Interventional Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience
The Interventional Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience research group focuses on developing innovative therapies for mental health conditions.
About
Our research focuses on developing innovative therapies for mental health conditions, particularly treatment-resistant depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We conduct clinical trials and investigative studies exploring and developing various treatment approaches, including device-based therapies like Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS), as well as novel pharmacotherapies such as psychedelic-assisted therapy (psilocybin, MDMA). We also conduct neuroscience research (Electroencephalography [EEG]; Magnetic Resonance Imaging [MRI]) to better understand brain function in mental health conditions, aiming to inform and enhance treatment applications.
Together, our approach combines cutting-edge clinical trials with fundamental research, embedded within a strong translational focus. To do so, we hold established partnerships with clinical services throughout Australia, facilitating the implementation of our research findings in real-world settings. We have also developed training programs to educate healthcare professionals on these new treatment approaches, ensuring that the latest advancements in mental health care can be effectively and safely applied. This approach ensures that our research can rapidly transition from research trials to clinical implementation, potentially benefiting more people who have not responded to traditional treatments, and sooner.
Publications
Fitzgerald PB et al. (2019) A pragmatic randomized controlled trial exploring the relationship between pulse number and response to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment in depression. Brain stimulation 13,145-152
Perera MP, Fitzgerald PB. (2023) Home-Based Individualized Alpha Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation Improves Symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Preliminary Evidence from a Randomized, Sham-Controlled Clinical Trial. Depression and Anxiety, 2023, 2023, 9958884
Bailey NW, Fulcher BD, Caldwell B, Hill AT, Fitzgibbon B, van Dijk H, Fitzgerald PB (2023). Uncovering a stability signature of brain dynamics associated with meditation experience using massive time-series feature extraction. Neural Networks.
Bailey NW, Biabani M, Hill AT, Miljevic A, Rogasch NC, McQueen B, Murphy OW, Fitzgerald PB (2023). Introducing RELAX: An automated pre-processing pipeline for cleaning EEG data - Part 1: Algorithm and Application to Oscillations. Clinical Neurophysiology.
Freitas RR, Gotsis ES, Gallo AT, Fitzgibbon BM, Bailey NW, Fitzgerald PB. The safety of psilocybin-assisted therapy: A systematic review. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. In press.
Projects
Members
Leader
Business Manager
Research Business Manager (P Fitzgerald Research Group Mon-Wed)
Eccles Institute, JCSMR (Thurs, Fri)
Researcher
Research support officer
Clinical Trials Coordinator (P Fitzgerald Research Group)
Research Officer (P Fitzgerald Research Group)
Research Officer (P Fitzgerald Research Group)
Research Officer (P Fitzgerald Research Group fixed-term)
Clinical Trials Coordinator (P Fitzgerald Research Group)
Student
PhD (Medicine) Scholar
PhD Scholar
External members
- Nigel Denning
- Traill Dowie
- Llewellyn Lewis
- Beth Mah
- Suneel Chamoli
- Monica Schweickle
- Michael Lau
- Jonathan Krygier
- Nicky Miller
- Nikki O'Dwyer
- James Smith
- Natalia Gutierrez
- Diarmuid O'Sullivan
- Michael Jenson
- Kirsten Gainsford, Research Support Officer
- Molly Waldron, Research Support Officer
- Ben McCarney, Student
Location
Canberra and Victoria