Brain, Vision, Mental Processes and Health

We advance our understanding of how brain, vision and mind systems work in health and disease, and how this information can be used to improve human capability and wellbeing, and develop better therapeutics and treatments for neurological, eye and mental health conditions.

About

This theme aims to advance our understanding of how the brain and visual system processes information and how this information can be used to develop better therapeutics and treatments.

Researchers in this theme will investigate various aspects of visual perception, cognitive processing, emotion recognition, and decision making. They will use a range of techniques, including neuroimaging, electrophysiology, molecular biology and psychophysics, to study the neural mechanisms underlying visual system and cognition. This theme will use a transdisciplinary approach that will bring together researchers from psychology, neuroscience, retinal biology, clinical sciences and computer science to shed light on fundamental questions about how the brain processes information and how this information can be used to guide, improve or enhance behavior in the real world.

Theme Leaders: Bernadette Fitzgibbon & Riccardo Natoli (interim)

Groups

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.

View the group

Projects

ASSESS: A study of the psychological, cognitive and physiological effects of Psychedelic Medicines

The primary objective of this project is to investigate psychological, cognitive and physiological changes associated with a single session of psychedelic drug exposure with psilocybin or 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in a group setting.

People

Dr Ted Cassidy
Kirsten Gainsford

FREED: Frequency and E-Field Enhancement of iTBS for Depression

FREED aims to improve the treatment of treatment-resistant depression (TRD) through a novel, personalised approach.

People

Dr Angel Peterchev
Dr Gregory Applebaum
Dr Corey Weissman
Dr Xin Tu
Dr Itay Hadas

Improving Human Empathy

This research looks at perspective-taking, particularly in the areas of empathy, compassion and alturism.

Student intake

Open for Honours, Masters, PhD students

People

Investigating cognitive predictors of crash risk in provisional drivers

This research wll investigate multiple potential cognitive predictors of crash risk in provisional drivers leading to novel training programs to improve road safety .

Student intake

Open for Honours, Masters, PhD students

People

Professor Mark Horswill, University of Queensland, Co-investigator
Associate Professor Andrew Hill, University of Queensland, Co-investigator

Investigating physiological, behavioural, perceptual and cognitive responses to heat exposure and/or physical activity

This team is undertaking various projects aiming to identify how exposure to enivronmental stress, including extreme heat exposure, can effect health and modify physiological, behavioural, perceptual and cognitive function.

Student intake

Open for Honours, MPhil, PhD students

People

Dr Ulrike Schumann, ANU John Curtin School of Medical Research
Dr Michael Tong, ANU National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health
Professor Ben Rattray, University of Canberra, Active Brain
Dr Kristy Martin, University of Canberra, Active Brain
Professor Ollie Jay, University of Sydney, Heat and Health Research Incubator
Dr Nicholas Ravanelli, National Singapore University

OPT-PAP: Developing Optimal Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

The purpose of this study is to explore the potential for psychedelic therapy using psilocybin and MDMA to improve symptoms of treatment resistant OCD, and to determine whether there is any pre-post change in electroencephalography (EEG) measurements following psychedelic exposure.

People

Dr Ted Cassidy
Samantha Webb