The NEuRoDevelopment & Youth Mental Health Research Group

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

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Latest News

New paper by our team published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, suggesting the presence of brain changes prior to the onset of depressive disorders in adolescents and emerging adults.

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Congratulations to Sylvia Lin, who gave the completion seminar for her PhD thesis!

"Understanding the role of parenting and family environment on adolescent brain function and mental health"

In a new paper led by Junxuan Zhao, we find evidence to suggest that maternal emotion socialisation behaviours influence adolescent emotion regulation ability. Our findings also provide insight into reporter bias.

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.