A Grey Matter Queensland Brain Institute

We know exercise is beneficial for our body and mind. Research has shown that neurogenesis – the production of neurons in the brain – continues throughout our lives and is key to improving cognition. At the Queensland Brain Institute, Dr Daniel Blackmore, has been captivated by this process of neurogenesis. Alongside colleagues from The University of Queensland, he completed a comprehensive study, investigating the potential of exercise in mitigating the cognitive decline associated with...

Dr Bonnie Searle is passionate about getting children to eat. In her past life as a paediatric dietitian for children with food aversions, she experienced first-hand the power of changing how we feed children. She is currently working on a special research project at the Queensland Brain Institute, called Mealtimes Matter, which suggests that there are some serious nutritional deficiencies in some childcare centres, particularly in disadvantaged areas, that is having a detrimental effect...

What do Wally Lewis AM and Nic Berry have in common? Quite a lot, it turns out. Wally started playing rugby union before switching codes to rugby league, becoming a legend of the game. Nic kicked off in rugby league before his professional career in rugby union, first as a player and now as an international match official. Both have also experienced significant head knocks in rugby and, with the benefit of hindsight, are passionate supporters of QBI’s concussion research.In this relaxed conve...

Last year, neuroengineer Dr Clarissa Whitmire joined the Queensland Brain Institute as a senior research fellow and is the Institute’s newest group leader. Originally from the United States, Clarissa arrived at UQ following a postdoctoral appointment at the Max Dellbruck Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin. In a joint appointment with UQ’s School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Clarissa seeks to combine her expertise in biomedical engineering with the next phase of n...

As a Research Fellow in Neuroeconomics, Dr Dragan Rangelov investigates human sensory perception, decision-making and memory. His work explores how the brain processes and stores information that leads us to make decisions in all aspects of life. He does this by using techniques designed to measure and record brain activity, such as electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging and by identifying patterns of neural activity associated with external sensory stimuli.In ...