Tina Hinton

Tina Hinton, holding a BSc (Hons 1 Medal) in 1997, PhD in Medicine in 2003, and Graduate Diploma in Science (Psychology) with Merit in 2004 from the University of Sydney, serves as an Associate Professor of Pharmacology in the Sydney Pharmacy School within the Faculty of Medicine and Health. She has been with the University of Sydney since February 2003, advancing from earlier roles including Senior Lecturer to her current position since 2017. Hinton delivers pharmacology instruction to students across diverse programs such as Bachelor of Pharmacy, Medical Science, Bachelor of Science (Medical Science), Science, Nursing, Dentistry, and Medicine. She coordinates study programs, possesses extensive expertise in curriculum creation and renewal, and actively participates in leadership and governance for biomedical sciences learning and teaching.

Her scholarly pursuits encompass neuropharmacology and pharmacology education. In neuropharmacology, Hinton examines the role of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in stress, anxiety, cognition, and stress-related illnesses, alongside the impacts of plant-sourced substances, including flavonoids and GABA-fortified oolong tea, on GABA receptor function to modulate stress and endocrine responses. Further investigations cover antipsychotic drug influences on GABA receptor expression and smoking effects on nicotinic acetylcholine receptor expression in the placenta. In pharmacology education, her contributions include developing concept inventories, assessing student grasp of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic principles, curating multiple-choice question databases, and analyzing learning spaces' effects on engagement. Notable publications feature 'Development and Validation of Pharmacology Concept Inventory for Concept‐Based Learning: Leveraging Theory, Expert Insights, and Student Perspectives' (2026), 'Evaluating student understanding of pharmacodynamics core concepts' (2025), 'Causes and outcomes of at-risk underperforming pharmacy students: implications for policy and practice' (2024), 'Defining and unpacking the core concepts of pharmacology: A global initiative' (2023), and book chapters 'Flavonoid Actions on Receptors for the Inhibitory Neurotransmitter GABA' and 'Antagonists of Ionotropic Receptors for the Inhibitory Neurotransmitter GABA: Therapeutic Indications.' With over 1,172 citations, her work profoundly shapes global pharmacology pedagogy. She belongs to the Australian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists and the Biomedical Education Australia Network.

Professional Email: tina.hinton@sydney.edu.au