Brain Dynamics Centre | The Westmead Institute for Medical Research

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.

Centre Director

Professor Anthony Harris

Professor of Psychiatry, Westmead Clinical School; Clinical Director, Brain Dynamics Centre, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research; Consultant psychiatrist, Prevention Early Intervention and Recovery Service (PEIRS), Western Sydney Local Health District

Associate Professor Mayuresh Korgaonkar

Senior Research Fellow; Psychiatry, Westmead Clinical School; The Westmead Institute for Medical Research

Research Teams

Bipolar Disorders Group

We are using new, cutting-edge imaging techniques to find a way of diagnosing bipolar disorder using a simple brain scan. Our aim is to reduce the burden of this illness on individuals and the community by ensuring patients receive appropriate and timely treatment.

Healthy Neurodevelopment Group

Our aim is to pinpoint the neurodevelopmental changes that lead to mental illness, enabling us to identify and treat patients in the critical window before symptoms develop.

Schizophrenia Group

We combine cognitive, brain (EEG, MRI) and genetic information to study the nature of schizophrenia and psychosis in both children and adolescents/young adults. Our work is contributing to understanding of the functional neurological changes in psychotic illness, and has led to advances in treatments.

Neurodevelopmental Disorders Group

We are dedicated to finding innovative new approaches to treat neurodevelopmental disorders in adolescents and young adults.

Traumatic Stress Group

Trauma and loss are among the main causes of psychological problems worldwide. Posttraumatic stress disorder affects approximately four per cent of the population, causing anxiety, distressing memories, and sleep problems in many survivors of disaster, war, assault, and accidents.

Depression Group

Major depressive disorder is projected to cause the second greatest global burden of disease by 2020, highlighting the urgent need for valid predictors of effective treatment response.