UQ researcher faces trial on fraud charges

A former University of Queensland researcher has pleaded not guilty to fraud-related charges after allegedly falsifying Parkinson's disease research to obtain funding grants.

Dr Caroline Barwood pleaded not guilty to three counts of fraud and four counts of attempted fraud at the start of her trial in Brisbane District Court on Monday.

Crown prosecutor Caroline Marco told the jury that Barwood obtained or tried to obtain about $700,000 from different organisations between 2011 and 2013 in relation to a study into Parkinson's disease that never took place.

Ms Marco told the jury that Barwood, who was a researcher and academic at the University of Queensland, was involved in an intimate relationship with Professor Bruce Murdoch and relied on a study he claimed to have conducted but was never, in fact, carried out.

Ms Marco claimed Barwood had admitted during an investigation that "she took no part in the study, had not even met a single patient" and had not seen the data from the supposed, study, contrary to the "assertions" in applications.

It's also alleged Barwood copied the papers of another academic which she then passed off as her own to apply for grants, fellowship and travel funding.

The court heard Barwood allegedly tried to twice obtain almost $300,000 from the National Health and Medical Research Council by applying for an early career fellowship.

Neither application succeeded.

The trial continues.