Michael Bowen

Professor Michael Bowen is an Associate Professor of Translational Neuroscience and Psychopharmacology, NHMRC Peter Doherty Biomedical Fellow, and Lab Director in the School of Psychology and Brain and Mind Centre at the University of Sydney. He completed his PhD at the University of Sydney, where he was awarded the Tasman Lovell Medal for the best PhD thesis in the School of Psychology and the 2015 Rita and John Cornforth Medal for PhD Achievement from the University of Sydney Alumni Awards. Following his doctorate, Bowen served as a postdoctoral fellow in the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Sydney from March to December 2014. He progressed to NHMRC Early Career Fellow and Lecturer in the Psychopharmacology Laboratory, School of Psychology, starting in January 2015. Bowen leads the Bowen Lab Psychopharmacology, a team of postdoctoral researchers, PhD students, and research assistants utilizing preclinical models, neuroscience techniques, and machine learning to discover small molecule therapeutics. His research specializes in psychopharmacology and behavioural neuroscience, targeting substance use disorders, addiction recovery, social impairments in conditions like autism spectrum disorder, epilepsy, opioid withdrawal, and dementia.

Bowen's innovations include co-founding Kinoxis Therapeutics, where he serves as Chief Scientific Officer, advancing candidates such as KNX100 for brain disorders. His accolades include the 2016 Macquarie University Eureka Prize for Outstanding Early Career Researcher, the 2021 Australian Prize for New Innovators, and recognition as a Prize for New Innovators winner for novel molecule discovery. Key publications encompass "Breaking the loop: oxytocin as a potential treatment for drug addiction" (Hormones and Behavior, 2012), "Quiet wakefulness: the influence of intraperitoneal and intranasal oxytocin on sleep-wake behaviour and neurophysiology in rats" (Sleep, 2023), "Cannabidiol Reduced the Severity of Gastrointestinal Symptoms of Opioid Withdrawal in Male and Female Mice" (Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 2022), "Effects of CB1 receptor negative allosteric modulator Org27569 on oxycodone withdrawal symptoms in mice" (Psychopharmacology, 2024), and "Cannabigerolic acid, a major biosynthetic precursor molecule in cannabis, exhibits divergent effects on seizures in mouse models of epilepsy" (Epilepsia, 2021). With over 1,500 citations documented on ResearchGate, his work significantly influences neuropsychopharmacology and therapeutic development. Bowen contributes to public engagement through platforms like The Wheeler Centre and university podcasts.

Professional Email: michael.bowen@sydney.edu.au