Cognitive Neuroscience Hub

Cognitive Neuroscience Hub Seminar (science-focused discussion):
- Thursday 23rd October, 1:00pm – 2:00pm
- Level 12 Tea Room, Redmond Barry Building, The University of Melbourne

Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences Public Lecture:
The Body Inside Out: From Experience to Perception and Back
- Wednesday 22nd October, 6:00pm-7:30pm
- Arts West, Level 1, Forum Theatre, University of Melbourne

The body inside out: From experience to perception and back Join us for the annual Brotherton Lecture, presented by Professor Beatrice de Gelder, exploring the science of visual body perception.

We’re thrilled to welcome Professor Beatrice de Gelder, expert in cognitive neuroscience, as this year’s Brotherton Fellow. Her research explores how body and face recognition, unconscious vision, and art connect to perception and emotion.

www.eventbrite.com.au/e/the-body-i...

What do the names of colours, kinship terms and legal jargon tell us about the human mind? In the latest episode of PsychTalks, Dr Frank Mollica explores language as a culturally shaped, far from universal cognitive tool.

Find it here go.unimelb.edu.au/7axe

YouTube video by Cog Neuro Hub at The University of Melbourne Cog Neuro Hub August Roundtable: Dr Sam Schwarzkopf

Watch the recording here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm0B...

Why does the Auckland Sky Tower seem to change size every time you look at it?

Today, at our August Roundtable event, we were delighted to host Dr Sam Schwarzkopf from the University of Auckland, who shared insights into the brain processes that shape how we perceive object size.

We’re excited to announce that OP-MEG is joining the Melbourne Brain Centre Imaging Unit (MBCIU), with support from the 2025 MCRIP Growth Pool!

Read more about it here: psychologicalsciences.unimelb.edu.au/cognitive-ne...

A big congratulations to Dr Sarah Tashjian, who has been awarded a 2025 Brain & Behaviour Research Foundation (BBRF) Young Investigator Grant!

Curious how kids become strategic thinkers? Join our study on metacognition and help us find out!

Learn more or register your interest here: shorturl.at/T4yWl

Claire shared insights from her research using single-dose drug studies to uncover the role of noradrenaline in learning and decision-making, particularly in the context of Parkinson’s disease.

YouTube video by Cog Neuro Hub at The University of Melbourne Cog Neuro Hub July Roundtable: Dr Claire O'Callaghan

What does a common ADHD drug tell us about how we make decisions, and how that process changes in Parkinson’s disease?

Today we had the pleasure of hosting Dr Claire O'Callaghan (University of Sydney) for our July Roundtable.

Watch the recording here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xv3R...

A new preprint by Linzhi Tao, Marta Garrido and colleagues, in collaboration with the Melbourne Brain Centre Imaging Unit (MBCIU), used advanced brain connectivity analysis to show that visual prediction precision travels along two distinct pathways.

Effective connectivity reveals dual-route mechanism of visual prediction precision via insula and pulvinar The brain’s ability to weight predictions by their precision is a central mechanism in predictive processing, enabling optimal integration of prior expectations with incoming sensory input. Despite it...

Your brain predicts what you see using not one, but two neural pathways.

Read here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

New research published by Olivia Carter, Marta Garrido and colleagues, shows that recognising dynamic facial expressions (like a moving smile) relies on a third visual pathway, separate from the classic "what" and "where" systems.

Double dissociation of dynamic and static face perception provides causal evidence for a third visual pathway - Nature Communications The study shows a double dissociation between static and dynamic face perception in 108 patients with focal lesions, providing direct causal evidence for a third visual pathway via the posterior super...

How does your brain read a smile in motion vs a photo? Turns out it uses different pathways.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

YouTube video by Cog Neuro Hub at The University of Melbourne Cog Neuro Hub OPMEG Workshop

The afternoon included talks from Professor Marta Garrido, Dr Chin-Hsuan Lin, Holly Schofield (Cerca Magnetics Limited) and Dr Tim Tierney (UCL).

Watch the recording here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnJG...

Australia now has its first full-head OPMEG system, and we just held our first workshop to celebrate.

Yesterday we welcomed a room full of researchers, students, and clinicians to the University of Melbourne to explore what’s possible with this new wearable brain imaging technology.

The Pain and Cognition Neuroimaging Lab: Unraveling the brain’s role in pain The Pain and Cognition Neuroimaging Lab: Unraveling the brain’s role in pain

Led by A/Prof Natalia Egorova-Brumley, the team is combining brain imaging and experimental pain testing to rethink how we treat pain, especially when it becomes chronic.

Read the feature article here: psychologicalsciences.unimelb.edu.au/news-and-eve...

What if pain is less about your body and more about your brain?

The Pain and Cognition Neuroimaging Lab, part of our Cognitive Neuroscience Hub, are exploring how things like memory, attention and context can dial pain up or down, sometimes even turning it off completely.

These insights could help healthcare providers better recognise and respond to pain, especially when patients struggle to describe it themselves.

What can speech tell us about pain? : PAIN Reports her complex speech relieves pain is not known. Understanding speech when pain is being experienced and whether certain speech features are associated with general pain sensitivity holds promise for id...

Can speech reveal hidden signs of pain?

A new study published by A/Prof Natalia Egorova-Brumley and colleagues investigates how subtle features in our spoken language, like pitch, rhythm, and vocal strain, can signal the presence and intensity of pain.

Read here: journals.lww.com/painrpts/ful...

Dan researches how gambling technologies (like slot machines) are designed to encourage addictive behavior, focusing on deceptive features like “losses disguised as wins.” His work blends cognitive neuroscience with public policy to support evidence-based gambling regulation. 💰

See our May spotlight- Dr Dan Myles @dan-myles.bsky.social, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow within our hub!

YouTube video by Cog Neuro Hub @ MSPSunimelb Cog Neuro Hub April Roundtable: Professor Gavan McNally

Catch the recording here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-Mk...

We had our first Cog Neuro Hub Roundtable Event for 2025, and what a great way to start the series off!

Professor Gavan McNally from UNSW joined us to present a fascinating talk titled “How risk and aversion shape our actions and choices.”

Gezelle investigates the brain mechanisms behind impulse control and performance monitoring, with a focus on substance use. She uses neuroimaging, behavioural tasks, and smartphone-based tools to explore how we monitor and adapt behaviour.

This month’s spotlight is on Dr Gezelle Dali, an Academic Fellow within the Cognitive Neuroscience Hub! 🧠

See a new paper published by Natalia Egorova-Brumley and colleagues, investigating how sedentary behavior and physical activity differ between weekdays and weekends in stroke survivors and whether these patterns are linked to cognitive performance three months post-stroke.

Reducing sedentary time (especially on weekends!) might help protect brain function after stroke. 🧠

Read it here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Today we hosted a Meet and Greet Event for all students and staff involved in the Cognitive Neuroscience Hub!

It was great to see so many new and familiar faces, hear from lab heads, and get a glimpse into the exciting research happening in the hub.