Le ary . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁she ▁established ▁her ▁own ▁labor atory ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Maryland ▁medical ▁school . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁she ▁returned ▁to ▁Australia , ▁taking ▁up ▁a ▁position ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Queensland , ▁where ▁she ▁was ▁appointed ▁Associ ate ▁Professor ▁in ▁the ▁Q BI , ▁and ▁the ▁School ▁of ▁Bi omed ical ▁Sciences . ▁She ▁was ▁subsequently ▁promoted ▁to ▁Professor ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁ ▁Professor ▁Richard son ▁is ▁currently ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁Cort ical ▁Development ▁and ▁Ax on ▁Gu id ance ▁Labor atory ▁at ▁the ▁Q BI . ▁The ▁labor atory ▁research es ▁the ▁cell ular ▁and ▁mole cular ▁mechan isms ▁which ▁reg ulate ▁the ▁formation ▁and ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁cor pus ▁call os um . ▁The ▁research ▁focus ▁of ▁her ▁labor atory ▁to ▁study ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁cort ical ▁mid line ▁in ▁animal ▁models ▁and ▁in ▁human ▁t issue . ▁ ▁In ▁particular , ▁she ▁is ▁involved ▁in ▁research ing ▁a ▁phenomen on ▁where ▁the ▁cor pus ▁coll os um ▁is ▁absent ▁( agen esis ) ▁or ▁dis formed ▁( d ys gen esis ) ▁in ▁the ▁developing ▁brain . ▁This ▁condition ▁affect s ▁ 1 ▁in ▁ 4 0 0 0 ▁people , ▁and ▁is ▁associated ▁with ▁ 5 0 ▁different ▁human ▁con gen ital ▁dis orders . ▁ ▁L inda ▁Rich ards ▁also ▁acts ▁as ▁scientific ▁ad visor ▁for ▁the ▁Australian ▁dis orders ▁of ▁the ▁Cor pus ▁Col los um . ▁ ▁Awards