The Westmead Institute’s Brain Dynamics Centre is committed to pioneering brain research that will give us a new understanding of mental wellbeing, and the cause and treatment of disorders of mental health.
Nearly one in two Australians will experience some form of mental illness at some stage during their life. It is the largest cause of non-fatal disability of any disease in the country. Our research aims to foster mental health for individuals, by improving personal level care, and to change the way mental health is understood, researched and treated throughout the world.
Our studies look at biological markers for mental health disorders so that we can tailor treatments and therapies to best suit each individual person. Our insights will be ultimately used to bring about the early identification, the best treatment and the prevention of mental illness.

Diseases we research

  •     Mood disorders (depression and bipolar)
  •     Schizophrenia
  •     Traumatic stress 
  •     Anxiety disorders
  •     Adolescent mental health

 

Our research themes include:

  • Understanding neurodevelopment and functioning of the healthy human brain and the influence of genetics and environment
  • Finding biological markers to understand the cause of mental disorders and response to their treatment. 


We follow a unique 'integrative neuroscience' approach that brings together theories across disciplines including Psychiatry, Psychology, Neuroscience and Physiology. Our research utilises multiple measures and scales of function including clinical assessments, psychological and cognitive assessments, brain imaging (EEG, ERP and Magnetic Resonance Imaging, functional MRI), and genetics. We believe that each of these measures is only a small piece of the whole puzzle and only by integrating these measures together will provide a holistic understanding of the brain.  Our adaptation and use of high-capacity computing for brain data analysis sets us apart from the field and puts us at the cutting edge of technology. 

Research Teams