Prevention and new treatments for mental health disorders

The human brain is a complex organ that consists of more than 100 billion neurons – and sometimes things don’t work in ways to which we are accustomed.

Our researchers ply their trade across dozens of fields related to mental health, whether that being establishing contributing factors, or considering novel ways to make people feel better.

Some researchers investigate mental health in relation to substance abuse, others research it in regard to vitamin levels, or to physical fitness, or childhood experiences.

The raft of research projects reflect that diversity, with some conducted as longitudinal studies, others as cross-sectional studies, literary reviews or physical screenings using advancing technologies.

At the same time, our experts are constantly assessing the net burden to society – not just in financial terms – and how each aspect can be improved ethically and efficiently.

Queensland Centre For Mental Health Research

The work conducted at QCMHR aims to reduce the level of disability associated with mental illness.

Psychiatric genomics

The Mowry group's primary research goals are (i) to identify susceptibility genes for schizophrenia and related disorders and (ii) understand both their normal and pathologic functions in the brain.

Neurobiology

The Eyles Group focuses on how risk factors for schizophrenia and autism, such as developmental vitamin D (DVD) deficiency and maternal immune activation, change the way the brain develops and functions.

Epidemiology and clinical trials

The McGrath Group is exploring risk factors linked to schizophrenia and other mental disorders.

Developmental neurobiology

The Burne Group is focused on investigating the underlying biological basis for schizophrenia, with the goal of finding public health interventions that will alleviate the burden of this disease.

Neural stem cells in development and disease

The Piper Group's vision is to reveal the mechanisms that control neural stem cell differentiation within the developing brain, and to apply this knowledge to understand disease processes caused by it.

Computational and molecular biology

Professor Faulkner’s research seeks to understand the role of retrotransposons, a type of “mobile DNA”, in causing genetic mosaicism in early mammalian embryogenesis, and in neurons.

Professor Harvey Whiteford

My interests are in how to measure the burden of mental and substance use disorders in the population, and how to improve the health system to efficiently and equitably reduce that burden.

Professor Philip Burgess

Current role is with the Analysis and Reporting Component of the Australian Mental Health Outcomes and Classification Network (AMHOCN), which leads the design, analysis and reporting of the National Outcomes and Casemix Collection.

Associate Professor Meredith Harris

Current role is with the Analysis and Reporting Component of the Australian Mental Health Outcomes and Classification Network (AMHOCN), which leads the design, analysis and reporting of the National Outcomes and Casemix Collection.

Professor James Scott

Leads the Child and Youth Research Group at the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research.

Associate Professor Ed Heffernan

Head of the Forensic Mental Health Research Stream at the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research.

Professor Dan Siskind

His research interests include clozapine and treatment refractory schizophrenia, the physical health of people with severe and persistent mental illness, supported accommodation, assertive community treatment and mental health services research.

Professor Steve Kisely

Professor Kisely is a psychiatrist and public health physician with health services research experience in the UK, Australia & Canada.

Explore our groups

Meet some of our researchers