Home

Neuroimaging

Group

Neuroimaging

Leader

Dr Murat Yucel

Members

Post-Doctoral Staff

Dr Emre Bora – Research Fellow & Psychiatrist (Turkey), Dr Ben Harrison – NHMRC CJ Martin Fellow & MNC Research Fellow, Dr Alex Fornito – NHMRC JN Peters & CJ Martin Fellow, Dr Sarah Whittle – ARC Research Fellow, Dr Andrew Zalesky – ARC Research Fellow, Dr Michael Takagi – Research Fellow, University of Melbourne (USA), Dr Martina Jovev – NHMRC Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship
 
Research Assistants
Dominic Dwyer, Rothanthi Douglas
 
Students
Andreia Azevedo - Doctorate Clinical Neuropsychology student, Deakin University; Anna Barrett - PhD student, University of Melbourne; Liz Bowman – PhD student, University of Melbourne; Ali Cheetham - PhD student, University of Melbourne; Dr Christopher Davey - Psychiatrist and NHMRC PhD candidate, University of Melbourne; Meg Dennison - PhD student, University of Melbourne; Dominic Dwyer - PhD student, University of Melbourne; Ian Harding - PhD student, University of Melbourne (Canada); Valentina Lorenzetti - PhD student, University of Melbourne (Italy); Anouk Schrentee – Masters student, University of Maastricht (Netherlands); Anne Schwerk – Masters student, University of Maastricht (Netherlands); Karissa Searle – PhD student, University of Melbourne; Nandita Vijayakumar - PhD student, University of Melbourne; George Youssef – PhD and Clinical Neuropsychology student, University of Melbourne.

Overview

These projects described below and related neurobiological studies have been undertaken over the last 15 years in close collaboration with Professor Christos Pantelis, Dr Dennis Velakoulis, Dr Stephen Wood and Ms Bridget Soulsby at the Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre (MNC). This unique partnership has allowed our groups in Melbourne to be at the cutting edge of clinical neurobiological research in psychiatry, especially in the area of schizophrenia and psychosis.

In 2003, Dr Yücel was appointed to a position across Orygen and the MNC to expand the neuroimaging and neuropsychological research at Orygen. This has lead to a very fruitful series of studies and publications in the areas of Substance Use (in collaboration with A/Prof Lubman), Mood & Anxiety (in collaboration with A/Prof Nick Allen), and Mania in collaboration with Prof Michael Berk).

Our access to unique clinical populations, which has been established over this time and our ability to obtain comprehensive high quality clinical, neuropsychological and neuroimaging data provide us with the opportunity to conduct innovative and important studies. This has been recognised by the award of an NHMRC Program Grant to our groups as well as numerous other NHMRC, ARC, and Clinical Trials Grants.

Current Research Projects

The neuropsychology and neurobiology of substance abuse and addiction

Neuropsychological and neurobiological effects of heavy long-term cannabis use

Quantifying the neurocognitive and neurobiological impact of cannabis across the life span: the evolution of memory and executive control deficits

Determining the cognitive sequelae of adolescent cannabis use: a longitudinal cohort study

Investigation into the neurological effects of chronic unleaded petrol sniffing in Indigenous adolescents using Magnetic Resonance Imaging

The neuroprotection after a first-episode mania episode

The Adolescent Early Development Study

The neuropsychology of risk-taking behaviour

Anatomical, neurochemical and functional changes of the anterior cingulate and connected regions in psychiatric conditions and personality disorders

The social brain and reward processing in depression

Stress and HPA-axis function in first-episode psychosis: relationship with clinical features and dynamic brain changes

The functional neurobiology attention, emotion and willed action in adolescence and psychiatric illness

Genetic vulnerability to schizophrenia