income to $40–50 million, established the Sydney Region Combinatorial Chemistry Facility, implemented faculty minimum academic standards, launched the Bachelor of Biomedicine and Health at Westmead, and developed the Sydney Biomedical Accelerator. She fosters inclusive cultures and cross-sector collaborations. Notable honors include the ASCEPT Fellowship (2019) and Brain and Mind Centre Foundational Research Award (2025).