Working across the UNSW Discipline of Psychiatry & Mental Health and the Black Dog Institute, our team investigates novel ways to treat depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders, including new brain stimulation techniques, ketamine, and psychedelic-assisted therapies.
The Neurostimulation and Interventional Psychiatry Team investigates novel ways to treat depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders, including new brain stimulation techniques, ketamine, and psychedelic-assisted therapies. Led by Professor Colleen Loo, we are an integrated research team with expertise across basic neuroscience, clinical psychiatry, neuropsychology, clinical policy and practice. Our team is based at the UNSW Discipline of Psychiatry & Mental Health and the Black Dog Institute. We also collaborate closely with The George Institute for Global Health and the Ramsay Northside Clinic.
We conducted the first randomised controlled trials of TMS (1999), tDCS (2010), ketamine (2014), ECT (2014) and tRNS (2020) in Australia, for the treatment of depression. We also conducted the world’s first RCTs testing bilateral TMS and multiple TMS sessions per day for the treatment of depression. We recently completed the world’s largest RCT of racemic ketamine as a pharmacological treatment for treatment resistant depression, and developed a comprehensive framework for monitoring the safety of ketamine treatment (Ketamine Side Effect Tool). Our research findings have informed Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrist (RANZCP) guidelines on ECT, TMS, tDCS and ketamine treatment.
Our current clinical studies include:
The CARE Network is an international collaboration involving >50 hospitals aimed at improving clinical practice and furthering research in ECT, TMS, tDCS and ketamine treatments, via the use of a standardised data collection framework. The CARE data collection framework assists services with improving clinical care and complying with data collection requirements. Collation and analysis of these real-world clinical data also produces findings that inform treatment guidelines and translation of research into clinical practice.
Resources developed by the CARE Network:
Contact for further information: care.network@unsw.edu.au
We undertake diverse research in basic neuroscience to improve non-invasive brain stimulation techniques and their therapeutic application in neuropsychiatric conditions.
Current projects include:
Contact for further information: Dr Stevan Nikolin (stevan.nikolin@unsw.edu.au)
Contact for further information: Dr Donel Martin (donel.martin@unsw.edu.au)
We develop novel interventions for cognitive enhancement and for treating cognitive impairment.
Current projects include:
Contact for further information: Dr Donel Martin (donel.martin@unsw.edu.au)
