brain, clinical neuroscience, internventional psychiatry

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

This research aims to evaluate the efficacy of personalised transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) as a therapeutic approach for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).

Theme

Brain, Vision, Mental Processes and Health , Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Clinical Care

Student intake

Open for Honours, Masters, MPhil, PhD students

Status

Current

People

This project aims to investigate the effectiveness of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) therapy in alleviating symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Theme

Brain, Vision, Mental Processes and Health , Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Clinical Care

Student intake

Open for Honours, Masters, MPhil, PhD students

Status

Current

People

This research aims to explore various transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) methods to identify the most effective procedure for modulating brain activity to enhance memory and mood.

Theme

Brain, Vision, Mental Processes and Health , Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Clinical Care

Student intake

Open for Honours, Masters, MPhil, PhD students

Status

Current

People

The Registry has been designed to collect data over a long follow-up period to try to understand the outcomes of patients receiving multiple rounds of TMS and brain stimulation treatments.

Theme

Brain, Vision, Mental Processes and Health , Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Clinical Care

Student intake

Open for Honours, Masters, MPhil, PhD students

Status

Current

People

Members

Leader

Director, ANU School of Medicine and Psychology
Senior Staff Specialist, Canberra Health Services
(EA: Cheryl Morse E: ea.smp@anu.edu.au)

Business Manager

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Research Business Manager (P Fitzgerald Research Group)

Researcher

Neil Bailey

Senior Research Fellow (P Fitzgerald Research Group)

Associate Professor Bernadette Fitzgibbon

Honorary Associate Professor

Stephanie Gotsis

Postdoctoral Research Fellow (P Fitzgerald Research Group)

Dr Magelage (Prabhavi)  Perera

Postdoctoral Fellow (P Fitzgerald Research Group)

Research support officer

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Clinical Trials Coordinator (P Fitzgerald Research Group)

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Clinical Trial Coordinator (P Fitzgerald Research Group)

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Research Officer (P Fitzgerald Research Group fixed-term)

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Clinical Trials Coordinator (P Fitzgerald Research Group)

Student

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PhD (Medicine) Scholar

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PhD Scholar

Location

Canberra and Victoria

-35.229312, 149.1092097