PsyPSEC
Psychology Postgraduate Student Executive Committee
Showcase your work/creative piece here
Mentor Profiles
Anna Scovelle
Hi there! My name is Anna Scovelle and I am a mid-candidature PhD student with the Monash Sleep and Circadian Medicine Laboratory. My research is investigating sleep and cognition in older adults, and I am particularly interested in working with older adults who are "at-risk" or in the early stages of dementia. Outside of my PhD bubble I enjoy rollerskating, experimenting in the kitchen, and binge-watching trashy TV.
I have personally experienced the benefits of having a mentor to help guide and support me throughout the early years of my PhD, and am looking forward to shifting roles and returning the favour. Drop me a line if you're interested in knowing more.
Shayden Bryce
I am a DPsych (clinical neuropsychology) student doing a project in affiliation with MAPrc under the supervision of Jennie Ponsford, Susan Rossell and Stuart Lee. My doctoral research project is looking at the efficacy of cognitive remediation on cognitive and functional outcomes in schizophrenia, with a focus on the influence of intrinsic motivation and self efficacy. I am particularly interested in rehabilitation and injury/illness management in both ABI and severe mental illness and methods of optimising personal recovery.
I am a passionate student, but also understand the importance of a healthy work-life balance. I have been playing touch football for Monash for many years and still find the time to represent Monash at the Southern and Australian University Games.
Irene Lichtwark
My name is Irene Lichtwark and I am a PhD student in my third year. I am interested in subtle cognitive differences between older people and also in subtle cognitive changes in people diagnosed with Coeliac disease commencing on a gluten free diet.
My candidature has not been a straight forward one. I experienced changes in topic as well as supervisors due to staffing changes in the School of Psychology. Now, however under the skilled guidance of my supervisor Margaret Hay I am discovering how rewarding and exciting doing a PhD can be.
I would like to assist new HDR students to navigate some of the cliffs in the HDR ocean so that you can get straight to the rewarding and exciting bits.
In my ‘spare time’ I like to hang out with hubby and the three kids, reading, and exploring the beauties of the surrounding country side.
Benjamin Chen
The topic of my PhD is investigating visual perceptual learning - how we learn to process sensory information more effectively with practice or experience. In particular, I am investigating how perceptual learning interacts with a distributed neural network encompassing the visual system, as well as regions associated with attention and declarative memory.
While changes within the early visual system are characteristic of low-level perceptual learning (e.g., orientation bars, contrast gratings), it is less clear how later visual systems mediate the learning of more complex objects, such as human faces. Furthermore, outside the visual system, neuroimaging and neuropsychological studies suggest that temporal regions involved in declarative (conscious) memory also contribute to complex object perceptual learning, which has been traditionally regarded as a non-declarative (unconscious) form of learning.
Lastly, accompanying learning effects, neuroimaging studies have observed decreased patterns of activation within networks associated with attention. While their functional significance remains unclear, this finding could suggest that perceptual learning modulates and increases the efficiency of attentional deployment.
To investigate these areas, I will be using a number of different methodologies including psychophysics, eye tracking, meta-cognition, and transcranial magnetic stimulation.
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I'm a description. Click to edit me
I'm a description. Click to edit me
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Francesca Thomson
Hello! My name is Francesca Thomson, and I am currently enrolled in Doctor of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) program. My research project is interested in the psychological wellbeing of carers of children suffering from a chronic illness (more specifically type 1 diabetes). Under the supervision of A Prof Margaret Hay, my research hopes to compare prevalence rates between this group of carers, and carers of children without a chronic illness, as well as look at which factors contribute to wellbeing (e.g coping styles, family functioning, stress appraisal). After confirming my
candidature in November of 2013, I am currently in the recruitment phase.
My research project represents my wider clinical interest in
children and families. I am currently completing my advanced
placement at Take Two, a service that offers therapeutic support to children and families referred from the Department of Human Services. I am looking forward to applying for my internship next year, which will compliment my chosen specialisation, the child adolescent and family stream.
As a second (almost third) year DPsych student, I hope to offer support in helping students balance the multiple demands of the DPsych Course. I have found (with my own supervisor) – having someone to vent my stress to was really beneficial.
I think too having someone to talk to in regards to the expectations of the program (i.e. coursework, placement, research milestones) and when and where to prioritise certain aspects over others can help with time management.
I would be happy to meet face to face with mentees perhaps fortnightly or monthly would be manageable, and be happy to confer via emails.
The DPsych program does have home groups chaired by a HDR staff member. Home groups meet a few times a year – where 1st 2nd and 3rd year students talk about upcoming milestones. I think that the mentor program would offer a similar type of support, but more often and without the presence of a staff member, which may allow a more liberal tone to discussion.
Naznine Anwar
Naznine Anwar, I am an international PhD student under the supervision of Prof. Nellie Georgiou-Karistianis and Prof. Kim Cornish. In order to improve understanding of gait function, minimize the falling risk with Huntington’s disease progression and to increase the quality of life, my research is aimed at describing the impact of cognitive load on everyday walking, which requires the individual to perform an attention-demanding task while walking in a real life situation.
My expertise is on cognitive neuropsychology and clinical psychology with extensive overseas work experience. I have greatly enjoyed the chance to help others for developing the research skills, strength, and confidence to thrive in and out of school.
From my experiences as both a mentor and mentee, I know the powerful influence that a mentor has, and can think of nothing more exciting that helping a young person unlock their enormous potential.
In my free time, I enjoy volunteering, composing music, reading, watching movies, and exploring new places that I have never seen, as well as revisiting long-time favourites.
David Bakker
David started a Doctor of Psychology (Clinical) in 2014. His research involves the development and trialling of two smartphone apps designed to improve users' emotional well-being. He is interested in preventing and managing depression and anxiety, both in clinical and non-clinical contexts, and in technology-based ways. He is passionate about evidence-based therapeutic techniques, such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), and is interested in using these evidence-based frameworks in non-clinical support.
David originally hails from Tasmania, where he completed a BPsych (Hons) in Hobart. His honours research was in the field of music and emotion, using electroencephalography and event-related potentials to measure the neurological responses of people listening different chords and musical pieces.
In Tasmania he produced and hosted stand-up comedy rooms, and he has been enjoying performing in Melbourne's vibrant comedy scene. He also enjoys reading and his favourite authors are Steven Pinker, Richard Flanagan, and Neil Gaiman.
Lincoln Tracy
Lincoln commenced a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in 2014. His research involves investigating the potential mechanistic effects of oxytocin on pain-related experiences in people living with chronic pain.
After first moving to Melbourne in 2009, Lincoln completed a BBiomedSc (Hons) at Monash University. His honours work involved trialling oxytocin and vasopressin analogues for antidepressant and anxiolytic effects in an animal model of depression, becoming familiar with the use of animal models and behavioural testing.
He has also completed a Specialist Certificate in Clinical Research (Neuroscience) at the University of Melbourne, where he learnt many things including obtaining a high-level understanding of the major activities involved in planning clinical research methodologies applicable to problems in neurological disease.
When he’s not working on his PhD, Lincoln enjoys keeping active and reading web comics.
