Experimental Neuropsychology Research Unit

Personnel

Team Leader
Associate Professor Nellie Georgiou-Karistianis

Team Members
Emeritus Professor John Bradshaw
Dr Dianne Sheppard

Research Assistants

Ms Sarah Pia Carron
Ms Ellen Frajman
Bernadette Fitzgibbon

Postgraduate Students
Belinda Gargaro
Bernadette Fitzgibbon
Darren Hocking
Hamed Asadi
Hamed Akhlaghi
India Bohanna
Janette Dawson
Jodie Feil
Karen Scally
Kim Trezise
Lan Nguyen
Louise Corben
Melita Guimmarra
Patricia Dredge
Sharon Male
Tracy Henderson

Research Activities

The past four decades have seen a rapid growth in the field of neuropsychology, encapsulating aspects of both neurology and psychiatry. The Experimental Neuropsychology Research Unit was established in 1990 by Professor John Bradshaw to study disorders of attention following stroke and in neurodegenerative movement disorders (Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease). This work soon extended to Alzheimer's disease and normal ageing, schizophrenia and depression, phantom limb perception and neurodevelopmental disorders including Tourette's syndrome, obsessive compulsive disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism.

The team, since 2002, has been headed by Associate Professor Nellie Georgiou-Karistianis. We have developed a range of experimental behavioural tasks designed to examine cognitive and motor function in these disorders and in normal populations, to elucidate differences in brain function in the various disorders and how these might be related to symptomotology. More recently we have embarked on utilising emerging techniques for measuring brain function, including event related potentials (ERP), measures of oculomotor function, structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). These new technologies provide the opportunity to further elucidate the underlying function of the brain systems involved in cognition and movement, and the underlying dysfunction associated with psychiatric, neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders.

By building on the work we have already done in characterizing cognitive and motor function in both normality and disease, and expanding our research to include more direct measures of brain function, we hope to contribute substantially to the future understanding of the workings of the human brain. This knowledge may be used to significantly improve the treatment and management of brain disorders and the quality of life of those who suffer from them.

Our group over the last 8 years has had numerous success with ARC, NHMRC, philanthropic and USA granting bodies totaling over $800,000.

Collaborations

The success of our research unit is due in part to the support and enthusiasm of our many collaborators, including clinicians and academics from Melbourne and overseas. Current research collaborators include:

• Associate Professor Gary Egan (Senior Research Fellow), Howard Florey Institute.

• Associate Professor Owen White (Neurologist), Royal Melbourne Hospital.

• Dr Andrew Churchyard (Neurologist), Monash Medical Centre.

• Professor Edmond Chiu (Psychiatrist), St George's Hospital.

• Prof Robert Iansek (Neurologist), Movement Disorders Clinic, Kingston Hospital.

• Professor Paul Fitzgerald, Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Alfred Hospital.

• Professor Kimron Shapiro (University of Bangor, Wales).

• Associate Professor Martin Delatycki, Bruce Lefroy Centre for Genetic Health Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute.

• Professor Elsdon Storey (Neurologist), Van Cleef Neurosciences, Alfred Hospital.

• Associate Professor Tony Hannan, Howard Florey Institute.

• Professor Julie Stout, School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, Monash University.

• Dr Joanne Fielding (NHMRC Research Fellow), Royal Melbourne Hospital and School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, Monash University.

• Doctor Nicole Rinehart, School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, Monash University.

• Associate Professor Ross Cunnington, University of Queensland

Contact Details

nellie.georgiou-karistianis@med.monash.edu.au