I am a Postdoctoral Research Fellow. My research intersects the life and social sciences, exploring whether we can improve brain functioning and mental health through built environment design.

Specifically, the role of interior built environments on cognitive processes such as perception, attention, and emotion regulation.

Monica Cations is a provisional psychologist and epidemiologist who has worked in the ageing and dementia field for over a decade. Her research is translational with a focus on psychological wellbeing in aged care environments and young people using aged care. Monica is a Lecturer in Lifespan Development in the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work at Flinders University, supported by an MRFF/NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellowship and a Hospital Research Foundation Early Career Fellowship.

I am a Senior Lecturer in Psychology and a clinical psychologist. My research focuses on reducing the incidence and impact of cancer. I am is particularly interested in understanding cancer-related cognitive impairment and developing ways to reduce the problems in memory, attention and executive functioning experienced by many cancer survivors.

I am a Senior Lecturer in Exercise Physiology, steering committee member of UniSA Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA) research centre and a CAIN affiliate member. As an exercise neurophysiologist my research vision is to reduce age-related disability in older adults through applying novel sustainable and enjoyable interventions and exploring the nexus between physical activity, brain function, and cognitive health. I have a strong interdisciplinary track record spanning the fields of neurophysiology, exercise physiology, and cognitive neuroscience. I am currently investigating best days (physical activity, sleep and sedentary behaviour) and best diets to protect against dementia in late life. This project is funded through an NHMRC Dementia Prevention Priority grant.

I am a postdoctoral research associate responsible for developing CAIN’s eye-tracking and virtual reality research programme.  My research spans several different projects, such as: examining eye movements in people that have cognitive impairments, using virtual reality to assess the transferability of real-world skills, and investigating the cognitive aftereffects of using virtual reality for extended periods of time. I also have an interest in the application of eye-tracking in virtual reality and developing new eye-tracking analysis software for complex environments. 
 

I am a Research Fellow and Clinical Neuropsychologist. My research combines clinical neuropsychology, cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging techniques to investigate motivation, reward processing and financial capability in healthy ageing and dementia. I aim to understand the neurobiological bases of these cognitive processes in order to develop new ways to support impairments in individuals with dementia. I am currently developing a wellbeing program for older adults in the community.

I am a Ph.D. student within the CAIN Lab and my research is focused on addressing barriers to accessing mental health support for neurodivergent adults. This research will explore the mental health support service experiences of neurodivergent individuals to gain an understanding of their needs, preferences, and experiences within these settings to inform future research designs and measures. This knowledge will assist in leveraging technology to improve the accessibility of mental health support for this population.

I’m deeply passionate about exploring neurocognitive conditions in older adults in relation to cognition, emotion, behavior, and overall well-being. My interests encompass the intricate interplay between biological, psychological, and social factors influencing the neurocognitive health of older adults. I am particularly fascinated by the prediction, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of neuropsychological conditions in older adults. Additionally, my passion extends to the realm of clinical psychiatric conditions. My Ph.D. research is dedicated to the development of a delirium rehabilitation program for older adults.

My research explores the potential of virtual reality (VR) to improve the lives of neurodiverse individuals. I am currently researching and developing co-designed prototypes of VR sensory rooms that could have the potential to provide autistic individuals with a portable, customizable, and person-centered solution to sensory processing challenges. Additionally, I am investigating the application of VR in training and learning within the care sector, focusing on the development and evaluation of VR-based de-escalation training programs to better prepare care professionals for challenging situations.

My passion for helping young minds reach their full potential, while cherishing their unique individuality, led me to pursue a Masters in Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychology. As a PhD student at CAIN lab, I am now dedicated to finding innovative and effective ways to use Virtual Reality (VR) to create immersive and engaging therapeutic environments for adolescents. By contributing to the growing body of evidence supporting the use of VR in therapy, we also hope to deliver much-needed mental health services to remote and regional areas.

Supervisors: Tobias Loetscher, Caroline Ellison, Ancret Szpak, Amanda Hutchinson, Gun Lee

Social cognition involves the ability to identify and recognise the emotional expression of others and to make judgements on their mental states such as their thoughts, feelings and intentions. Throughout my PhD I will be investigating age-related declines in social cognition within healthy populations.

Supervisors: A/Prof Hannah Keage & Dr Stephanie Wong

I am an occupational therapy lecturer with significant experience working as a clinician in neurological rehabilitation.

I am interested in researching visual perception and unilateral spatial neglect following stroke and improving functional outcomes for these individuals.  I am investigating the assessment of unilateral spatial neglect post stroke with the aim of developing a recommended assessment protocol for each subtype of neglect.

Supervisors: Tobias Loetscher, Susan Hillier, Jocelyn Kernot and Tracey Stuart.

I am currently a first-year PhD student within the CAIN Lab and my main research interest centres on how cerebrovascular functions change with ageing and how they relate to cognitive functioning. Specifically, my research will focus on the link between blood pressure variability and cerebrovascular function in order to better understand cognitive ageing.

Supervisors: A/Prof Hannah Keage, Dr Ash Smith and Dr Tobias Loetscher

I am in my fourth year of a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours). Under Dr Matthew Smout's supervision and Associate Professor Tobias Loetscher's co-supervision, my honours project focuses on the mammalian dive reflex and how that can help with social anxiety. The project investigates whether anxiety decreases due to cold water immersion as part of the mammalian dive reflex. I was inspired to do this project as it could determine if this treatment method could help reduce anxiety's physiological effects while also introducing a potential therapeutic approach for anxiety patients.

I am currently completing my Honours year of the Bachelor of Psychology within the CAIN lab, under the supervision of  Prof Hannah Keage and co-supervisor Amy Jarvis. My project will explore the relationship between Theory of mind and empathy in older adults. 

I am studying a Bachelor of Psychology (Cognitive Neuroscience) and am currently in my honours year. I am supervised by Professor Hannah Keage (University of South Australia) and Associate Professor Lyndsey Collins-Praino (University of Adelaide), also collaborating with Angus McNamara and Benjamin Ellul (both University of Adelaide). My research topic is focused on investigating associations between prodromal symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and traumatic brain injury. I also work as a research assistant on the ACTIVate project investigating dementia prevention. 

I am currently completing my honours year of a Bachelor of Psychology (Cognitive Neuroscience) (Honours) with Professor Hannah Keage and Maddison Mellow, collaborating with Dr Ashleigh Smith. For my thesis, I am exploring the effects of COVID-19 infection on subjective and objective cognition in older adults.  I am also currently working as a research assistant with the ACTIVate Study exploring dementia prevention in older adults.

I am an honours student in the UniSA CAIN lab and my thesis is about comparing the most effective virtual environments for teaching living skills to individuals with intellectual disability. I have worked with this population in my career outside of university for 5 years and I have developed a strong passion for serving and finding ways to improve the lives of those living with disability. I hope to find a long-term career in psychology that will allow me to have a positive and long-lasting impact on the lives of these individuals!

I have worked as a Research Assistant at the CAIN lab since 2021 and I am currently completing my Honours year of the Bachelor of Psychology within the CAIN lab, under the supervision of Professor Hannah Keage and co-supervision of Dr Mel Hull, Dr Danielle Greaves, and Dr Isabella Bower. My project aims to evaluate the psychosocial outcomes of the Wonder and Wisdom intergenerational playgroup program.

I am a student in my final year of a Bachelor of Psychology (Cognitive Neuroscience) (Honours). Under the supervision of Prof Hannah Keage and Dr Ashleigh Smith, I am currently completing my thesis which aims to assess the association between blood pressure variability and brain structure and function. 

I am currently completing my final year of the Bachelor of Psychology and will begin my Honours year next year. I hope to pursue a PhD or Masters of Clinical Psychology thereafter.