Sharpe Lab
Our research explores how we can build cognitive models from learned associations across various brain regions, with a focus on the central role of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in driving learning through dopamine signalling, and the lateral hypothalamus in storing learned associations.
We investigate how disruptions in these processes contribute to disorders like schizophrenia, addiction, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), aiming to develop targeted therapies to enhance patient outcomes.
Learn more about our research.
Our people
We have a range of people with differential expertise at different career stages that are working together to understand the brain. This allows us to conduct research across a number of different techniques with differing perspectives.
Dr Melissa Sharpe, Research Head
- Dr Masakazu Taira, Postdoctoral Fellow
- Dr Arvie Abiero, Postdoctoral Fellow
- Dr Kiruthika Ganesan, Postdoctoral Fellow
- Dr Jessica Leake, Postdoctoral Fellow
- Adrian Dawson, Honours Student/Research Assistant
Join us
We are accepting graduate students and are always open to postdocs applying to join our team. If you’re interested in working within our team, contact Mel at melissa.sharpe@sydney.edu.au with a brief description of your background, expertise, and research interests in the context of our umbrella of research.
Image on this page courtesy of Anna Beyeler