Dr Drew Neavin
Senior Research Fellow & Group Leader
Institute for Molecular Bioscience
Researcher biography
Dr Drew Neavin is an NHMRC Early Leadership Fellow and the Group Leader of the Context-dependent Genetics Lab at the University of Queensland Institute for Molecular Bioscience.
Drew integrates statistical genetics with stem cell platforms and single-cell technologies to expand our understanding of genetic regulation across different contexts. She helped establish "village-in-a-dish" stem cell systems that enable high-throughput stem cell culture while reducing technical variability by co-culturing induced pluripotent stem cell lines from hundreds of individuals in a single cell culture dish. She applies this system along with other experimental models to study genetic regulation. She works across multiple disease systems with focuses in neuopsychiatric and cardiac, with a special focus on genetic modulation of drug response. She is keen to build large-scale resources that enable population genetics interrogation that consider diversity across multiple different axes.
Journal Articles
Atkeson, Trevor, Wilson, Sean B., Ruiz-Morales, Elias R., Little, Melissa H., Vento-Tormo, Roser, Neavin, Drew and Powell, Joseph E. (2025). A novel paradigm for single-cell annotation in stem cell research. Stem Cell Reports, 20 (12) 102707, 1-20. doi: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2025.102707
Korshevniuk, Maryna, Westra, Harm-Jan, Oelen, Roy, van der Wijst, Monique G. P., Franke, Lude, Bonder, Marc Jan, Bonder, Marc Jan, Powell, Joseph E., Melé, Marta, Mahfouz, Ahmed, Hemberg, Martin, Ye, Jimmie, Yazar, Seyhan, Trynka, Gosia, Shin, Jay W., Shahin, Tala, Rajagopalan, Deepa, Park, Woong-Yang, Stegle, Oliver, Okada, Yukinori, Nawijn, Martijn C., Moody, Jonathan, Manikanda, Vinu, Idaghdour, Youssef, Hon, Chung-Chau, van der Harst, Pim, Groot, Hilde E., Gordon, M. Grace, Dieng, Mame M. ... Alquicira-Hernández, José (sc-eQTLGen Consortium group member) (2025). Optimized summary-statistic-based single-cell eQTL meta-analysis. Scientific Reports, 15 (1) 28407, 1. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-08808-3
Chin, Venessa T., Muskovic, Walter, McCloy, Rachael A., Neavin, Drew R., Alquicira-Hernandez, Jose, Arora, Himanshi, Senabouth, Anne, Sudhakar, Kavitha Krishna, Keith, Patricia, Spenceley, Eleanor, Kaczorowski, Dominik, Floros, Peter, Leavers, Brett, Crawford, Julia A., Gallagher, Richard and Powell, Joseph E. (2025). Protein translation dysregulation and immune cell evasion mediated by IFN and immunoproteasome downregulation define metastatic clones in HPV-related cancer of the oropharynx. BMC Medicine, 23 (1) 559, 1-20. doi: 10.1186/s12916-025-04392-5
Wang, Qian, Wang, Minghui, Choi, Insup, Sarrafha, Lily, Liang, Marianna, Ho, Lap, Farrell, Kurt, Beaumont, Kristin G., Sebra, Robert, De Sanctis, Claudia, Crary, John F., Ahfeldt, Tim, Blanchard, Joel, Neavin, Drew, Powell, Joseph, Davis, David A., Sun, Xiaoyan, Zhang, Bin and Yue, Zhenyu (2024). Molecular profiling of human substantia nigra identifies diverse neuron types associated with vulnerability in Parkinson’s disease. Science Advances, 10 (2) eadi8287, 1-18. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adi8287
Neavin, Drew R., Steinmann, Angela M., Farbehi, Nona, Chiu, Han Sheng, Daniszewski, Maciej S., Arora, Himanshi, Bermudez, Yasmin, Moutinho, Cátia, Chan, Chia-Ling, Bax, Monique, Tyebally, Mubarika, Gnanasambandapillai, Vikkitharan, Lam, Chuan E., Nguyen, Uyen, Hernández, Damián, Lidgerwood, Grace E., Graham, Robert M., Hewitt, Alex W., Pébay, Alice, Palpant, Nathan J. and Powell, Joseph E. (2023). A village in a dish model system for population-scale hiPSC studies. Nature Communications, 14 (1) 3240, 1-12. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-38704-1
Senabouth, Anne, Daniszewski, Maciej, Lidgerwood, Grace E., Liang, Helena H., Hernández, Damián, Mirzaei, Mehdi, Keenan, Stacey N., Zhang, Ran, Han, Xikun, Neavin, Drew, Rooney, Louise, Lopez Sanchez, Maria Isabel G., Gulluyan, Lerna, Paulo, Joao A., Clarke, Linda, Kearns, Lisa S., Gnanasambandapillai, Vikkitharan, Chan, Chia-Ling, Nguyen, Uyen, Steinmann, Angela M., McCloy, Rachael A., Farbehi, Nona, Gupta, Vivek K., Mackey, David A., Bylsma, Guy, Verma, Nitin, MacGregor, Stuart, Watt, Matthew J., Guymer, Robyn H. ... Pébay, Alice (2022). Transcriptomic and proteomic retinal pigment epithelium signatures of age-related macular degeneration. Nature Communications, 13 (1) 4233, 4233-1. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-31707-4
Liu, Duan, Zhuang, Yongxian, Zhang, Lingxin, Gao, Huanyao, Neavin, Drew, Carrillo-Roa, Tania, Wang, Yani, Yu, Jia, Qin, Sisi, Kim, Daniel C., Liu, Erica, Nguyen, Thanh Thanh Le, Biernacka, Joanna M., Kaddurah-Daouk, Rima, Dunlop, Boadie W., Craighead, W. Edward, Mayberg, Helen S., Binder, Elisabeth B., Frye, Mark A., Wang, Liewei and Weinshilboum, Richard M. (2021). ERICH3: vesicular association and antidepressant treatment response. Molecular Psychiatry, 26 (6), 2415-2428. doi: 10.1038/s41380-020-00940-y
Neavin, Drew, Nguyen, Quan, Daniszewski, Maciej S., Liang, Helena H., Chiu, Han Sheng, Wee, Yong Kiat, Senabouth, Anne, Lukowski, Samuel W., Crombie, Duncan E., Lidgerwood, Grace E., Hernández, Damián, Vickers, James C., Cook, Anthony L., Palpant, Nathan J., Pébay, Alice, Hewitt, Alex W. and Powell, Joseph E. (2021). Single cell eQTL analysis identifies cell type-specific genetic control of gene expression in fibroblasts and reprogrammed induced pluripotent stem cells. Genome Biology, 22 (1) 76, 1-19. doi: 10.1186/s13059-021-02293-3
MahmoudianDehkordi, Siamak, Ahmed, Ahmed T., Bhattacharyya, Sudeepa, Han, Xianlin, Baillie, Rebecca A., Arnold, Matthias, Skime, Michelle K., John-Williams, Lisa St., Moseley, M. Arthur, Thompson, J. Will, Louie, Gregory, Riva-Posse, Patricio, Craighead, W. Edward, McDonald, William, Krishnan, Ranga, Rush, A. John, Frye, Mark A., Dunlop, Boadie W., Weinshilboum, Richard M., Kaddurah-Daouk, Rima, Kaddurah-Daouk, Rima, Rush, John, Tenenbaum, Jessica, Moseley, Arthur, Thompson, Will, Louie, Gregory, Blach, Colette, Mahmoudiandehkhordi, Siamak, Baillie, Rebecca ... Krishnan, Ranga (2021). Alterations in acylcarnitines, amines, and lipids inform about the mechanism of action of citalopram/escitalopram in major depression. Translational Psychiatry, 11 (1) 153, 1-14. doi: 10.1038/s41398-020-01097-6
Athreya, Arjun P., Brückl, Tanja, Binder, Elisabeth B., John Rush, A., Biernacka, Joanna, Frye, Mark A., Neavin, Drew, Skime, Michelle, Monrad, Ditlev, Iyer, Ravishankar K., Mayes, Taryn, Trivedi, Madhukar, Carter, Rickey E., Wang, Liewei, Weinshilboum, Richard M., Croarkin, Paul E. and Bobo, William V. (2021). Prediction of short-term antidepressant response using probabilistic graphical models with replication across multiple drugs and treatment settings. Neuropsychopharmacology, 46 (7), 1272-1282. doi: 10.1038/s41386-020-00943-x
Qin, Sisi, Eugene, Andy R., Liu, Duan, Zhang, Lingxin, Neavin, Drew, Biernacka, Joanna M., Yu, Jia, Weinshilboum, Richard M. and Wang, Liewei (2020). Dual Roles for the TSPYL Family in Mediating Serotonin Transport and the Metabolism of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 107 (3), 662-670. doi: 10.1002/cpt.1692
Ahmed, Ahmed T., MahmoudianDehkordi, Siamak, Bhattacharyya, Sudeepa, Arnold, Matthias, Liu, Duan, Neavin, Drew, Moseley, M. Arthur, Thompson, J. Will, Williams, Lisa St John, Louie, Gregory, Skime, Michelle K., Wang, Liewei, Riva-Posse, Patricio, McDonald, William M., Bobo, William V., Craighead, W. Edward, Krishnan, Ranga, Weinshilboum, Richard M., Dunlop, Boadie W., Millington, David S., Rush, A. John, Frye, Mark A. and Kaddurah-Daouk, Rima (2020). Acylcarnitine metabolomic profiles inform clinically-defined major depressive phenotypes. Journal of Affective Disorders, 264, 90-97. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.11.122
Athreya, Arjun P., Neavin, Drew, Carrillo-Roa, Tania, Skime, Michelle, Biernacka, Joanna, Frye, Mark A., Rush, A. John, Wang, Liewei, Binder, Elisabeth B., Iyer, Ravishankar K., Weinshilboum, Richard M. and Bobo, William V. (2019). Pharmacogenomics-driven prediction of antidepressant treatment outcomes: a machine-learning approach with multi-trial replication. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 106 (4), 855-865. doi: 10.1002/cpt.1482
Bhattacharyya, Sudeepa, Ahmed, Ahmed T., Arnold, Matthias, Liu, Duan, Luo, Chunqiao, Zhu, Hongjie, Mahmoudiandehkordi, Siamak, Neavin, Drew, Louie, Gregory, Dunlop, Boadie W., Frye, Mark A., Wang, Liewei, Weinshilboum, Richard M., Krishnan, Ranga R., Rush, A. John and Kaddurah-Daouk, Rima (2019). Metabolomic signature of exposure and response to citalopram/escitalopram in depressed outpatients. Translational Psychiatry, 9 (1) 173, 1-14. doi: 10.1038/s41398-019-0507-5
Liu, Duan, Ray, Balmiki, Neavin, Drew R., Zhang, Jiabin, Athreya, Arjun P., Biernacka, Joanna M., Bobo, William V., Hall-Flavin, Daniel K., Skime, Michelle K., Zhu, Hongjie, Jenkins, Gregory D., Batzler, Anthony, Kalari, Krishna R., Boakye-Agyeman, Felix, Matson, Wayne R., Bhasin, Swati S., Mushiroda, Taisei, Nakamura, Yusuke, Kubo, Michiaki, Iyer, Ravishankar K., Wang, Liewei, Frye, Mark A., Kaddurah-Daouk, Rima and Weinshilboum, Richard M. (2018). Beta-defensin 1, aryl hydrocarbon receptor and plasma kynurenine in major depressive disorder: Metabolomics-informed genomics. Translational Psychiatry, 8 (1) 56, 8. doi: 10.1038/s41398-017-0056-8
Conference Paper
Lim, J.W.Y., Keith, P., McCloy, R., Neavin, D., Spenceley, E., Xu, A., Krishna Sudhakar, K., Bowen, B., Suan, D., Mehta, A., Joshua, A.M., Chin, V. and Powell, J. (2025). A polygenic risk score to predict immunotherapy toxicity: A pilot single-cell RNA sequencing study. ESMO Congress 2025, Berlin, Germany, 17-21 October 2025. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.annonc.2025.08.640