HDR Scholarship - Adolescent Brain Development

Location

Melbourne Burwood Campus

Research topic

Adolescence is a sensitive developmental window for brain maturation and reorganisation, fundamental to enhancing socioemotional abilities that are key to successful adult functioning. However, for some individuals these changes can lead to socioemotional problems and increased vulnerability to adverse outcomes. Emerging research suggests that the biological events of pubertal onset and progression play a major and unique role in brain development, independent of age, and may contribute to the greater vulnerability to socioemotional problems.

Leveraging the largest consortium of internationally collaborative datasets (ENIGMA consortium – Puberty Working Group), bringing together datasets with neuroimaging, pubertal and behavioural data, this project will enable assessment and characterisation of the unique impact of puberty on brain development and inform prominent models of adolescent behaviour.

Under the supervision of Dr Nandita Vijayakumar and Professor Tim Silk, in the Brain and Cognitive Development Lab, School of Psychology, Deakin University, this project provides and exceptional opportunity to support research training for a higher degree by research (HDR) candidate. The candidates will develop technical expertise in structural and/or functional connectivity analysis techniques and drive the project on pubertal processes and hormonal mechanisms.

Project aim

The candidate will work on pooling and analyzing datasets as part of an international collaboration that investigates how hormonal and physical changes during puberty are related to structural and functional maturation of the adolescent brain.

The project aims will be centred on identifying neurodevelopmental patterns related to pubertal timing, whether these patterns predict socioemotional functioning during adolescence, and which pubertal processes (physical and hormonal) confer the greatest risk for socioemotional difficulties. The candidate will have input on the nature and direction of the specific research questions for the thesis.

Important dates

Applications close 5pm, Sunday 9 March 2025

Benefits

This scholarship is available over 3 years.

Stipend of $35,550 per annum tax exempt (2025 rate)
Relocation allowance of $500-1500 (for single to family) for students moving from interstate
International students only: Tuition fees offset for the duration of 4 years. Single Overseas Student Health Cover policy for the duration of the student visa.

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible you must:

be a domestic or international candidate. Domestic includes candidates with Australian Citizenship, Australian Permanent Residency or New Zealand Citizenship.
meet Deakin's PhD entry requirements
be enrolling full time and hold an honours degree (first class) or an equivalent standard master's degree with a substantial research component.

Please refer to the research degree entry pathways page for further information.

How to apply

Please email a CV and cover letter to Dr Nandi Vijayakumar. The CV should highlight your skills, education, publications and relevant work experience. If you are successful you will then be invited to submit a formal application.