The Brain-Behaviour Research Group
Overview: The Brain-Behaviour Research Group is a collaboration of researchers from various backgrounds who share an interest in understanding the links between overt and covert behaviour, brain processes and ‘mental’ disorders. Although several of the current research projects are concerned with basic biomedical issues and procedures, the overwhelming focus is upon the translation of the outcomes of these processes to clinical applications, particularly in mental health settings. Therefore, because almost all behaviour is a function of genetic and environmental influences, the BBRG is currently investigating the role of several genetic factors, plus the kinds of stressors which people experience, and how these contribute to the development of behaviour which may sometimes be classified as ‘disordered’ in mental health terms. In addition, the biological communication processes which are engaged when an individual undergoes extreme stress, and which are observed to be associated with endpoint mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression, have led team members to investigate the roles of immunological factors, endocrine processes, and changes to brain structure and function in anxiety and depression.
Membership:
Professor Chris Sharpley (UNE)
Professor Vicki Bitsika (Bond Uni; UNE)
Professor John Sweeney (Uni Texas Southwestern; UNE)
Professor David Christie (Premion; UNE)
Associate Professor Jim McFarlane (UNE)
Dr Linda Agnew (UNE)
Dr Peter Wilson (UNE)
Dr Addie Wootten (Prostate Cancer Research Centre, Australia; UNE)
Members’ Research Interests:
Professor Chris Sharpley (UNE): Depression, anxiety as functional behavioural responses to overwhelming environmental stressors; Anxiety & depression among prostate cancer patients; Genetic & endocrinal concomitants of depression.
Professor Vicki Bitsika (UNE, Bond Uni): Autism Spectrum Disorders; Anxiety and depression; Psycho-Oncology; Functional Behavioural Analysis
Professor John Sweeney (UNE, Uni Texas Southwestern): Autism; Family studies of psychotic disorders and autism; Neurocognitive abnormalities in schizophrenia, mood disorders and autism.
Professor David Christie (Premion, Qld): Radiotherapy for cancer and afor a few unusual benign conditions; Clinical trials of cancer treatments, particularly prostate cancer.
Associate Professor Jim McFarlane (UNE): Stress and stress-related biomarkers.
Dr Linda Agnew (UNE): Bi-directional communication between immune and nervous systems and their role in depression.
Dr Peter Wilson (UNE): Modulators of neurotransmitters; anatomy and physiology of memory; parahippocampal cortex function.
Dr Addie Wootten (UNE, Prostate Cancer Research Centre) Prostate cancer; psychosocial impacts of cancer; issues associated with men and cancer including masculinity, identity and self-esteem; relationship impacts of cancer; improving the delivery of services to people with cancer; integrating psychosocial care into medical models of practice.
Please see the publications.