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DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Sydney:20240802T150000
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SUMMARY:Psychology Colloquium: Prof Michael Bowen (USYD)
DESCRIPTION:Prof Michael Bowen (USYD)Title: KNX100 and other small molecules that could: Developing prosocial compounds for disorders of the brain and mind\nAbstract: Challenges with social motivation\, interactions\, and communication are central to many disorders of the brain and mind\, and are major barriers to improved functioning in others. For example\, in substance use disorders\, impairments in social functioning can hinder successful engagement in programs where social factors are crucial\, such as the Community Reinforcement Approach and Alcoholics Anonymous. Despite their pervasiveness\, there are no approved pharmacotherapies specifically targeting social symptoms. KNX100 is a novel\, now clinical-stage small molecule\, discovered at the University of Sydney through a phenotypic screen that identified its prosocial effects and modulation of social circuits in the brain. KNX100 is being developed by the University of Sydney spinout company\, Kinoxis Therapeutics\, in close partnership with the University under a major multi-year research partnership. In preclinical models\, KNX100 is showing transdiagnostic potential for treating substance use disorders\, and for reducing agitation and aggression in neurological and psychiatric conditions. KNX100’s novel mechanism of action involves inhibiting neuronal hyperactivity in the nucleus accumbens shell and increased activity in the prodynorphin-dynorphin-kappa opioid receptor pathway in this brain region\, a system at the nexus of motivation\, socioemotional behaviour\, and stress. Current programs are exploring KNX100’s clinical efficacy for treating several substance use disorders\, and agitation and aggression in dementia. In its other major program\, Kinoxis has partnered with multinational pharmaceutical company Boehringer-Ingelheim to discover and develop\, in close partnership with researchers at the University\, novel small molecules targeting the oxytocin receptor\, one of the most important social systems in the brain.  \nBio: Michael Bowen is Professor of Translational Neuroscience and Psychopharmacology in the School of Psychology and Brain and Mind Centre\, University of Sydney\, and co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Kinoxis Therapeutics\, a biotech company developing novel therapeutics for disorders of the brain and mind. Michael was co-inventor of the Kinoxis lead compound\, KNX100\, which is being developed for the treatment of substance use disorders and agitation and aggression in dementia. KNX100 is in clinical development under a US FDA IND and has successfully complete phase 1 clinical trials. In addition to the KNX100 program\, Kinoxis Therapeutics has a preclinical program developing novel small molecules targeting the oxytocin receptor. Michael’s team is supported by funding from industry\, the US NIH/NIDA\, Australian NHMRC\, and philanthropy. In recognition of his work discovering and developing novel therapeutics and for his achievements translating and commercialising research\, Michael has received numerous honours\, including the 2021 Australian Prime Minister’s Prize for New Innovators\, the 2016 Eureka Prize for Outstanding Early Career Researcher\, the 2016 International Behavioral Neuroscience Society Early Career Award\, the inaugural NSW Premier’s Prize for Early Career Researcher of the Year in 2015\, and being inducted into the World Economic Forum’s Young Scientists Community in 2016.
URL:https://psychology-events.sydney.edu.au/event/psychology-colloquium-prof-michael-bowen-usyd/
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DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Sydney:20240809T150000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Sydney:20240809T160000
DTSTAMP:20260503T221804
CREATED:20250507T045304Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250507T045304Z
UID:134-1723215600-1723219200@psychology-events.sydney.edu.au
SUMMARY:Psychology Colloquium: Prof Ben Newell (UNSW)
DESCRIPTION:Prof Ben Newell (UNSW)Title: The many uncertainties of climate change: A psychological perspective\nAbstract: The one thing that is certain about climate change is that it is happening. The extent of its impacts\, our ability to adapt\, to mitigate and to plan are\, however\, all inherently uncertain. This is unfortunate because uncertainty can often cloud perception and undermine action. In this talk I will present work examining variants of uncertainty that have relevance for understanding psychological reactions to climate change. This includes experiments assessing how the projections of climate models are interpreted\, how uncertain thresholds affect decisions in simulated climate negotiations\, and how climate risk information affects judgments in simulated online property searches. The diversity of these problems highlights the challenges faced by any single discipline in addressing the challenges of climate change. I will advocate for the importance of interdisciplinary approaches and illustrate how such collaborations can precipitate policy\, and ultimately behavioural change.\nBio: Ben Newell is Professor of Cognitive Psychology in the School of Psychology at UNSW Sydney\, and Director of the UNSW Institute for Climate Risk & Response. His research focuses on the cognitive processes underlying judgment\, choice and decision-making. His role in the new Institute is to drive an interdisciplinary research agenda bringing together expertise from behavioural science\, climate science\, economics\, actuarial science\, law and governance to address the risks and opportunities of climate change. He has published multiple articles at the intersection of psychology and climate change\, with particular focus on the understanding of uncertainty and risk. Ben is lead author of the books Straight Choices: The Psychology of Decision Making\, and Open Minded: A Search for Truth about the Unconscious Mind. Ben is a member of the Academic Advisory Panel of the Behavioural Economics Team of the Australian Government (BETA)\, and the Chief Medical Officer’s advisory group for the National Health and Climate Strategy.
URL:https://psychology-events.sydney.edu.au/event/psychology-colloquium-prof-ben-newell-unsw/
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DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Sydney:20240816T150000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Sydney:20240816T160000
DTSTAMP:20260503T221804
CREATED:20250507T045310Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250507T045310Z
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SUMMARY:Psychology Colloquium: Prof Andrew Lawrence (Florey)
DESCRIPTION:Prof Andrew Lawrence (Florey)Title: Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptors as a Novel Treatment Target for Alcohol Use Disorder\nAbstract: Despite the large socioeconomic burden of alcohol use disorders (AUD)\, therapeutic treatment options are limited. There is a need to characterise the underlying neurochemistry driving alcohol seeking to identify and evaluate novel treatment targets. To this end we conducted genome-wide RNA sequencing in the striatum from humans with AUD and healthy controls and concurrently examined receptor expression in the corresponding brain regions in rat following chronic alcohol consumption/withdrawal. In the brains from humans with AUD we found reduced expression of muscarinic M4 receptors\, which was limited to the putamen. In line with this\, expression of the same receptor was decreased in the rat dorsolateral striatum (plus other regions). These findings have been extended to mouse striatum by a collaborating laboratory. Further\, administration of an M4 Positive Allosteric Modulator to target M4 receptors reduced alcohol self-administration and relapse\, without effects on natural reward consumption or sedation. Collectively\, our data identify a novel treatment target for AUD. We are in the process of trying to translate this finding.\nBio:\nProfessor Andrew Lawrence is a Senior Principal Research Fellow & Deputy Director at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience & Mental Health where he runs the Addiction Neuroscience laboratory. Andrew has published over 300 original articles & reviews\, with >14\,800 citations (H index 64). Andrew was Treasurer of the Australian Neuroscience Society (2002-2008)\, President of the Asian-Pacific Society for Neurochemistry (2014-16) & is currently President-elect of the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism. He is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Neurochemistry and an Honorary Fellow of the British Pharmacological Society for “sustained excellence and leadership in pharmacology”. To date Andrew has delivered 11 plenary lectures such as the 2017 Lawrie Austin lecture at Australasian Neuroscience Society and the 2021 Plenary at the Japanese Society for Neurochemistry. He was recently invited to speak at the 2024 Gordon Research Conference on Alcohol and the Nervous System. Andrew’s research leadership extends to being a passionate mentor\, many of his students/postdocs are now in successful academic appointments around the world. He embraces diversity and inclusion and has striven to create a safe and supportive environment where people can flourish. As a behavioural neuropharmacologist\, Andrew studies basic mechanisms relevant to addiction and motivated behaviour patterns. He is recognised for developing rodent models to understand the neurochemical basis of drug-seeking and drug-induced adaptations. His lab’s focus is to identify and validate new therapeutic targets for drug and alcohol abuse.
URL:https://psychology-events.sydney.edu.au/event/psychology-colloquium-prof-andrew-lawrence-florey/
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DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Sydney:20240823T150000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Sydney:20240823T160000
DTSTAMP:20260503T221804
CREATED:20250507T045310Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250507T045310Z
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SUMMARY:Psychology Colloquium: Dr Jelena Brcic (University of the Fraser Valley)
DESCRIPTION:Dr Jelena Brcic (University of the Fraser Valley)Title: Reported Psychological Growth Following Work in Extreme and Unusual Environments: Role of Perceived Stress and Coping\nAbstract: There are psychological\, biological\, and sociological constructs that emerge within extreme and unusual environments (EUE) that cannot be studied elsewhere. Post-Experience Change (PEC)\, which is significantly modelled after Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG)\, is one such aspect. PTG it is defined as a positive psychological change as a result of psychological struggle ensuing trauma. Changes can be experienced in perceptions of self\, changes in interpersonal relationships\, and in the meaningfulness of life (Tedeschi & Calhoun\, 1996; Triplett et al.\, 2012). We believe that prolonged experiences in EUEs\, which are not traumatic but are meaningful\, can have a positive impact and lead to life changes experienced by expedition members.\nTo understand the full deployment experience\, growth possibilities\, and to identify the situational impact on the personnel in EUEs\, a study of stress perception and coping strategies is essential. Work in this domain of stress and coping has been plentiful across many EUEs (Leon\, Sandal\, & Larsen\, 2011; Nicolas et al.\, 2013; Suedfeld et al.\, 2009\, 2012\, 2015).\nThis presentation will examine stress\, coping\, and PEC in expedition members from three different EUE groups: long-duration astronauts\, winter-over crew working on an Environment Canada weather station in Ellesmere Island\, Nunavut\, and rescue teams from BC Search and Rescue and Royal Canadian Search and Rescue organizations. Discussion will be around the impact of mission duration\, the extremeness and uniqueness of the environment\, and the type of positive impact the experiences had on expedition members.\nBio: Dr. Jelena Brcic is an Associate Professor at the University of the Fraser Valley’s School of Business. She is an expert in the study of teams in extreme “workplaces”; among which are the International Space Station\, the Canadian Artic\, and the BC wilderness. Dr. Brcic is trying to understand how these extreme teams deal with adversity\, maintain resilience\, build their own culture\, and solve problems. Informed by her research\, she also teaches classes on how to build great teams in typical organizations and how to lead happy\, satisfied employees. When she isn’t working\, she is exploring the local beaches and mountains with her husband\, two boys\, and a Labrador Retriever named Buzz.
URL:https://psychology-events.sydney.edu.au/event/psychology-colloquium-dr-jelena-brcic-university-of-the-fraser-valley/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Sydney:20240830T150000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Sydney:20240830T160000
DTSTAMP:20260503T221804
CREATED:20250507T045310Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250507T045310Z
UID:137-1725030000-1725033600@psychology-events.sydney.edu.au
SUMMARY:Psychology Colloquium: Prof Paul Rhodes (USYD)
DESCRIPTION:Prof Paul Rhodes (USYD)Title: Eco-psychology: a critical paradigm in the climate emergency\nAbstract: This presentation makes the argument that mainstream psychological practice is not equipped to respond to distress associated with the climate emergency. This is because the field focusses on individual pathology\, rather than ecological context. It remains reticent about activism and politics and is ontologically aligned with the Anthropocene\, a new era in which the human species is creating an observable effect in the geological record\, to the detriment of the planet and its life forms. An introduction is provided to ecopsychology\, its history and philosophy\, a movement that has sought to subvert and transform mainstream psychology over the last three decades. Ecopsychology still offers an opportunity for mainstream psychology to alter its approach in the face of the climate emergency. Six studies conducted by the Ecological Emotions Research Lab will be presented as exemplary of eco-psychological inquiry.\nBio: Paul Rhodes is a Professor in the Clinical Psychology Unit and co-leads the Ecological Emotions Research Lab with historian Dr Jamie Dunk. His research at present focusses on community-based responses to climate emotion\, peer work and youth suicide prevention\,  arts translation and social prescription  and issues related to cultural responsiveness and safety. Paul is also Chair of the Aboriginal Strategy Committee for the School of Psychology as a proud ally\, and Coordinator of a new Unit of Study\, Multiple Discourses in Mental Health co-designed and co-led by consumer/ex-patient/survivors of the mental health system. In his spare time he is a practising artist at Lennox St Studios and has exhibited extensively in Australia and the United Kingdom.
URL:https://psychology-events.sydney.edu.au/event/psychology-colloquium-prof-paul-rhodes-usyd/
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