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Brain, Vision, Mental Processes and Health

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)  

Projects

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

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

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.

Help us understand your views on using psychedelic drugs to treat mental ill-health.

People

  • Dr Jessica Bartschi (UOW), Principal Investigator
  • Mr James Williams (ANU), Researcher
  • Mr Mitch Lowther (UOW), Researcher

This project aims to advance understanding of human emotional communication and improve human rapport with virtual humans and avatars.

Student intake

Open for Honours, Masters, MPhil, PhD students

People

  • Prof Romina Palermo
  • Dr Clare Sutherland
  • A/Prof Jason Bell
  • A/Prof Eva Krumhuber

Looking for resarch students to be part of a resaerch team investigating eating disorders and sleep distrurbances.

Student intake

Open for Honours, Masters, PhD students

People