Neuroscience & Psychiatry

Neurosciences research seeks to understand how the nervous system develops and functions, in health and disease, allowing us to experience and actively participate in our world. This includes a cross-disciplinary approach integrating pure and applied disciplines to improve the lives of people with psychiatric and neurodegenerative conditions. These programs are supported by an array of methodologies and platform technologies from biostatistics and epidemiology, to genomics and proteomics.

Groups / Projects Research Lead Dept / Centre
Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age (AUPOA) Psychiatry
Accelerated Gene Identification Program (Gene Discovery) Professor David Amor Paediatrics
Acid-sensitivity in auditory neurons Senior Research Fellow Dr Karina Needham Surgery
Australian Centre for Cannabinoid Clinical and Research Excellence (ACRE): Quality and safety in the implementation of medicinal cannabis use in the community Professor Jane Gunn General Practice and Primary Care
Advanced Interventions for Mood Disorders Head of Department, Professor Christopher Davey
Psychiatry
Advanced Limb Reconstruction Head of Department of Surgery,
St. Vincent's Hospital,
Professor Peter Choong

Surgery
Ageing in Mind (AiM) Senior Research Fellow in Psychiatry of Old Age Terence Chong
Psychiatry
ARC Training Centre in Cognitive Computing for Medical Technologies Prof Mark Cook Medicine
ARCADIA: Nutraceutical and Lifestyle Medicine Mental Health Research Group Group Head and Honorary Principal Research Fellow Professor Jerome Sarris
Psychiatry
Austin Health Research Psychiatry
Autism Research Team Laboratory Head Professor Katrina Williams
Paediatrics
Biomedical Engineering for Cochlear Implants Senior Research Fellow Dr Carrie Newbold
Surgery
Andre Peterson Group Leader Dr Andre Peterson
Medicine
Can We Fix Dementia with Deep Brain Stimulation? Group leader Dr Chris French
Medicine
Carers of People Living with Psychosis Professor Carol Harvey
Psychiatry
Cellular Reprogramming Group Senior Research Fellow Dr Raymond Wong
Surgery
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers in patients with vasospasm secondary to subarachnoid haemorrhage Dr Alexios Adamides Surgery
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Director, Mindful A/Professor Alessandra (Sandra) Radovini
Psychiatry
Chromosome disorders Professor David Amor Paediatrics
Wendyl D'Souza Research Group Leader Assoc. Prof Wendyl D'Souza
Medicine
Clinical Neuropsychiatry Professor Dennis Velakoulis Psychiatry
Mark Cook Group Leader Professor Mark Cook
Medicine
Clinical Trials Research Centre, Centre for Eye Research Australia Head, Clinical Trials Research Centre Associate Professor Lyndell Lim
Surgery
Cognitive Health Project Leader Professor Cassandra Szoeke Medicine
Cognitive Interventions Technologies and Evaluation Dr Amit Lampit
Psychiatry
Cytoprotection Pharmacology Research Professor Greg Dusting
Surgery
Dating Violence, help-seeking and Technology in Australia General Practice and Primary Care
Depression and Anxiety Neuroscience Professor Ben Harrison Psychiatry
Depression and Anxiety Neuroscience Professor of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience Ben Harrison
Psychiatry
Developing methods for measuring magnetic susceptibility in the brain Associate Professor Leigh Johnston Medicine
Developing New Mathematical Methods to Understand Patient-specific Epileptic Networks PhD Candidate Isabelle Harris Medicine
Development of a Minimally Invasive Chronic Neural Interface Group Leaders A/Prof Nicholas Opie and A/Prof Thomas Oxley Medicine
Development of new radio frequency pulses to improve 7T MRI Professor Roger Ordidge Medicine
Development of Scaffolds for Restoration of Myotendous Junctions Project Lead Associate Professor Robert Kapsa Medicine
Diagnosis, Management and Outcomes of Depression in the Primary Care Setting (The Diamond 10-year Cohort Study) Project Leader Professor Jane Gunn General Practice and Primary Care
Discovering differences and similarities between phenotype and biology of twins with autism and children with known genetic problems with a high risk of autism Project Leader Dr Felicity Klopper Paediatrics
Discovery of circulating RNA biomarkers in autism Project Leader Dr Ken Pang Paediatrics
Doctors in Secondary Schools Head of Department Prof Lena Sanci General Practice and Primary Care
Effects of Drugs on Cognition-Related Brain Wave Signals in the Rat Project Lead Dr Chris French Medicine
Electrophysiological Properties of Human Brain Neuronal Tissue Project Lead Dr Chris French Medicine
Emerging Infectious Diseases and Travel Medicine Research Group Leader Dr Irani Thevarajan
Infectious Diseases
Employment and Vocational Occupation Director, Psychosocial Research Centre Professor Carol Harvey
Psychiatry
The Psychosocial Health and Wellbeing Research (emPoWeR) Unit Research Group Leader A/Prof Michelle Peate
Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Newborn Health
EXTEND-IA TNK Group Leader Associate Professor Bruce Campbell Medicine
Fragile X syndrome Professor David Amor Paediatrics
Functional Neurological Disorders Chair of Psychiatry, Austin Health Professor Richard Kanaan
Psychiatry
Gender differences in autism Project Leader Dr Tamara May Paediatrics
Glaucoma Research Laboratory Head Glaucoma Research Laboratory Jonathan Crowston
Surgery
Health outcomes in children conceived using Assisted Reproduction Technologies Professor David Amor Paediatrics
Healthy Ageing Program Professor Cassandra Szoeke
Medicine
Hearing Neurosciences Senior Research Fellow Dr Karina Needham
Surgery
Hearing Regeneration and Protection William Gibson Chair of Otolaryngology Professor Stephen O'Leary
Honorary Appointments’ Research Projects Surgery
How do Anti-Epileptic Drugs Work? Project Lead Dr Chris French Medicine
I-DECIDE: Trial of an online healthy relationship tool and safety decision aid for women experiencing domestic violence Project Leader A/Professor Laura Tarzia General Practice and Primary Care
Imaging Project Leader Monique Stagnitti Medicine
Improving delivery of RNA therapeutics Project Leader Dr Ken Pang Paediatrics
Improving mental health for young people in out-of-home care: Providing participatory evidence-based mental health care across services Director, Psychosocial Research Centre Professor Carol Harvey
Psychiatry
In vitro brain tumour model – studying epileptic seizure development and sensitivity to anti-cancer therapy Project Lead Dr Chris French Medicine
Incidence, prevalence and risk factors for autism. What can we learn from databases and existing administrative data? Project Leader Dr Tamara May Paediatrics
INDIGO Study: physical activity and goal-setting intervention for sedentary older adults at risk of cognitive decline Principal Researcher Professor Nicola Lautenschlager (Melbourne Site)
Psychiatry
Integrative Neurophysiology Associate Professor Tony Verberne
Medicine
Irani Thevarajan Principal Fellow Irani Thevarajan
Infectious Diseases
Joint hypermobility in functional neurological disorders Professor Richard Kanaan Psychiatry
Lifestyle and Prevention Project Leader Dr Edward Hill Medicine
Link-me: A randomised controlled trial of a systematic model of stepped mental health care in general practice Link-me Trial Lead Investigator Professor Jane Gunn General Practice and Primary Care
Massively Parallel Optical Imaging of Cognition Events in Neuronal Networks in Freely Behaving Mice Group leader Dr Chris French
Medicine
Melbourne Clinic Research Psychiatry
Melbourne Genomics Health Alliance Congenital Deafness Flagship Professor David Amor Paediatrics
Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre Research Psychiatry
Mental and Cognitive Health in Ageing Professor Nicola Lautenschlager
Psychiatry
Mental Health Project Leader Professor Lorraine Dennerstein Medicine
Mindful Psychiatry
Mindfulness, cognitive processes and coping in chronic illness: insights from a study of joint replacement surgery Professor Peter Choong Surgery
Mitochondria and Neurodegeneration Group Associate Professor Ian A Trounce Surgery
Modelling Epilepsy and Epilepsy Drug Effects–Computational Neuroscience Project Project Lead Dr Chris French Medicine
Mood-Psychosis Spectrum Group Dr Tamsyn Van Rheenen
Psychiatry
Motor Control and Rehabilitation Group Leader Professor Mary Galea AM
Medicine
Multimorbidity in Ageing Project Leader Dr Kate Gregorevic Medicine
Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Genetics of Neurodisability Research Group Leader Professor David Amor
Paediatrics
Musculoskeletal and Bone Health Project Leader Dr Raquel Pedrero-Chamizo Medicine
Neural Dynamics Laboratory Group Leader Dr Chris French
Medicine
Neurodevelopmental Genomics Research Laboratory Head Professor John Christodoulou
Professor John Christodoulou
Paediatrics
Neuropsychiatry of Neurodegenerative Disorders Dr Samantha Loi
Psychiatry
Neuropsychiatry Professor Richard Kanaan
Psychiatry
Neuroregeneration Professor Alice Pébay
Surgery
Neurotrophins - how do they influence neural firing and ion channels? Senior Research Fellow Dr Karina Needham Surgery
Priya Sumithran Dr Priya Sumithran
Medicine
Ocular Biomarkers, Bioenergetics and Angiogenesis Research Group Head of Laboratory Dr Peter van Wijngaarden
Surgery
Ocular Genetics Head, Ocular Genetics Professor Paul N Baird
Surgery
Ophthalmic Epidemiology Group Professor of Ophthalmic Epidemiology Professor Mingguang He
Surgery
Perturbation-based Biomarkers for Tracking Brain Dynamics PhD Candidate Wei Qin
Postoperative Quality of Recovery Co-director Colin Royse
Surgery
Predicting the onset of dementia using Positron Emission Tomography Rob Williams Medicine
Prevention and Recovery Care Director of the Centre for Mental Health Professor Jane Pirkis
Psychiatry
Primary Care Mental Health Research Program Leader Prof Victoria Palmer
General Practice and Primary Care
PROSPER: PRevalence Of unwanted Sexual contact: Pursuing Early Recognition Project Leader A/Prof Laura Tarzia General Practice and Primary Care
Psychosis & Developmental Neuropsychiatry Professor Christos Pantelis Psychiatry
Psychosocial Research Group Head of Group Professor Carol Harvey
Psychiatry
Quality of Life Project Leader Dr Katherine Campbell Medicine
RAndomised trial to imProve the quality of lIfe of people with Dementia (RAPID) Principal Researcher rofessor Nicola Lautenschlager (Melbourne Site)
Psychiatry
Rett Syndrome and related genes Project Leader Dr Nicole van Bergen Paediatrics
Risk identification and Risk Assessment Framework Professor Kelsey Hegarty General Practice and Primary Care
Saving Brain and Changing Practice in Stroke Project Lead Professor Stephen Davis Medicine
Self-help for Depression and Diabetes-related Distress in People With Type 2 Diabetes (SpringboarD) Project Leader (University of Melbourne) Professor Jane Gunn General Practice and Primary Care
Social Affective Neurodevelopment (SAND) Associate Professor Sarah Whittle Psychiatry
Social and Affective Neurodevelopment (SAND) Associate Professor Sarah Whittle
Psychiatry
Sodium Channels in Epilepsy Group leader Dr Chris French
Medicine
Stroke Imaging and Treatment Group Leader Professor Bruce Campbell
Medicine
Stroke Research Group Group Leader Professor Stephen Davis
Medicine
Survey of High Impact Psychosis (SHIP) Director, Psychosocial Research Centre Professor Carol Harvey
Psychiatry
Systems Neuropsychiatry Associate Professor Andrew Zalesky Psychiatry
Systems Neuropsychiatry Associate Professor Andrew Zalesky
Psychiatry
The CORE Study Principal Investigator Prof Victoria Palmer General Practice and Primary Care
The Neuropsychiatry of Androgen Deprivation Chair of Psychiatrry Austin Health Professor Richard Kanaan
Psychiatry
The Stand Up & Go Study: Physical activity and sitting time reduction program for older community members Principal Researcher Professor Nicola Lautenschlager (Melbourne Site)
Psychiatry
The Target-D Trial Project Leader Professor Jane Gunn General Practice and Primary Care
The Vascular Bionics Laboratory Heads of Laboratory Associate Professor Nicholas Opie and Associate Professor Thomas Oxley
Medicine
Therapeutic Innovations in Affective Disorders Healthscope Chair of Psychiatry Professor Chee Ng
Psychiatry
Therapeutic Innovations in Mood and Anxiety Disorders Healthscope Chair of Psychiatry Professor Chee Ng
Psychiatry
Trans Health Research Dr Ada Cheung
Medicine
Translational Neurobiology (Psychosis Studies) Dr Vanessa Cropley
Psychiatry
Traumatic Stress Professor Meaghan O'Donnell
Psychiatry
UDP - Victoria Project Leader Professor John Christodoulou Paediatrics
Understanding the outcomes, including their language, participation and quality of life, of children with autism Project Leader Prof Katrina Williams Paediatrics
Undestanding trajectories and biological underpinnings of children with autism who lose skills Project Leader Veronica Rose Paediatrics
Using systematic reviews to understand prognosis, diagnosis and effective interventions for children with neurodevelopmental difference and disability Project Leader Dr Kristine Egberts Paediatrics
Vascular Health Project Leader Professor Philippe Lehert Medicine
WITH: Women’s Input to a Trauma-informed systems model of care in Health settings Primary Investigator Professor Kelsey Hegarty General Practice and Primary Care

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