The Neurodevelopment & Youth Mental Health Research Group

The NEuRoDevelopment (NERD) and Youth Mental Health Research Group, directed by Dr. Sarah Whittle, is part of Deakin University and the University of Melbourne.

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Latest News

In a world-first Australian study, we showed that helping parents to better recognise and respond to emotions in themselves and their children can measurably change how their adolescent children’s brains develop, and improve their mental health.

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New research, based on a nationally representative sample of 3500 participants aged 16-24 from the landmark Australian Child Maltreatment Study, and led by Dhatsayini Rattambige, examined the link between problematic drinking in young adulthood and their earlier experiences of abuse or neglect, or non-maltreatment adversities in childhood.

Our new paper, led by Lucy Zhang and Daniel Liontos, provides an overview of how early parent–child bonds are linked to brain development.

Get Involved

We are currently not recruiting research participants, but find out about our latest studies below.

Tuning in to Teen's Brains

Emotional Learning & Memory Study

Our vision is that our research will contribute in a meaningful way to understanding and treating mental health problems in young people, improving outcomes now and for future generations.