Areas of Interest
Understanding the effects of diabetes on brain function, especially in children
Dr. Northam has extensive experience in clinical research, particularly focusing on the neurocognitive and psychosocial impact of type 1 diabetes in children. Her recent and current projects include several trials of standardized psychosocial interventions to reduce mental health morbidity in youths with diabetes. In a seminal longitudinal study of almost 30 years, Dr. Northam is tracking the health of newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes youths into mid-adulthood. She is also conducting a trial to examine the impact of pump therapy on behavior, mood cognition, and glycemia and a FMRI study to examine the impact of experimentally manipulated hypo- and hyperglycemia on brain function.
Credentials
- B.A., University of Tasmania, 1971
- B.A., Hons LaTrobe University, 1983
- M.A., University of Melbourne, 1990
- Ph.D., University of Melbourne (thesis nominated for the Chancellor’s Prize), 1996