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Research Teams

Translating research into clinical and social outcomes is one of our school's of strengths. Investigative approaches range from laboratory-based research to applied, clinical- or community-based investigations, enabling a strong tradition of bench-to-bedside research outcomes. Our research spans across a range of disciplines and topic areas.

Developmental Psychology and Psychiatry

Developmental Psychology and Psychiatry focuses on mental health and developmental concerns specific to infants, children, adolescents and families. Research teams and the Centre for Developmental  Psychology and Psychiatry undertake research in a wide variety of issues and topics in the area of developmental psychology and psychiatry, including: mental health and development in children with developmental and intellectual disabilities, infant psychiatry, autism and other Pervasive Developmental Disorders, trauma, depression and anxiety, school refusal and truancy, sexual abuse, and emotional development.

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Forensic Mental Health

Forensic mental health is a specialised area within mental health, providing services to meet the needs of mentally disordered offenders, the mental health and justice sectors and the community. Forensic Behavioural Science is an emerging field of discourse at the interface of human services and criminal justice systems, which draws on a range of disciplines including psychology, psychiatry, nursing, criminology, law, social work and ethics.

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Health Psychology and Psychiatry

Research in health psychology and psychiatry aims to both further knowledge and experience of mental health professionals such as nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists and general medical practitioners and to improve treatments and clinical interventions and thus maximise the wellbeing of all communities.

Health psychology and psychiatry covers a range of specialised research areas which investigate the psychological, social, behavioural and ethical aspects of mental health. This includes: wellbeing and mental health in old age, in cancer patients and their families and care-givers, and in rural communities; suicide and self-injury prevention; relationships between humans and technology; psychiatry in General Practice and nursing; and post-natal depression.

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Human-Animal Interaction

Human-animal interaction covers a broad range of topics relating to human-animal relationships. Investigation of bonds between owners and companion animals from a psychological perspective, the role of owners in their animal's wellbeing, public perceptions of animal welfare and how people can affect the behaviour of animals are all undertaken by the human-interaction research group, and in collaboration with the Animal Welfare Sciences Centre which is led by SPPPM personnel.

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Neuropsychology and Neuroscience

Our international reputation in the fields of behavioural neuroscience and neuropsychology is based on the exciting work being conducted within three main topic areas: Behavioural and Cellular Neuroscience; Cognition and Psychobiology of Learning and Memory; and Neuropsychology.

 Behavioural and Cellular Neuroscience

This area investigates the neurochemistry and neurophysiology of cognitive and emotional processes in a number of different ways, including at the molecular, systems and behavioural levels. This includes enquiry into understanding the brain mechanisms involved in normal hearing and the protective roles played by astrocytes in age-related neurodegenerative disorders such as stroke and Alzheimer's disease.

Cognition and Psychobiology of Learning and Memory

Cognitive function, particularly in terms of language, memory and learning. Specific questions addressed in this area include: evaluation of music on cognitive, psychological and electrophysiological outcomes and emotional and cognitive responses; examination of the biology which underpins memory processing, both creation and access to; the nature of the mental processes involved understanding and use of language, both written and spoken; and computer-based detection, assessment and monitoring of cognition decline.

 Neuropsychology

Neuropsychology encapsulates aspects of both neurology and psychiatry, to enable better understanding of cognitive and motor functions, and thus better understanding of the workings of the human brain. It also includes research into rehabilitation  and treatment of psychological and psychiatric disorders following traumatic head or brain injury, sleep disruption and sleepiness, circadian rhythms and fatigue countermeasures, particularly in shiftworkers.

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Organisational Psychology

Organisational psychologists specialise in analysing organisations and their people, and devising strategies to recruit, motivate, develop, change and inspire. Organisational psychology includes industrial and organisational (I/O) psychology; vocational psychology; work psychology; occupational psychology; personnel psychology; managerial psychology; human resource management and development; ergonomics; and consumer psychology

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Schizophrenia and Depression

Research investigation into areas such as: Schizophrenia and other Psychoses; Women's mental health, Bipolar Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder. We are developing new approaches to the treatment of mental illness with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; hormone modulation; innovative non - drug therapies plus trialling new medications.

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Social Sciences and Health Research

Social Sciences and Health Research addresses emerging questions in the field of applied medical anthropology and public health. This includes areas such as Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), parenting experiences and issues, and the importance of community in mental health and wellbeing.

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South Africa

Monash South Africa has a strong research team working on a number of areas within psychology and psychiatry

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