Dr. Nicole J. Rinehart

Biography

Positions:
Lecturer, Department of Psychological Medicine
Clinical Child Psychologist, Monash Medical Centre (Private practice)

I have been a tenured lecturer in the Department of Psychological Medicine since completing my post-doctoral fellowship in 2002. My academic life is divided between practicing and teaching clinical child psychology and conducting experimental neuropsychology research. The overarching aims of our neuropsychology research are (a) to investigate neurobehavioural similarities and differences between children with autism and Asperger's disorder, (b) to correlate neurobehavioural anomalies with possible sites of neurobiological dysfunction, and (c) to identify early neurological markers which may be used to expedite diagnosis. An expanded summary of our projects is available at the Centre for Developmental Psychiatry and Psychology web-site.

My research has been recognised by the following local and international awards: In 1999 I was awarded The Queens Trust For Young Australians which provided funding towards equipment for my postdoctoral studies. In 2001, I was given the award for the Most Outstanding Research by a postgraduate student in the School of Psychology, Psychiatry, and Psychological Medicine, Monash University. In that same year I was given the Rising Star Award by the College of Clinical Psychologists in recognition of 'excellence in doctoral research in the area of clinical psychology'. In 2002, I was awarded the Novartis Foundation Bursary to attend a meeting hosted by Sir Rutter, discussing 'Autism: Neural basis and treatment possibilities'. This was followed by a fully funded study tour of Cambridge, Oxford, and the Institute of Psychiatry UK, where I was privileged to spend time in the laboratories of prominent researchers in the field (Bishop / Happe/ Bolton). In 2004, I was awarded an Exceptional Achievement Award -Academic Staff in the Department of Psychological Medicine.

Professional Activities

Active member of the College of Clinical Psychologists, holding the role of Secretary from 2002-2004.
I have a private practice in the Centre for Developmental Psychiatry and Psychology, Department of Psychological Medicine, Monash Medical Centre, Level 3, P Block. Areas of speciality - childhood anxiety, depression, developmental disorders, intellectual disability, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, parenting and family issues.

Research Interests

Our investigations of the neurobehavioural underpinnings of autism and Asperger's disorder are currently conducted under five different streams - Note that all research includes Professor Bruce Tonge and Professor John Bradshaw as Chief Investigators.

Neuro-motor (gait) research
Collaborators
Professor Robert Iansek (Neurologist, Kingston Movement Disorder Clinic)
Dr. Jennifer McGinley (Senior Research Fellow, Physiotherapist, Murdoch Children's Research Institute)
Research Laboratory - Kingson Gait Laboratory
Neurophysiological research
Collaborators
Professor Robert Iansek (Neurologist, Kingston Movement Disorder Clinic)
Dr. Jennifer McGinley (Physiotherapist, Kingston Movement Disorder Clinic)
Research Laboratory - Kingson Gait Laboratory
Brain imaging research
Collaborators
Dr Ross Cunnington (Senior Research Fellow, Howard Florey Institute, Melbourne University)
Dr Gary Eagan (Principal Researcher, Howard Florey Institute, Melbourne University)
Research Laboratory - Brain Imaging Institute, Austin Hospital.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Research
Collaborator
Assoc/Prof Paul Fitzgerald (Psychiatrist, Monash University, Alfred Hospital)
Research Laboratory - Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre
Oculomotor research
Collaborators
Dr Owen White (Neurologist, Royal Melbourne Hospital)
Dr Nellie Georgiou-Karistianis (Experimental Neuropsychologist, Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychology)
Research Laboratory - Royal Melbourne Hospital

Teaching

Undergraduate

Bachelor of Nutrition & Dietetics 2nd Year, S1: BND 2031 Health Psychology for Dietetics
Bachelor of Medicine, 1st year Selectives, S2. Child Psychology & Psychiatry.
Bachelor of Medicine, 1st year Selectives, S2. Measurement in Health Psychology.
Bachelor of Medicine, 3rd year Options, S2. Child Psychopathology.
New 5 Year Medical Degree: Human Life Span Development

Postgraduate

Masters Clinical Health Psychology1st year, S1: MHP5072 Psychological Assessment Unit
Masters Clinical Health Psychology1st year, S1: MHP5051 Introduction to Clinical Health Psychology Unit
Masters Clinical Health Psychology1st year, S1: MHP5071 Advanced Clinical Health Psychology Unit
Doctorate of Psychology 1st Year, S1: DPSY5105 Clinical developmental psychology

Grant Support

International Research Grants
Rinehart, N.J., Fitzgerald, P. Tonge, B. J., & Bradshaw, J. L (2005-2006). Can Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation alter motor function in autism and Asperger’s disorder ? Cure Autism Now, Philantrhopic Organisation, California, USA.
$US 60,000.
Robertson. I.H., Bellgrove, M.A., Bradshaw, J.L., Rinehart, N.J. (2003-2005). Attention and executive function in autism: An examination using neuropsychological and fMRI techniques. Awarded by the Wellcome Trust, UK under the International Biomedical Research Collaboration Scheme.
$ 60,000-00

Rinehart, N. J. (2002). Autism: Neural Basis and Treatment Possibilities. Novartis Foundation Young Investigator Bursary.
$15, 000

Rinehart, N. J. (2001-02). A neurobehavioural and neurophysiological examination of motor function in autism and Asperger’s disorder. Young Investigator Award; Cure Autism Now, Philanthropic Organisation, California, USA
$135,000
National Grants
Tonge, B. J., Bradshaw, J. L., Rinehart, N. J., Iansek, B.I (2002-03). ‘An examination of motor functioning in autism and Asperger’s disorder: An analysis of gait & cortical brain activity’. NH&MRC Project Grant. $120,000
Local Grants
Rinehart, N. J., Fitzgerald, P., Tonge, B. J., Bradshaw, J.L. (2003). An investigation of cortical inhibitory processes in autism and Asperger’s disorder utilising single and paired pulse Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. Monash University Small Grants (Young Investigator).
$30,000

Tonge, B. J., Bradshaw, J. L., Rinehart, N. J., Iansek, B.I. (2002) An examination of motor functioning in autism and Asperger’s disorder using a GAITRite system. Monash University Small Grants – Equipment Grant
$25,000

Rinehart, N. J. (1999) An examination of cortical brain activity in autism and Asperger’s disorder. The Queens Trust For Young Australians-Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Trust.
$8000

Publications

In Preparation
Fifer, J., Rinehart, N. J., Shepherd, D., Tonge, B. J., & Brereton, A. V. (In Preparation). Bimanual movement in young children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (in preparation).

Rinehart, N.J., Tonge, B.J., Bradshaw, J.L., Iansek, B.I., Enticott, P, Jimino, M., Brereton, A & McGinley, J. (in preparation). Kinematic gait function in newly diagnosed children with autism (3-5 years). Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry.

Rinehart, N. J., Bradshaw, J.L., Brereton, A. V., Tonge, B.J. (in preparation). Short Report: Attentional blink in high-functioning autism and Asperger's disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Under Review
Speirs, S., Rinehart, N. J., Yelland, G., & Tonge, B. J (Under Review). Masked Semantic Priming in children with autism and Asperger's disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Rinehart, N.J., Tonge, B.J., ., Bradshaw, J.L ,Iansek, B.I, Enticott, P., & McGinley, J. (Under Review). Kinematic gait function in children with high functioning autism and Asperger's disorder. Journal of Child Psychiatry & Psychology. (note referee reports in Appendix 1B).

Rinehart, N. J., Bradshaw, J.L., Moss, S. A., Brereton, A. V., Tonge, B.J. (Under Review). Inhibition- of-return in high-functioning autism and Asperger's disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Silk, T., Rinehart, N. J., Cunnington, R., Bradshaw, J. L., & Tonge, B. J. (Under Review). An fMRI Investigation of Mental Rotation in High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's Syndrome: A Comparison with Mathematically Gifted Adolescents. American Journal of Psychiatry.

In Press
Tonge, Brereton, Kiomall, Enticott, King, Mackinnon, and Rinehart (In Press). "The Early Years". A Parent-Based Early Intervention for Children with Autism. Academy of Child Psychiatry.

Silk, T., Vance, A., Rinehart, N., Egan, G., O'Boyle, M., Cunnington, R. (In Press). Decreased frontal-striatal-parietal activation in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, combined type (ADHD-CT): an fMRI study. British Journal of Psychiatry.

Nayate, A., Rinehart, N., Bradshaw, J. (In Press) Autism and Asperger's disorder: Are they movement disorders involving the cerebellum and/or basal ganglia? Brain Research Bulletin.

Rinehart, N. J., Tonge, B. J., Bradshaw, J.L., Iansek, R. I., Enticott, P. E., & Johnson, K. (In Press). Movement-Related-Potentials in Autism and Asperger's Disorder. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology. (see Editor Letter, Appendix 2).

Rinehart, N. J., Bellgrove, M. A., Tonge, B. J., Brereton, A. V. Howells-Rankins, Bradshaw, J. L. (In Press). An examination of movement kinematics in young people with high-functioning autism and Asperger's disorder: Further evidence for a motor planning deficit. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Rinehart, N. J., Bradshaw, J.L., Moss, S., Brereton, A. V., Tonge, B.J. (In Press) Random number generation in autism and Asperger's disorder: A neuropsychological measure of repetitive and stereotypical behaviour. Autism.

Published
Rinehart, N. J., Bradshaw, J.L., Brereton, A. V., Tonge, B.J. (2002). A clinical and neurobehavioural comparison of high-functioning autism and Asperger's disorder. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 36, 762-770.

Rinehart, N. J., Bradshaw, J.L., Tonge, B.J., Brereton, A. V., Bellgrove, M.A. (2002). A neurobehavioural examination of individuals with high-functioning autism and Asperger's disorder using a fronto-striatal model of dysfunction. Behavioural and Cognitive Neuroscience Reviews. 1(2), 164-177

Williams, M. A., Moss, S. A., Bradshaw, J. L., & Rinehart, N. J. (2002). Brief Report: Random Number Generation in Autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 32(1), 43-47.

(Italian Reprint of #15) Williams, M. A., Moss, S. A., Bradshaw, J. L., & Rinehart, N. J. (2004). Processi di generazione casuale di numeri nell'Austismo. The Italian Journal of Disabilities. 4(2). Pp. 53-61.

Rinehart, N. J., Bradshaw, J.L., Brereton, A. V., Tonge, B.J. (2002). Lateralization in individuals with high-functioning autism and Asperger's disorder: A frontostriatal model. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 32(1), 321-332.

Rinehart, N. J., Bradshaw, J.L., Brereton, A. V., Tonge, B.J. (2001). Movement preparation in high-functioning autism and Asperger's disorder: A serial choice-reaction time task involving motor reprogramming. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 31(1), 79-88.

Rinehart, N. J., Bradshaw, J.L., Moss, S., Brereton, A. V., Tonge, B.J. (2001). A deficit in shifting attention in high-functioning autism but not Asperger's disorder. Autism: Research & Practice, 5(1), 67-80.

Rinehart, N. J., Bradshaw, J.L., Moss, S., Brereton, A. V., Tonge, B.J. (2000). Atypical Interference of local detail on global processing in high functioning autism and Asperger's disorder. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 41(6), 796-778.

Rinehart, N. J. & McCabe, M. P. (1998). An empirical investigation of hypersexuality. Sexual and Marital Therapy, 13(4), 369-384.

Rinehart, N. J. & McCabe, M. P. (1997). Hypersexuality: Psychopathology or normal variant in sexuality ? Sexual and Marital Therapy, 12(1), 45-60.

Book Chapter/s
Tonge, B. J. & Rinehart, N. J. Autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity. Ed. Schapira et al. Neurology - Basic and Clinical Neuroscience. Elsevier; Philadelphia.