Find Mackenzie Rubens on
Project title
Longitudinal Biopsychosocial Markers of Posttraumatic Outcomes in a Population of Emergency Responders
Supervisory team
Dr. Dagmar Bruenig (Acting principal supervisor)
Assoc. Prof. Divya Mehta (Principal supervisor)
Prof. Jane Shakespeare-Finch (Assistant supervisor)
Project description
I am investigating the changes in DNA methylation associated with each of posttraumatic stress disorder and posttraumatic growth and how these changes are influenced by social support and organisational belongingness. Participants are drawn from a population at higher risk of exposure to trauma, emergency service workers, and tested at two timepoints: during their first week of training and again 6-12 months later.
Short bio
I completed my honours in psychology in the Stressomics lab in 2021, and began my PhD in the same lab a few months later. I arrived in research after almost a decade working as a counsellor, specialising first in suicide intervention and then childhood trauma. I have a love for teaching and mentoring. My first paper was published at the beginning of 2023, reviewing epigenetic studies of childhood maltreatment.
Education
Bachelor of Science (University of Queensland)
Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Queensland University of Technology)
Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Honours) (Queensland University of Technology)