Swinburne researcher awarded NHMRC Research Fellowship

Swinburne’s Professor Susan Rossell has received National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) funding to conduct research into improving cognition in mental illness.

The NHMRC Research Fellowship will see Professor Rossell receive $649,175 of funding over five years to work in collaboration with St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne.

This funding will enable Professor Rossell to continue her research in the field of cognitive neuropsychology, focusing on understanding and improving the cognitive problems experienced in psychosis and related disorders.

Professor Rossell says she is honoured to receive the grant as recognition of her extensive work in neuropsychology.

“This fellowship represents years of hard work and dedication to making a difference to people who have persistent mental health conditions. I am thrilled that my perseverance and vision within the field has been recognised,” Professor Rossell says.

Over the last five years, Professor Rossell has published 127 original articles and reviews in internationally recognised journals such as Psychological Medicine and Schizophrenia Research.

Underpinned by a multidisciplinary program of research, Professor Rossell has already conducted important research in her field, such as understanding the processes involved when people with schizophrenia hear voices, and developing a novel visual retraining program that uses eye-tracking technology to help people with body dysmorphic disorder view their face and body.

Through this Research Fellowship, Professor Rossell aims to continue to produce impactful clinical research findings that can be translated into practice.

“Improving cognitive function has direct and indirect personal and societal benefits. In due course, such changes can result in reduced health care and societal costs.”  

Professor Rossell is currently the Director of Swinburne’s Centre for Mental Health.

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