www.sysneuro.org mirrors a University of Melbourne domain

End-of-year dinner
Our team had lots of success to celebrate this year at our end-of-year dinner in Carlton.

November 2024News
Saampras Ganesan awarded best poster prize
Saampras was awarded the best poster prize at rtFIN 2024 (Heidelberg, Germany) for his work in fMRI neurofeedback and meditation.

November 2024News
Remika Mito presented with the 2024 VBIC Emerging Leader Award
Remika was awarded the 2024 Victorian Biomedical Imaging Capability Emerging Leader Award at the organisation's annual meeting, held in Melbourne.

November 2024News
Andrew Zalesky recognised as a highly cited researcher
Andrew was recognised in the 2024 Clarivate annual global list of Highly Cited Researchers.

November 2024News
Maria Di Biase awarded Al and Val Rosenstrauss Fellowship
Maria was awarded the 2025 Al and Val Rosenstrauss Fellowship from the Rebecca L. Cooper Foundation. The Fellowship provides 5 years of research support. Congrats Maria!

October 2024News
ARC DECRA Fellowship awarded to Caio Seguin!
Congrats to Caio on award of the ARC DECRA Fellowship. Commencing in 2025, Caio's fellowship will focus on modeling interregional communication in brain networks, particularly in response to brain stimulation.

September 2024News
OptiStim clinical trial funded for $2.5M
Congrats to Robin Cash and team! The OptiStim trial will evaluate the efficacy of fMRI-guided personalisation of TMS therapy for depression. Robin was interviewed by Channel 9 News about the research trial.

June 2024News
New research out in Nature Mental Health
Connie Nga Yan Tse and Ye Tian each published work in Nature Mental Health. Connie undertook a mega-analysis of brain connectivity in youth depression and Ye mapped pathways linking organ and brain health across different psychiatric disorders.

June 2024News
NHMRC EL1 success! - Ye Tian
Well done to Ye on award of the NHMRC EL1 Investigator Grant, commencing in 2024. Ye intends to establish fundamental biological knowledge about the interplay between brain and body health in psychiatry.

November 2023News
ARC DECRA Fellowship awarded to Remika Mito!
Remika will join the Systems Group in 2024 with the support of the ARC DECRA Fellowship. Remika's fellowship will focus on harmonization of diffusion MRI scans. Welcome and congrats Remika!

October 2023News
Brain network communication review out in Nature Reviews Neuroscience
Caio's review is out in Nature Reviews Neuroscience. A comprehensive review of network communication models for brain networks.

July 2023News
ENIGMA Meditation founded!
Saampras Ganesan founds and co-chairs the ENIGMA Meditation Working Group. The group will focus on understanding the neural underpinnings of contemplative practices.

April 2023News
Ye Tian interviewed on ABC TV News
Ye was interviewed by ABC TV News, SBS, SKY News and several other media about her work on brain and body aging. Her research challenges the belief that age is determined by your date of birth.

April 2023News
40,000 connectomes mapped
Sina Mansour, Caio Seguin and collaborators completed mapping structural and functional connectomes for 40,000 UK Biobank participants. Connectomes are now openly available to UKB users.

March 2023News
Dr Sina Mansour awarded PhD
Sina was awarded his PhD today! Congrats Sina!

February 2023News
CSC grant awarded to Saampras Ganesan!
Sampraas Ganesan was awarded the CSC and CSC+ grants to enhance meditation training for beginner meditators using functional MRI neurofeedback.

October 2022News

Our researchers in the news...

Enhancing meditation training for beginner meditators using functional MRI neurofeedback, June 2024
Electricity flow in the human brain can be predicted using the simple maths of networks, new study reveals, The Conversation, March 2023

TMS therapy for depression

Brain scan study identifies potential targets to treat youths with severe depression, The Guardian, September2024
Mapping patients’ brains to better target magnetic stimulation depression treatment, Unimelb News, June 2024
Dr Robin Cash on Channel 9 News Melbourne, Channel 9 News, June 2024
$1.6m NHMRC grant awarded to advance treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders, Ingenium Magazine, October 2022

From electrical engineering to neuroscience & psychiatry

Q&A with Andrew Zalesky, Q&A, Nature Mental Health, September 2024

About us Our People

Emerging areas in our group include in vitro neuronal networks [Maria], brain-body interactions [Ye], transcranial magnetic stimulation [Robin], diffusion MRI [Remika] and network communication [Caio].

Our researchers integrate expertise from a range of disciplines, including neuroscience, psychiatry, psychology, engineering and computer science.

Our Values

Research excellence - we are committed to conducting research of the highest quality and impact.
Research training - we are dedicated to training the next generation of scientists and engineers.
Inclusiveness - we welcome a range of views and promote a supportive research culture of mutual respect.
Interdisciplinarity - we are an interdisciplinary group and welcome researchers from diverse academic backgrounds.
Making a difference - we are driven by the desire to create positive change and improve the lives of people suffering with mental illness.

Our Location

Our researchers and students are located at the University of Melbourne and based within the Faculties of Engineering and Medicine. We belong to the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Psychiatry and Department of Anatomy and Physiology. Most of our researchers are located on Level 3 of the Alan Gilbert Building.

Our History

Systems Neuropsychiatry was established as one of five research streams within the Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre in 2011. Led by Alex Fornito and Andrew Zalesky, the stream focussed on connectome analysis in health and disease. In 2014, Alex moved on from the University of Melbourne, while Andrew continued heading the research stream. The stream grew steadily during 2017-19, supported by a series of research grants and the onboarding of its first postdoctoral researchers. It became known as the Systems Group in 2019, and Maria Di Biase was named co-head in 2022. Though the group maintained its emphasis on brain networks and systems during this growth period, it also diversified its research to include therapeutic brain stimulation, brain-body interactions, and in vitro neuronal networks.

Our People Resources Join

Researchers

Visiting Scholars

Dr Bianca Mazini, Visiting Radiologist, Lausanne, Switzerland
Dr Martin Tik, Visiting Researcher, Vienna, Austria
Ms Camille Servin, Visiting PhD Scholar, Barcelona, Spain

Graduate Students

Yalda Amirmoezzi-Jahromi, PhD student, Psychiatry
Divya Degamia, Honours student, Psychiatry
Saampras Ganesan, PhD student, Biomedical Engineering
Cassandra Hoffmann, PhD student, Psychiatry
Hadis Jameei, PhD student, Psychiatry
Yihang Jiao, PhD student, Engineering
Wonyoung Kim, PhD student, Psychiatry
Jackson Lee, PhD student, Psychiatry
Yuanzhe Liu, PhD student, Biomedical Engineering
Varun Mohan, PhD student, Biomedical Engineering
Mariia (Masha) Ptukha, PhD student, Orygen
Sunny Sangar, Masters student, Psychiatry
Nga Yan (Connie) Tse, PhD student, Psychiatry
Hsing-Yi Wu, Masters student, Psychiatry

Alumni

Researchers

Dr Jinglei Lv, 2018-19
Dr Paul Klauser, 2015-16

Visiting International Researchers

Dr Sisi Jiang, 2024, China
Dr Chris Ma, 2024
Ms Nina Dijkstra, 2023, Netherlands
Dr Tim van Balkom, 2022, Netherlands
Dr Thomas Bolton, 2020, Switzerland
Dr Pierpaolo Sorrentino, 2019-20, Italy
Dr Kavinash Loganathan, 2019, Malaysia
Dr Gina Monteverde, 2018, Mexico
Dr Patrick Friedrich, 2017-18, Germany
Dr Nabi Zorlu, 2017, Turkey
Dr Koji Kamagata, 2016-17, Japan
Dr Edwin Van Dellen, 2016, Netherlands
Dr Yuri Masaoka, 2014-15, Japan
Dr Naoyuki Katagiri, 2014, Japan
Dr Esther Via, 2014, Spain
Dr Soon-Beom Hong, 2012-13, Korea

PhD Graduates

Dr Bec Cooper, PhD, 2023
Dr Sina Mansour, PhD, 2022
Dr Divyangana Rakesh, PhD, 2021
Dr Cassandra Wannan, PhD, 2021
Dr Ye Tian, PhD, 2020
Dr Tabinda Sarwar, PhD, 2020
Dr Xin Wang, PhD, 2020 (Exchange Student)
Dr Caio Seguin, PhD, 2019
Dr Akhil Kottaram, PhD, 2018
Dr Maria Di Biase, PhD, 2018
Dr Ellie Ganella, PhD, 2017

Honours and Masters Graduates
(2016 onwards)

Yasmin Gurleyen, MSc, 2024
Huizheng Cao, MSc, 2024
Amelia Italiano, MSc, 2024
Ruiwen Yang, MSc, 2023
Yijun Wang, MSc, 2023
Naomi Kebble, Hons, 2022
Hua Ye, MSc, 2021
Holly Pedersen, MSc, 2021
Kyle Reece, MSc, 2021
Mabrur Rahman, Hons, 2021
Jonathan Cavallo, Hons, 2020
Yumeng Wu, MSc, 2021
Kav Fernando, Hons, 2019
Saampras Ganesan, MEng, 2019
Emin Serin, MSc, 2019 (Exchange Student)
Ian Hsu, MEng, 2018
Shervyn Silvapulle, Hons, 2016

Research

We use neuroimaging techniques to conduct research into the human brain in health and mental illness. We develop advanced computational models and tools to study brain networks and systems, and apply the knowledge gained from these studies to develop improved brain stimulation and other therapies. Emerging areas in our group include in vitro neuronal networks, brain-body interactions, transcranial magnetic stimulation, diffusion MRI and network communication. Our researchers integrate expertise from a range of disciplines, including neuroscience, psychiatry, psychology, engineering and computer science.

Projects

Techniques that we use...

Our researchers use neuroimaging, computational and neuromodulation techniques:

Structural, diffusion and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Neuromodulation, particularly transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
Complex systems theory, brain networks and connectomics
Bioinformatics, computational modelling and systems neuroscience
Clinical neuroscience

Disorders that we study...

We focus on neuropsychiatric disorders. Our researchers have particular expertise in brain systems, networks and circuits impacted by:

Schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders
Major depressive disorder and refractory depression
Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Resources

Software and other resources for download

Software

Openly available software tools and computer code developed by our researchers

GitHub Links*

Generative model of axonal growth [Matlab]
Connectome mapping pipelines for the UK Biobank [Python]
Topological Cluster Statistic (TCS) [Python]
Connectome Spatial Smoothing (CSS) [Python]
High-resolution connectome mapping pipelines [Python]
Organ Health Score (OHS) [Matlab]
Melbourne Subcortex Atlas
AI prediction of functional connectivity based on an individual's connectome [Python]
Brain Connectivity Toolbox (BCT)

*These are links to repositories maintained by our individual researchers. We do not maintain a group-wide repository to ensure individual researchers have full autonomy to maintain, update and receive credit for their work.

Melbourne Subcortex Atlas
- Download the atlas from NITRC or GitHub
- Atlas available in CIFTI and NIFTI formats, either as a stand-alone atlas of the human subcortex or integrated into established cortex-only atlases to enable whole-brain connectome mapping
- Check out the paper and thread
- Also check out the commentary by Evan Gordon
Download atlas
Network-based statistic
- The network-based statistic (NBS) is an established method for statistically comparing brain networks between groups and testing for associations with subject-specific measures
- Download the NBS from NITRC
- Matlab and R packages are available, as well as an extension for directed networks
- NBS is also available as part of the CONN, Mrtrix3, GraphVar and BCT packages
- Check out the NBS paper and NBS manual
- Post questions and seek help on the NBS Help Forum
HQS algorithm
- The Hirschberger-Qi-Steuer (HQS) algorithm generates random covariance/correlation matrices for null hypothesis testing on functional connectivity matrices
- Download the bare-bones Matlab function implementing HQS
- Random covariance matrices can also be generated by sampling from an inverse Wishart distribution
- Check out the paper on correlation as a measure of functional connectivity
Random cortical parcellations
- Download Matlab functions to generate random volumetric cortical parcellations with compact or uniformly-sized regions
- Example random parcellations in NIFTI format comprising 256 and 395 nodes
- Check out the related paper on does the choice of nodes matter
Connectome navigation
- Matlab function to compute navigation routes based on a given metric space
- Check out the paper on navigation of brain networks
- Like sightseeing in Paris – a new model for brain communication
Tools for high-resolution connectomics
- Python implementation of a high-resolution connectomic framework
- Map functional and structural connectivity at the resolution of cortical vertices
- Check out the paper on the neural correlates of identity and behavior mapped at high resolution

UK Biobank Connectomes

We mapped connectomes for all UK Biobank participants for whom diffusion MRI scans were acquired. Kudos to Sina Mansour and Caio Seguin.

Comprising connectomes for 40,000+ individuals, this is the largest connectome biobank that has been mapped to date.

UK Biobank researchers can access structural and functonal connectomes for all individuals across different parcellation atlases and algorithmic choices. Search for data fields 31022-31028 on the UK Biobank showcase.

Check out the corresponding paper for further details.

Books

Fundamentals of Brain Network Analysis

Co-authored by Alex Fornito, Andrew Zalesky and Ed Bullmore, the textbook provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to methods for unraveling the extraordinary complexity of neuronal connectivity. From the perspective of graph theory and network science, we introduce, motivate and explain techniques for modeling brain networks as graphs of nodes connected by edges, and cover a diverse array of measures for quantifying their topological and spatial organization.

Hardback available for purchase from Elsevier and Amazon.

Online review of Fundamentals of Brain Network Analysis by Dr Cody Rall, MD

...a thorough and didactic presentation of the tools available to research scientists wishing to engage in the emgerging field of network neuroscience...this text promises to be an essential title on the bookshelf of the intellectually curious neuroscientist.Professor Danielle S Basset, University of Pennsylvania

Queensland Neurostimulation Centre

We are proud to be part of the Queensland Neurostimulation Centre (QNC)!

The QNC clinic opened in 2022 and it is the first clinic in Australia to offer personalized brain stimulation therapy for depression.

The clinic uses a TGA-approved personalization method developed by our researchers and robotic technology to deliver targeted transcranial magnetic stimulation. This ensures that treatment is delivered to precise brain locations that are optimized for each patient's unique brain network architecture.

Australian School on Connectomics

Established in 2018, the Australian Connectomics School aims to provide researchers of all backgrounds with an introduction to the fundamentals of brain network analysis. The School is organized into didactic sessions that include theory as well as practical demonstrations of the latest software tools. Topics covered include:

Quantifying brain connectivity with functional and diffusion MRI
Building structural and functional brain networks
Measures of network organization and their intepretation
Comparing connectomes
Brain network dynamics and computational modeling

Check out the School website for further details and photos from the most recent edition of the School.

Great balance between mathematical and computational background, and practical applications giving a comprehensive understanding of techniques discussed. Thank you! Extremely useful topics covered and practical material really helps to get started with analysis in a real way! Participant feedback

Videos

Educational and research presentations from our researchers and graduate students

Rebecca L. Cooper Fellowship Research Update (2024)

Andrew Zalesky
1 minute
ABC News: Poor brain health, poor physical health? (2023)

Ye Tian
4 minutes
Channel 9 News: TMS for depression clinical trial (2024)

Robin Cash
2 minutes
OHBM 2022 Keynote - Brain and Body

Andrew Zalesky
45 minutes
OHBM 2022 Symposium: Beyond brain age prediction: Crosstalk between brain age and body age

Ye Tian
16 minutes
OHBM 2022 Educational Workshop: Parcellations and Functional Territories

Ye Tian
24 minutes
OHBM 2022 Educational Workshop: Connectome thredsholding, inference and null networks

Andrew Zalesky
50 minutes
Neurochat 2021: Understanding brain topography and cognition

Ye Tian
30 minutes [in Chinese]
fMRI-guided TMS personalisation for depression

Andrew Zalesky
30 minutes
Best practices in diffusion imaging

Maria Di Biase
15 minutes
Terra Incognita: Virtual workshop on the subcortex

Ye Tian
26 minutes
Introduction to thresholding connectomes

Andrew Zalesky
13 minutes
Introduction to null models in network neuroscience

Andrew Zalesky
11 minutes
Introduction to comparing connectomes

Andrew Zalesky
11 minutes
Functional gradients of the human subcortex

Ye Tian
17 minutes
Three-minute thesis presentation on structural connectivity

Tabinda Sarwar
Personalized TMS stimulation targets for depression

Yumeng Wu
Schizophrenia Awareness Week

Maria Di Biase
2 minutes

Join us

Opportunities for students, researchers and visitors

Graduate study

Join us! Study human brain function and structure with the best and brightest minds from Australia and around the world! We welcome applications for graduate study from both domestic and international graduates. We are an interdisciplinary group and encourage students from diverse academic backgrounds. Our current students and researchers include neuroscientists, physicists, engineers and psychiatrists.

Why choose Melbourne?

The University of Melbourne is the #1 ranked university in Australia. You will work alongside and be supervised by supportive researchers who are world leaders in their field. Researchers in the Systems Group are among most highly cited and impactful researchers in the world. We are committed to training graduate students.

We are located within a state-of-the-art facility at the Alan Gilbert Building. Facilities include a 7 Tesla MRI scanner, petascale computing resources and the brain imaging laboratory. We are part of the Departments of Psychiatry, Biomedical Engineering, and Anatomy and Physiology.

Melbourne is multicultural city of more than 5 million people and considered Australia's most liveable city. No matter where you are from, you will feel at home in Melbourne. Numerous accommodation options are available within walking distance of the university campus and city centre.

Apply for graduate study

Our students can enroll in graduate research programs either through the Faculties of Engineering or Medicine at the University of Melbourne:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - Medicine or Engineering
Masters (MPhil) - Medicine or Engineering

The PhD is up to four years of full-time study and the MPhil is typically two years.

Step 1 - Eligibility. Future students should first check that they meet the specific entry requirements for graduate research in Medicine or Engineering at the University of Melbourne. Scholarships are highly competitive. You require at least 80% or higher to be competitive for scholarship selection.

Step 2 - Project and Supervisor. Choosing a research project and supervisor are important decisions. You may want to consider one of our established research projects. You should contact the project leader in the first instance to express your interest. You can also propose a new project based on your own interests. All of our researchers are eligible supervisors and available to discuss potential projects with you. Ensure to include your full academic transcript and CV when emailing a potential supervisor. Detailed project proposals are not required at the time of application, but a research topic and confirmed support from a potential supervisor should be established.

Step 3 - Apply. Once you have support from a potential supervisor, you can apply using the online system. If eligible, you will automatically be considered for a Graduate Research Scholarship that provides a living allowance and/or tuition fee remission. Most domestic students are exempt from paying tuition fees. Domestic applicants should apply before October 31. Also consider applying for externally-funded scholarships.

It was wonderful to undertake part of my PhD in Melbourne as an exchange student. Working with Andrew and the team is always inspiring and the research environment is fantastic, where I have spent the most happy and productive time of my PhD.Dr Xin Wang
Exchange PhD 2019

Resources for future students

How to choose the right PhD supervisor
How to apply for PhD study in Medicine and Engineering at the University of Melbourne
Living in Melbourne

Visiting researchers and academics

We welcome visiting researchers, academics and clinicians to our group. Our group hosts international researchers for varying periods of time, from short visits of a few months to long-term placements and exchanges. Check out our alumni for details of previous academic visitors. Researchers and clinicians have visited our group to learn how to apply software tools and methods that we have developed to their own data.

Contact our researchers to discuss visiting and exchange opportunities.

I got the opportunity to work with world leaders in the fields of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging on Australian and other international large datasets. My partner was also able to take advantage of our experience abroad by carrying out several fellowships during which she gathered huge clinical experience. As a family with two kids, we had the great opportunity to live close to the University campus and City centre in a small house with a backyard. This experience not only enriched us from an academic and professional point of view, but it also allowed us to live unique adventures that have strengthened us as a family.Dr Paul Klauser
Visiting Researcher 2015-16

Resources for visiting researchers

Postdoctoral researchers

We are looking for talented and motivated postdocs to join our group and establish a research career at the University of Melbourne. Consider applying for a postdoctoral fellowship:

Many of our researchers have been awarded these fellowships in the past and can mentor you in crafting your application.

Employment opportunities are advertised on the Careers website.

Our researchers in the news...

TMS therapy for depression

From electrical engineering to neuroscience & psychiatry

Body and brain health in psychiatry

Biological organ aging

Mapping the human subcortex

Our Values

Our Location

Our History

Researchers

Visiting Scholars

Graduate Students

Alumni

Researchers

Visiting International Researchers

PhD Graduates

Honours and Masters Graduates (2016 onwards)

Projects

Structure-function coupling in the connectome

Imaging-genetics in psychiatry

Computational neuroscience: Simulating brain dynamics and generative modelling of brain networks

Brain stimulation and clinical translation

Brain mapping: Brain atlases with multiple topographic features

Machine learning prediction of brain and body ageing

Network communication in the brain

Symptom comorbidity networks in psychiatry

Brain connectivity in a dish

The PIPs Study: Proteins of the Immune system in Psychosis

Mapping brain metabolites

Techniques that we use...

Disorders that we study...

Software

GitHub Links*

Melbourne Subcortex Atlas

Network-based statistic

HQS algorithm

Random cortical parcellations

Connectome navigation

Tools for high-resolution connectomics

UK Biobank Connectomes

Books

Fundamentals of Brain Network Analysis

Queensland Neurostimulation Centre

Australian School on Connectomics

Rebecca L. Cooper Fellowship Research Update (2024)

ABC News: Poor brain health, poor physical health? (2023)

Channel 9 News: TMS for depression clinical trial (2024)

OHBM 2022 Keynote - Brain and Body

OHBM 2022 Symposium: Beyond brain age prediction: Crosstalk between brain age and body age

OHBM 2022 Educational Workshop: Parcellations and Functional Territories

OHBM 2022 Educational Workshop: Connectome thredsholding, inference and null networks

Neurochat 2021: Understanding brain topography and cognition

fMRI-guided TMS personalisation for depression

Best practices in diffusion imaging

Terra Incognita: Virtual workshop on the subcortex

Introduction to thresholding connectomes

Introduction to null models in network neuroscience

Introduction to comparing connectomes

Functional gradients of the human subcortex

Three-minute thesis presentation on structural connectivity

Personalized TMS stimulation targets for depression

Schizophrenia Awareness Week

Graduate study

Why choose Melbourne?

Apply for graduate study

Resources for future students

Visiting researchers and academics

Resources for visiting researchers

Postdoctoral researchers

Honours and Masters Graduates
(2016 onwards)