Neuroscience, Behaviour and Brain Health
The brain and spinal cord comprise the central nervous system of the body. Damage and disease of the brain or spinal cord can lead to developmental delay, intellectual or physical disability, loss of cognitive function and behavioural and psychological disorders.
Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary science that focuses on the study of neurochemistry and experimental psychology. It deals with the structure and normal function of the nervous system and brain that impact on behaviour, cognitive function and neurological dysfunction.
Our researchers investigate these areas with the aim of developing therapies and informing improved health service provision for individuals.
Researchers across the faculty are focused on:
- understanding the function of genes that cause neurodevelopmental disorders, such as intellectual disability and epilepsy
- investigating the causes of diseases of the brain, spine or nervous system (including Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease) to inform diagnosis, prevention and treatment
- understanding the cellular and molecular basis of cognition, perception and neuropsychology
- developing therapies, and translating results into the treatment and prevention of neurological diseases
- understanding the health psychology, healthy development across the lifespan, and disability to inform and assess rehabilitation and health service delivery
- developing innovative biological computation technologies to enable large-scale epidemiological studies that can inform health care policy and service provision.
Our research centres and institutes working in this area
- Centre of Research Excellence in Translating Nutritional Science to Good Health (Professor Michael Horowitz)
- Robinson Research Institute (Professor Sarah Robertson)
Our research groups working in this area
- Active Vision Lab (Professor Anna Ma-Wyatt )
- Adelaide Spinal Research Group (Professor Brian Freeman)
- Applied Cognition and Experimental Psychology (Associate Professor Carolyn Semmler)
- Aquaporin Physiology and Drug Discovery (Professor Andrea Yool)
- Australian Dysautonomia and Arrhythmia Research Collaborative (ADARC) (Professor Dennis Lau)
- Cerebral Palsy Research Group (Emeritus Professor Alastair MacLennan)
- Clinical Glaucoma Research and Ophthalmic Research Laboratory (Professor Robert Casson)
- Clinical Pharmacogenomics Group (Professor Andrew Somogyi)
- Cognition, Ageing and Neurodegenerative Disease Laboratory (Associate Professor Lyndsey Collins-Praino)
- Cognitive Neural Sciences Laboratory (Dr Irina Baetu )
- Critical and Ethical Mental Health Research Group (Professor Jon Jureidini)
- Expert Cognition Lab (Dr Rachel Searston)
- Genome Editing Laboratory (Professor Paul Thomas)
- Health, Disability and Lifespan Development Research Group (Professor Deborah Turnbull)
- Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology (Professor Christopher Proud)
- Integrative Human Neurophysiology Laboratory (Dr Simran Sidhu)
- Intellectual Disability Research (Associate Professor Cheryl Shoubridge)
- MAILES Longitudinal Male Ageing Study Research Group (Professor Gary Wittert)
- Neurogenetics Group (Professor Jozef Gecz)
- Neuroimmunopharmacology Laboratory (Professor Mark Hutchinson)
- Psychosis Research Group (Professor Cherrie Galletly)
- Perioperative Model of Care (Professor Guy Ludbrook)
- Stroke Research Program (Professor Simon Koblar)
- Translational Neuropathology Laboratory (Associate Professor Renee Turner)
- Vagal Afferent Research Group (Professor Amanda Page)
Lead researchers
For additional leads in this area of research, please contact Neuroscience, Behaviour and Brain Health researchers.
Interested in a postgraduate research degree?
We offer exciting opportunities for researchers at the honours, masters and PhD levels. Our research degrees are open to students from a broad range of backgrounds, and range from basic sciences to clinical research. If you are interested in human health, consider furthering your research career with us.