Dr Shayma Faircloth BSc, BSc (Hons 1st), PhD
Email: shayma.faircloth@gmri.org.nz
Dr Faircloth joined the Gillies McIndoe Research Institute in 2025 as the Science Communications and Engagement Manager. She is a clinical scientist with experience in pharmacoepidemiology, pharmacovigilance and clinical trials.
Shayma is passionate about making science more accessible for everyone. Her key focusses include communicating research breakthroughs and engagement/outreach in the community.
She graduated with a Bachelor of Science, double majoring in Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Bachelor of Science (Honours, First Class) in Pharmacology and a Doctorate of Clinical Neuropharmacology from the University of Otago. Her experience also includes working for the New Zealand Ministry of Health, Medsafe and Pfizer.
Professional Links
ResearchGate
Selected Publications
Ali, S., Stanley, J., Davis, S., Keenan, N., Scheffer, I.E. and Sadleir, L.G., 2023. Indications and prescribing patterns of antiseizure medications in children in New Zealand. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 65(9), pp.1247-1255. https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.15546
Ali, S., Stanley, J., Davis, S., Keenan, N., Scheffer, I.E. and Sadleir, L.G., 2021. Epidemiology of treated epilepsy in New Zealand children: A focus on ethnicity. Neurology, 97(19), pp.e1933-e1941. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000012784
Scheffer, I.E., Hulihan, J., Messenheimer, J., Ali, S., Keenan, N., Griesser, J., Gutterman, D.L., Sebree, T. and Sadleir, L.G., 2021. Safety and tolerability of transdermal cannabidiol gel in children with developmental and epileptic encephalopathies: a nonrandomized controlled trial. JAMA network open, 4(9), pp.e2123930-e2123930. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.23930
Ali, S., Scheffer, I.E. and Sadleir, L.G., 2019. Efficacy of cannabinoids in paediatric epilepsy. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 61(1), pp.13-18. https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.14087