Our research

Research Themes

Clinical and Health Psychology

Our research is dedicated to enhancing the understanding and management of mental health and physical health outcomes. We are world leaders in research on mechanisms and classification of psychopathology, hoarding and anxiety disorders, digital interventions, sleep health, body image and adjustment to various chronic health conditions. Our research methodologies span the spectrum of basic and applied research designs – including animal models, experimental paradigms, longitudinal surveys, meta-analyses, qualitative interviews, co-design, clinical trials, and implementation science. Our impactful research has informed the development of theoretical models, psychological interventions, service implementation and public health policies.

Cognition, Perception and Computational Psychology

Our school is a national leader in cognitive science, perceptual and computational psychology, with research expertise in cognitive neuroscience, sleep neuroscience, memory, attention, decision-making, language, reading, time, face and multisensory perception, taste and smell, motor control, computational modelling, artificial-intelligence, and human-machine systems. Our researchers use a broad range of cutting-edge methodologies and technologies—including neurocognitive, physiological, eye- and motion-tracking, augmented and virtual reality, and robotics—to unravel and model the cognitive and perceptual processes that underpin both every day and complex human behaviours, as well as uncover new ways to enhance and augment human cognitive capacity and performance.

Development and Ageing

We conduct innovative research aimed at understanding and improving emotional health and wellbeing across the lifespan. Our interdisciplinary researchers investigate factors underlying reading disorders, mental disorders (including anxiety, depression, and related disorders), sleep and circadian disorders and health-related conditions from childhood to older adulthood. We also investigate the normal impacts of ageing on cognition, reading, emotion regulation, social connections, and workforce participation (retirement). Our findings inform educational and clinical practice and the development of treatment programs targeting various age groups. We use research methods including computational models, clinical trials, psychometric methods, neuropsychological testing, eye movement analysis, psychophysiological measurement, surveys, interviews, and focus groups.

Neuroscience and Biopsychology

We conducted cutting-edge research in Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience and Biopsychology, investigating the intersection between mind, body, and brain, and seeking to understand how biological processes shape human behaviour and wellbeing. Our research utilizes an array of techniques including Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Magnetoencephalography (MEG), Electroencephalogram (EEG), Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), psychopharmacology, as well as modern neuroscience techniques such as optogenetics and chemogenetics that allow manipulation of discrete pathways in the brain. By combining these with complex and validated behavioural tasks, we can examine the neural and physiological mechanisms underlying cognition, perception, attention, motor control, emotion, eating and appetite, development, aging, and neurological and neurodegenerative disease.

Organisational Psychology and Human Factors

Our researchers explore the dynamics of human and team behaviour within the realm of work and organisations. Organisational psychology and human factors are varied fields with diverse applications drawing from all areas of psychology. In doing so, organisational psychology advances our understanding of effective leadership, the development and maintenance of expertise, why accidents happen, enhancing performance and selection, how to ensure individuals and teams are resilient, occupational health and safety organisational psychology. Organisational psychology creatively integrates technologies like simulation and virtual reality. We collaborate with diverse organisations, including defence, emergency, and essential services (e.g., healthcare), to optimise their performance.

Social Psychology

Exploring how individuals' thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are influenced by the actual or imagined presence of others is foundational of psychological science.  Accordingly, our school has a strong history of conducted world leading research on social cognition, attitudes, prejudice and discrimination, stigmatization, group dynamics, and interpersonal relationships, as well as research on body image, desire, disgust, using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The university's state-of-the-art facilities enable cutting-edge research using experimental and naturalistic designs, with our researchers often collaborating with government organisations, communities, and other institutions to translate research findings into real-world solutions.

Research Centres

Lifespan Health and Wellbeing

Advancing social, emotional and cognitive health and wellbeing for all.

The Lifespan Health and Wellbeing Research Centre is hosted by the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences. This Consilience Centre aims to develop evidence-based approaches to the prevention and management of complex health and wellbeing challenges, from infancy to older adulthood.

Performance and Expertise

Realising human potential in a changing world.

The Performance and Expertise Research Centre is hosted by the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences. This Strength-at-Scale Centre aims to understand the complex nature of human performance and expertise, especially ways to assess, enhance and future-proof human potential.

Data Horizons

Designing data innovations that drive new discoveries in science, health and society.

The Data Horizons Research Centre is hosted across all four faculties. This Consilience Centre aims to harness the exponential growth in data volume, variety and velocity to transform data-driven discovery and solutions to complex problems.

Smart Green Cities

Creating liveable, smart green cities of the future.

The Smart Green Cities Research Centre is hosted by the Faculty of Science and Engineering. This Consilience Centre aims to address the global challenges of urban environments with evidence-based solutions that integrate climate science, urban planning and smart technologies.

Perception in Action Research Centre

Exploring the neural and cognitive mechanisms that underlie human perception and action.

The Perception in Action Research Centre (PARC) is a research collective in the School of Psychological Sciences. The goal of the centre is to explore the way that humans perceive and interact successfully in their environment. Researchers employ multiple techniques to examine the neural and cognitive mechanisms that allow humans to perceive and process the world, make decisions, and select appropriate actions.

Research Clinics

The Macquarie University Psychology Clinic

The Macquarie University Psychology Clinic offers a range of specialised psychological services to the general community. The clinic is staffed by interns who have completed their training in psychology and are undertaking post-graduate training in specialised areas to become Clinical Psychologists and Clinical Neuropsychologists. Many are already fully registered. All of the interns are supervised by qualified and experienced specialist professionals.

The Emotional Health Clinic

The Emotional Health Clinic is a specialist clinical unit dedicated to furthering research into the nature and treatment of anxiety disorders. The unit offers state-of-the-art assessment and treatment of these various disorders based on its own internationally recognised research. Innovative methods of treatment are developed for those who don't have direct access to the clinics and as well as school-based education programs looking at child and adolescent anxiety and depression.

The eCentreClinic

The eCentreClinic is specialist research clinic and a not-for-profit initiative of Macquarie University, that has developed and evaluated state-of-the-art free online treatment courses for people with symptoms of: worry (GAD), panic, social anxiety (social phobia), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), stress, depression, low mood and other health conditions, including chronic pain. Free access to these treatment courses is offered via participation in clinical trials, which are run throughout the year.

Research Facilities

• The Macquarie University Simulation Hub draws together a range of simulation devices into one location, enabling leading experts from the University and the industry to collaborate on translational research across a wide range of disciplines. The SimHub house the Flight Simulation Laboratory, the Driving Laboratory, as well as a several Virtual Reality, eye-tracking, and motion tracking laboratories (more information about these and related facilities is provided below).

• The KIT-Macquarie Brain Research Magnetoencephalography (MEG) Laboratory is the result of a collaboration between Macquarie University and the Kanazawa Institute of Technology (KIT), Japan. The laboratory currently manages three MEG systems, a 160-channel system for adults, a 128-channel system customised for pre-school children, and a prototype 32-channel system developed for those with hearing aid devices, including cochlear implants. To reduce external magnetic noise such as the Earth’s magnetic field, the adult and child MEG systems are both housed in a magnetically shielded room or MSR. It consists of three layers of permalloy (an alloy of iron and zinc) and one layer of copper. The Hearing MEG system is housed in a second separate MSR.

• Through Macquarie Medical Imaging at Macquarie hospital researchers of the department have access to two Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) systems, the Siemens Verio 3T scanner and the GE 750W 3T scanner. Both these scanners can be used to perform either functional or structural MRI sequences.

• The School has numerous elaborates and equipment for conducting electroencephalogram (EEG), Event-Related Potentials (ERP) and neurophysiology research. This includes several Neuroscan 32 or 64 sensors EEG systems, portable EEG and transcranial Doppler ultrasound (fTCD) systems, BIOSEMI Active-Two EEG systems. Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (NIBS) facility are also available for non-invasive brain stimulation research utilising a wide variety of transcranial brain stimulation (TMS) and transcranial electrical stimulation (TES).

• The Electrophysiology Hub will be a new facility which will comprise of 5 rooms all equipped with a baseline of electrophysiology equipment for shared use.

• Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) detects changes in hemoglobin species in the brain using differences in optical absorption, similar to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The advantage of fNIRS is that it uses low-cost, silent, and portable equipment (such as mobile EEG), making long-term monitoring and repeated measurements of cortical activities possible in various situations, including natural environments. The school has several portable systems that can booked for both in lab and out of lab use.

• The Flight Simulation Laboratory in the MQ Simulation Hub comprises a range of devices for research and training, including a 3-axis motion flight simulator, a Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Simulator, and four networked 2-axis motion simulators for squadron and multi-pilot flight simulation and training research. The flagship simulator in our fleet is the Redbird FMX Flight Simulator, which is an enclosed simulator that can seat 2 adults and provides 3 axis motion (yaw-pitch-roll). It uses a custom version of Flight Simulator X and allows flights to be planned from any real-world airport, using real or fictional weather and daylight conditions. Faults can be simulated or applied such as low fuel, engine faults, or aero flaps jamming. Flights are recorded automatically with a recording station, including a range of vehicle telemetry, and pilot video.

• The Driving Laboratory in the MQ Simulation Hub has several fixed-base driving simulators, each of which is operated through a central control room. The visual scenery and traffic events can be adapted to study driving behaviour in various environments and situations. The Laboratory also includes four networked 2-axis motion chair simulators for multi-person and human-autonomous driving research.

• By monitoring people’s eye-movements, it is possible to gain important insights into the underlying cognitive processes involved in range of human behaviours, including reading, attention, perceptual-motor behaviour, and social interaction. Accordinyl, the school has numerous eye-tracking systems and laboratories, including 6 portable EyeLink 1000 and 2000 eye-tracking systems, several head and tower mounted Eyelink 100 systems, SMI RED 250’s and a fleet of Tobii eye-tracking glasses.

• Researchers within the School have access to a range of virtual reality (VR) systems and research facilities, including a fleet of HTC Vive Pro-Eye and COSMOS HMDs, Meta Quest 2 and Meta Por HMDs, as well as 4 custom VR labs, with integrated full-body motion and face tracking technologies for social and multiagent VR research.

• The school has several marker and marker-less optical tracking (Vicon, Optitrack) systems, a range of wired and wireless Polhemus (Latus, Patriot, G4) magnetic motion tracking systems, 6-suit ROKOKO motion tracking suits, as well as numerous lower-cost commercial motion tracking systems for indoor and outdoor use.

• The Schools Social Robotics lab is used for the development and testing of experiments for Human-Robot interaction. Among other equipment, the lab gives access to 6 different interactive robot models with different capabilities: Alpha 1P, Cozmo, MiRo, NAO, Pepper, Zivko. The school also has The KINARM Facility hosts a KINARM End-point robot, which is designed to study different forms of motor adaptation including force-field adaptation and visuomotor adaptation.

• The Behavioural research facilities are comprised of a suite of rooms and resources, all provided for human behaviour research. The Behavioural Booths and Behavioural Rooms are equipped with the same base computer configuration and operating environment (Behavioural PC) to provide consistency and manoeuvrability between experiments. The Behavioural Laptop Pool and Behavioural iPad Pool are provided for off-site and mobile research.