Research

Members of the department undertake research in the neurosciences, cell biology and mechanisms of cell differentiation, palaeoanthropology (human evolution) and early human development. We use a wide range of techniques from molecular biology, to behavioral measurements in both animal models and human tissues. The Department is well equipped with molecular biology labs, electrophysiological recording equipment and state-of-the-art microscopy and imaging facilities. Research groups in the Department also contribute to a number of undergraduate courses in Neuroscience and Biological Anthropology as well as providing research training for honours and postgraduate students.

Research in Neuroscience has been a major focus in Anatomy at UNSW since the School was founded. The overall goal is a better understanding of normal neural function and its modifications in injury and disease. Current topics include:

• Peripheral nerve injury and pain mechanisms
• Spinal cord damage and potential repair strategies
• Developmental neurobiology and the effects of teratogens
• Comparative neuroanatomy of monotremes and marsupials
• Cardiovascular control and mechanisms of stress
• Neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease

Neuroscience researchers in Anatomy are part of the multidisciplinary Neuroscience Group in the School of Medical Sciences. They are also members of the wider consortium Brain Science UNSW, which encompasses clinicians, psychologists and engineers as well as neuroanatomists, physiologists and pharmacologists.