ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders

Delivering treatments and outcomes for people with cognitive disorders.

The ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders (CCD) was a collaborative hub for the study of the cognitive sciences and the diagnosis and treatment of cognitive disorders.

This ARC Centre of Excellence aimed to be recognised as a global leader in the field of cognitive science.

Scientists from multiple disciplines came to the CCD to link theoretical models and research findings in the cognitive sciences that would benefit those with cognitive disorders.

Research making an impact

The research carried out by the CCD has considerable potential for making an impact on the health and social well-being of Australians because of its influence on educational policy and clinical practice.

The CCD had five key areas of focus, as they are well understood from a theoretical perspective and due to Australia’s high number of accomplished researchers in each of these fields. These included:

• Belief Formation
• Language
• Memory
• Person Perception
• Reading

Research in the five programs involved work from numerous staff and students, and was conducted at three nodes of the Centre at various national and international institutions.

The Macquarie University Node of the CCD includes contributions from the Department of Cognitive Science, Department of Linguistics and the Department of Psychology.

As with all other ARC Centres of Excellence belonging to this field, the CCD’s research has been recognised for its improvement of Australia’s international standing in an area of national priority.

Operating from 2011 - 2018, the CCD has a proud publication history that features an extensive catalogue of books, book chapters and periodicals.

ARC contributors at Macquarie University

The CCD was under the direction of Macquarie University’s Distinguished Professor Stephen Crain and Deputy Director, Distinguished Professor Anne Castles. They lead the Language and Reading research programs, respectively, while Associate Professor Robyn Langdon lead the Belief Formation Program. They had the backing of chief investigators, partner investigators and associate investigators, as well as an excellent team of administrative staff.