The University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre is a network of researchers and clinicians who partner across borders and disciplines in pursuit of a common goal; to develop better treatments for conditions of the brain and mind and improve health outcomes now and for future generations.
Disorders of the brain and mind are the greatest health challenges we face in the 21st century. These diseases are devastating for those affected, their families and society, and threaten the social and economic participation of people of all ages across the globe.
The Brain and Mind Centre provides the physical infrastructure, technology, the collegial environment, and support required to facilitate opportunities for innovative research programs.
Brain and Mind Centre researchers form a virtual network of academics across the University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Nepean Hospital, Royal North Shore Hospital, Kolling Institute, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Sydney Adventist Hospital, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and the Sydney Local Health District.
These visionary research teams partner with the community, industry, government and diverse branches of academia to make a real difference to people’s lives.
Our large-scale research is collaborative and innovative, our laboratories are state of the art and our clinics are a valuable resource for people in need. Read more about our partners and connections.
Professor Ian Hickie AO is an internationally renowned researcher in clinical psychiatry and a leading voice on mental health issues. He was an inaugural Commissioner on Australia’s National Mental Health Commission (2012-18), overseeing enhanced accountability for mental health reform in Australia. Professor Hickie was a founding director of headspace, which provides support for young people, and the inaugural chief executive of beyondblue, a non-profit organisation working to address issues associated with depression, anxiety and suicide.
Professor Ben Colagiuri is a Professor and Head of School in the School of Psychology.
He received his PhD in Psychology in 2010 from the same School. His research explores how expectancies influence human behaviour, with a specific interest in placebo and nocebo effects. To date, he has developed a number of novel experimental models to uncover the mechanisms of placebo and nocebo effects for pain, sleep, nausea, and related conditions. He has been awarded more than $5.5 million in competitive research funding, including multiple Australian Research Council Discovery Grants, published over 100 scientific papers, and received national and international recognition for his research, including the International Association for the Study of Pain Patrick D Wall Young Investigator Prize 2024, Australian Psychological Society Media Award for Public Engagement 2019 and the International Society for Behavioural Medicine Early Career Award 2016. His current research is exploring how knowledge about placebo and nocebo effects could be used ethically to improve patient outcomes.
Oksana Markovych is the Acting Chief Operating Officer at the Brain and Mind Centre and leads the implementation of strategic and operational research plans both locally and across the wider University.
Phone: +61 2 9351 0774
Email: brainandmind.info@sydney.edu.au
94 Mallett Street, Camperdown NSW 2050
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
