Dr Nicholas Everett, The Brain and Mind Centre, School of Psychology, University of Sydney.Abstract: While psychosocial interventions for substance use disorders can be effective for some, they are inaccessible for the many, and relapse occurs in 60-80% of people despite successful abstinence. Unfortunately, addiction medicine is in its infancy, with very few therapies approved for […]

Dr Tom van Laer, Associate Professor of Narratology, University of SydneyAbstract: From re-enactments to pilgrimages, extraordinary experiences engage consumers with frames and roles that govern their actions for the duration of the experience. Exploring such extraordinary frames and roles, however, can make the act of returning to everyday life more difficult, a process prior research […]

Professor Andrew Baillie, The Sydney School of Health Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of SydneyBio: Andrew is a clinical psychologist and Professor of Allied Health with Sydney Local Health District and The Sydney School of Health Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine and Health. He works within SLHD to build Allied […]

Professor Simine Vazire, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of MelbourneAbstract: We often hear the self-correcting mechanisms in science invoked as a reason to trust science, but it is not always clear what these mechanisms are.  Some quality control mechanisms, such as peer review for journals, or vetting for textbooks or for public dissemination, have recently […]

Professor Jakob Hohwy, Monash University.Bio: Professor Jakob Hohwy is the Director of the Monash Centre for Consciousness & Contemplative Studies. M3CS received a $12M philanthropic grant from the Three Springs Foundation. The Centre aims to conducts philosophical, neuroscientific and psychological research in consciousness and contemplative science. The Centre aims to make contemplative practices central to […]

Dr Michelle Kelly, Senior Lecturer, School of Psychological Sciences, University of NewcastleBio: Dr Michelle Kelly is a Clinical Psychologist and a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Newcastle. Her research focus is on social functioning in clinical groups including dementia and traumatic brain injury. She also works closely with […]

Prof. Derek Arnold, University of QueenslandAbstract: When people make decisions, they experience a level of confidence in relation to their decisions. In visual perception, these levels of confidence are typically accurate – we tend to be more confident about decisions that are more precise. This insight into the quality of the information that has informed […]

Associate Professor Sam Schwarzkopf, School of Optometry & Vision Science, University of AucklandBio: Sam did a neuroscience degree at Cardiff University and subsequently decided to stay there also to do his PhD with Frank Sengpiel where he used optical imaging to investigate experience-dependent plasticity of visual cortex. Subsequently, he did a brief postdoc project at the University […]