GUT MICROBIOME AND GASTROINTESTINAL DYSFUNCTION IN PEOPLE WITH AUTISM
Vic Lin, Final Year PhD Candidate,
Gut-Brain Axis Laboratory, RMIT University
Melbourne, Australia
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed in Melbourne, Australia | September 2026
Vic Lin is a final-year PhD student in the Gut-Brain Axis Laboratory at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. His research focuses on understanding the gastrointestinal dysfunction commonly experienced by people with autism and exploring the connection between the gut microbiome and gastrointestinal function.
Vic completed his bachelor’s degree with honours at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health before starting his PhD at RMIT University.
His PhD investigates how metabolites produced by the gut microbiome may influence gastrointestinal physiology in autism. Using a mouse model of autism, Vic examines key aspects of gut function, including intestinal permeability and gut motility, and investigates whether these changes can be improved using a treatment designed to target potentially harmful microbial metabolites.
His research has been presented at conferences across Australia, including the Australasian Neurogastroenterology and Motility Association and the Australasian Society for Autonomic Neuroscience in 2025.
Through his work, Vic aims to further the understanding of the gut-microbiome connection in autism and contribute to the development of novel therapeutic strategies for gastrointestinal dysfunction to improve outcomes for people with autism.
Source: Supplied
https://orcid.org/0009-0008-1263-7339
-
Enhancing occupational therapy service provision with military veterans
Prof McKinstry was instrumental in the development of the occupational therapy course at the La Trobe University’s Bendigo campus and also the establishment of the Rural Health School.
Prof McKinstry’s research focus is on health workforce, particularly developing a sustainable rural health workforce through recruitment of rural students for health courses, innovative and flexible delivery of health courses, telehealth and emerging areas of practice for occupational therapists.
-
Professor Matthew Kiernan
BRAIN AND MIND CENTRE
@ UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES AUSTRALIA -
Lymphoma, Myeloma and Genomics
Professor Dipti Talaulikar is a clinical and laboratory haematologist with expertise in genomics, working at Canberra Health Services, and Professor at ANU. She has a clinical and research interest in lymphoma, myeloma and genomics, and has authored close to 100 peer reviewed papers, including several clinical guidelines that have had a significant impact on clinical practice.
