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Valsamma Eapen

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Valsamma Eapen
Born
Kerala, India
Alma materT.D Medical College Alleppey
University of London
OccupationPsychiatrist
Known forDeveloping the Quality of Life in Autism (QoLA) scale

Valsamma Eapen is a chair of infant, child and adolescent psychiatry at UNSW Sydney. She is a fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, and the Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK.[1]

Education

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Eapen was born in Kerala, India and completed her secondary education in Trivandrum. After graduating in medicine from T.D Medical College Alleppey, she trained at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences in Bangalore, India, and in the UK, through the University College Hospital and North London Teaching Hospitals rotational training scheme and advanced training through the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children and Institute Of Child Health. She undertook her PhD at the University of London, with research carried out at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London on the genetics of Tourette syndrome.[2][3][4]

Research and career

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Her academic career began at the University College London and she then moved to United Arab Emirates University before taking up her current appointment as professor and chair of infant, child and adolescent psychiatry at UNSW Sydney and as clinical academic and head of the academic unit of child psychiatry at South West Sydney Local Health District.[5][6]

As a clinician researcher, she has translated research findings into practice and policy applications such as developing service delivery frameworks for early identification of developmental problems in preschool children including the Watch Me Grow webapp.[7][8][9][10] Further, her team examined the pivotal role of oxytocin in attachment, separation anxiety and child development, offering translational opportunities for identifying women at risk in the antenatal period to improve intergenerational outcomes.[11]

Her research has included genetic, epidemiological, and phenomenological studies as well as clinical interventions in Tourette syndrome. Further, she has contributed significantly to research in autism spectrum disorders, building evidence base on early intervention and leading the autism subtyping program in collaboration with the Autism Co-operative Research Centre (Autism CRC). A world first research through the NSW ASELCC in Liverpool – where Eapen is the research lead – showed the benefits of the Early Start Denver Model in reducing maladaptive behaviours in preschool children with autism spectrum disorder.[12][13][14]

Eapen was part of a four-member executive team that developed the National Guideline for the Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders through the Autism CRC in collaboration with the National Disability Insurance Agency and endorsed by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).[15] Launched November 2017, this is being utilised across Australia and adopted by the NDIS.

Eapen has developed the Quality of Life in Autism (QoLA) scale, which has been adopted for use by more than 73 teams across 25 countries and translated into several different languages.[16]

The Watch Me Grow study, funded through an NHMRC Partnership grant with NSW Health, involved a 2000-strong birth cohort study that examined the modifiable risk factors for developmental disability.[17][18] This study found evidence of an ‘inverse care law’, whereby those children at highest risk (e.g. mothers born overseas and of lower educational/income levels) were the least likely to access the surveillance program.[19]

In an effort to address the current inequity in access to developmental services in low resourced environments, Eapen developed the Watch Me Grow Electronic Platform (WMG-E), a webapp for engaging parents in developmental monitoring during opportunistic contacts such as immunisation visits.[20][21] This webapp was developed in collaboration with the Random Hacks of Kindness community of technologists – a joint initiative between Microsoft, Google, Yahoo!, NASA, and the World Bank. This is currently being disseminated in Australia and overseas to establish a Universal Developmental Surveillance program with equitable access to all pre-school children. It was featured at the American Psychiatric Association 2019 conference as ‘one of three exemplars of innovative global mental health programs’.[22][23]

Her book Where There is No Child Psychiatrist is being used to improve skills for professionals on mental health problems, particularly in developing countries.

Awards and honors

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Personal life

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Eapen is a board director (voluntary) for Karitane Parenting Services. As the medical publicity liaison officer for the Tourette Syndrome Association Australia, she leads the annual Tourette Awareness Week activities.[27][28]

Selected publications

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Eapen has written six books and more than 300 journal publications.[1]

  • Using whole-exome sequencing to identify inherited causes of autism.[29]
  • Genome-wide association study of obsessive-compulsive disorder.[30]
  • The international prevalence, epidemiology, and clinical phenomenology of Tourette syndrome: a cross-cultural perspective.[31]
  • Preschool psychopathology reported by parents in 23 societies: testing the seven-syndrome model of the child behavior checklist for ages 1.5–5.[32]
  • Evidence for autosomal dominant transmission in Tourette's syndrome.[33]
  • International comparisons of behavioral and emotional problems in preschool children: parents' reports from 24 societies.[34]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Professor Valsamma Eapen". research.unsw.edu.au. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  2. ^ "Dr. Valsamma Eapen - Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences - HMA". hmaward.org.ae. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  3. ^ "unsw.edu.au".
  4. ^ "Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist - Valsamma Eapen". Developmental Paediatrics. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  5. ^ "College of Medicine and Health Science". cmhsweb.uaeu.ac.ae. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  6. ^ "Valsamma Eapen - Autism Research Australasia". www.autismresearch.org.au. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  7. ^ "The App that helps all kids get the best start | Maridulu Budyari Gumal". www.thesphere.com.au. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  8. ^ "SWSLHD Liverpool Hospital - Watch Me Grow". www.swslhd.health.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  9. ^ Eapen, Valsamma; Woolfenden, Susan; Williams, Katrina; Jalaludin, Bin; Dissanayake, Cheryl; Axelsson, Emma L; Murphy, Elisabeth; Eastwood, John; Descallar, Joseph; Beasley, Deborah; Črnčec, Rudi (2014). ""Are you available for the next 18 months?" - methods and aims of a longitudinal birth cohort study investigating a universal developmental surveillance program: the 'Watch Me Grow' study". BMC Pediatrics. 14 (1): 234. doi:10.1186/1471-2431-14-234. ISSN 1471-2431. PMC 4190387. PMID 25241772.
  10. ^ Woolfenden, Susan; Eapen, Valsamma; Axelsson, Emma; Hendry, Alexandra; Jalaludin, Bin; Dissanayake, Cheryl; Overs, Bronwyn; Descallar, Joseph; Eastwood, John; Einfeld, Stewart; Silove, Natalie (2016-03-24). "Who is our cohort: recruitment, representativeness, baseline risk and retention in the "Watch Me Grow" study?". BMC Pediatrics. 16 (1): 46. doi:10.1186/s12887-016-0582-1. ISSN 1471-2431. PMC 4806415. PMID 27013220.
  11. ^ "Welcome to our 2020 Research Excellence Awards". Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  12. ^ Eapen, Valsamma; Črnčec, Rudi; Walter, Amelia (2013-01-07). "Clinical outcomes of an early intervention program for preschool children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in a community group setting". BMC Pediatrics. 13 (1): 3. doi:10.1186/1471-2431-13-3. ISSN 1471-2431. PMC 3631131. PMID 23294523.
  13. ^ "autismcrc.com.au" (PDF).
  14. ^ Fulton, E.; Eapen, V.; Crnčec, R.; Walter, A.; Rogers, S. (2014). "ResearchGate". Frontiers in Pediatrics. 2: 40. doi:10.3389/fped.2014.00040. PMC 4023017. PMID 24847474.
  15. ^ "thepaediatricnurse" (PDF).
  16. ^ Eapen, Valsamma; Crnčec, Rudi; Walter, Amelia; Tay, Kwok Ping (2014). "Conceptualisation and development of a quality of life measure for parents of children with autism spectrum disorder". Autism Research and Treatment. 2014: 160783. doi:10.1155/2014/160783. ISSN 2090-1925. PMC 3977417. PMID 24778873.
  17. ^ Eapen, Valsamma; Woolfenden, Susan; Williams, Katrina; Jalaludin, Bin; Dissanayake, Cheryl; Axelsson, Emma L.; Murphy, Elisabeth; Eastwood, John; Descallar, Joseph; Beasley, Deborah; Črnčec, Rudi (2014-09-22). ""Are you available for the next 18 months?" - methods and aims of a longitudinal birth cohort study investigating a universal developmental surveillance program: the 'Watch Me Grow' study". BMC Pediatrics. 14: 234. doi:10.1186/1471-2431-14-234. ISSN 1471-2431. PMC 4190387. PMID 25241772.
  18. ^ "nhmrc.gov.au" (PDF).
  19. ^ Garg, Pankaj; Ha, My Trinh; Eastwood, John; Harvey, Susan; Woolfenden, Sue; Murphy, Elisabeth; Dissanayake, Cheryl; Jalaludin, Bin; Williams, Katrina; McKenzie, Anne; Einfeld, Stewart (2017). "Explaining culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) parents' access of healthcare services for developmental surveillance and anticipatory guidance: qualitative findings from the 'Watch Me Grow' study". BMC Health Services Research. 17 (1): 228. doi:10.1186/s12913-017-2143-1. ISSN 1472-6963. PMC 5361826. PMID 28330490.
  20. ^ Kontos, Eric (2019-05-28). "Local research leads to a better way to check your child's development". South West Voice. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  21. ^ Woolfenden, Susan; Eapen, Valsamma; Axelsson, Emma; Hendry, Alexandra; Jalaludin, Bin; Dissanayake, Cheryl; Overs, Bronwyn; Descallar, Joseph; Eastwood, John; Einfeld, Stewart; Silove, Natalie (2016-03-24). "Who is our cohort: recruitment, representativeness, baseline risk and retention in the "Watch Me Grow" study?". BMC Pediatrics. 16 (1): 46. doi:10.1186/s12887-016-0582-1. ISSN 1471-2431. PMC 4806415. PMID 27013220.
  22. ^ "ANZCTR - Registration". www.anzctr.org.au. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  23. ^ "Research". karitane.com.au. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  24. ^ "Valsamma Eapen". Autism CRC. 2017-08-12. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  25. ^ Akin-Ojo, Isabelle (November 2013). "Where There is No Child Psychiatrist: A Mental Healthcare Manual. By Valsamma Eapen, Philip Graham & Shoba Srinath, RCPsych Publications, 2012, £10.00, pb, 208 pp. ISBN: 9781908020482". The Psychiatrist. 37 (11): 375–376. doi:10.1192/pb.bp.113.044925. ISSN 1758-3209.
  26. ^ "Dr. Valsamma Eapen - Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences - HMA". www.hmaward.org.ae. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  27. ^ "Tics, twitches, and Tourette's". ABC Radio National. 2018-07-06. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  28. ^ "Low postpartum oxytocin levels linked to poor mother-daughter bond". The Guardian. 2014-10-02. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  29. ^ Yu, Timothy W.; et al. (2013-01-23). "Using Whole-Exome Sequencing to Identify Inherited Causes of Autism". Neuron. 77 (2): 259–273. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2012.11.002. ISSN 0896-6273. PMC 3694430. PMID 23352163.
  30. ^ Stewart, S. E.; Yu, D.; Scharf, J. M.; Neale, B. M.; Fagerness, J. A.; Mathews, C. A.; Arnold, P. D.; Evans, P. D.; Gamazon, E. R.; Osiecki, L.; McGrath, L. (July 2013). "Genome-wide association study of obsessive-compulsive disorder". Molecular Psychiatry. 18 (7): 788–798. doi:10.1038/mp.2012.85. hdl:1854/LU-4241923. ISSN 1476-5578. PMC 4218751. PMID 22889921. S2CID 15807999.
  31. ^ "apa.org".
  32. ^ Ivanova, Masha Y.; Achenbach, Thomas M.; Rescorla, Leslie A.; Harder, Valerie S.; Ang, Rebecca P.; Bilenberg, Niels; Bjarnadottir, Gudrun; Capron, Christiane; De Pauw, Sarah S. W.; Dias, Pedro; Dobrean, Anca (2010-12-01). "Preschool Psychopathology Reported by Parents in 23 Societies: Testing the Seven-Syndrome Model of the Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 1.5–5". Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 49 (12): 1215–1224. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2010.08.019. ISSN 0890-8567. PMC 4247330. PMID 21093771.
  33. ^ Eapen, V.; Pauls, D. L.; Robertson, M. M. (May 1993). "Evidence for Autosomal Dominant Transmission in Tourette's Syndrome: United Kingdom Cohort Study". The British Journal of Psychiatry. 162 (5): 593–596. doi:10.1192/bjp.162.5.593. ISSN 0007-1250. PMID 8149109. S2CID 26062975.
  34. ^ Rescorla, Leslie A.; Achenbach, Thomas M.; Ivanova, Masha Y.; Harder, Valerie S.; Otten, Laura; Bilenberg, Niels; Bjarnadottir, Gudrun; Capron, Christiane; De Pauw, Sarah S. W.; Dias, Pedro; Dobrean, Anca (2011-05-01). "International Comparisons of Behavioral and Emotional Problems in Preschool Children: Parents' Reports From 24 Societies". Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology. 40 (3): 456–467. doi:10.1080/15374416.2011.563472. hdl:11655/14529. ISSN 1537-4416. PMC 4247339. PMID 21534056.
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