ABOUT ME
Biography
Professor Simon Killcross’ main areas of research interest concern brain mechanisms underlying learning and cognition. He is Head of the School of Psychology at UNSW. After gaining his UG degrees and PhD from the University Cambridge, he was a research Fellow at Magdalene College, Cambridge until 1996 when he took up a lectureship in Psychology at the University of York. He moved to a Senior Research Fellowship in the...view more
ABOUT ME
Biography
Professor Simon Killcross’ main areas of research interest concern brain mechanisms underlying learning and cognition. He is Head of the School of Psychology at UNSW. After gaining his UG degrees and PhD from the University Cambridge, he was a research Fellow at Magdalene College, Cambridge until 1996 when he took up a lectureship in Psychology at the University of York. He moved to a Senior Research Fellowship in the School of Psychology at Cardiff University in 1999, where he was subseqently promoted to Reader, Professor, and then served as Deputy Head of School from 2006. In 2009 he moved to take up his current position as Professor and Head of the School of Psychology at UNSW Australia. He was reappointed for a second term in 2014 and a third term in 2019.
Supervision Opportunities/Areas
Contact Professor Killcross to find out more about his supervision opportunities.
Advice for prospective students
Psychology is one of the most interesting and challenging areas of scientific enquiry with the potential to benefit both individuals and society as a whole
My Grants
International and National Competition:
2019-2022 NHMRC Project grant (1160399) Role of neuroinflammation and neurotransmitter systems in the improved cognition induced by estrogen receptor modulation (Co-CIs Shannon-Weikert, Purves-Tyson, Meyer) $712,518
2018-2019 ARC LEIF grant (LE180100012) All-optical manipulation and recording of neural circuit activity (Co-CIs, McNally, Balleine, Dayas, Richardson, Brichta, Graham) $456,060
2017-2019 ARC Discovery grant (DP170103952) The neural substrates of a false fear memory in rats (Co-CIs, Holmes, Laurent, Westbrook) $495,837
2016-2018 NHMRC Project grant (1098436): Brain circuits promoting abstinence and preventing relapse to alcohol seeking. (Co-CIs, McNally, Power) $591,995
2014-2017 NHMRC Project Grant (1069487): Prediction error processing in schizophrenia. (Co-CIs, Le Pelley, Morris, Green, Whitford) $245,000
2013 -2015 ARC Discovery grant: Neural substrates of higher-order conditioned fear. (CI, Prof RF Westbrook) $314,000
2012-2014 ARC Discovery grant: Uncertainty and response control in the prefrontal cortex. $336,000
2012-2014 NHMRC project grant: Neuronal substrate of choice in the rat whisker system. (Co-CIs, Arabzadeh, Westbrook) $408,510
2010-2013 NHMRC project grant: Methamphetamine-induced habits and the re-establishment of behavioural control. (Co-CI, Prof BW Balleine) $556,500
2010-2013 ARC Discovery grant: Latent inhibition: behavioural characteristics and neural substrates. (CI, Prof RF Westbrook) $409,701
2009-2012 NHMRC project grant: The neurochemical basis of behavioural control: relevance for addiction, OCD and Tourette syndrome. $360,375
2009-2012 ARC Discovery grant: The role of the prefrontal cortex in responding to a changing world. $280,000
2006-2009 BBSRC project grant: Actions and habits: The relation between cognitive control and behavioural autonomy. £434,803
2006-2007 Tourette Syndrome Association: Animal models of TS and habit formation. $75,000
2004-2007 BBSRC IABB Initiative grant: The hippocampal formation - an examination and integration of spatial and non-spatial functions. Co-Is: R. Honey, M. Good (Cardiff), and K. Jeffery, N. Burgess (UCL). £701,879
My Qualifications
BA, MA, PhD (Cantab), FRSN, FASSA
My Awards
2020 Fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales.
2017 Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence, UNSW.
2012 Elected Fellow of the Eastern Psychological Association (USA).
2001/2 UK Experimental Psychology Society Prize lecturer award. For outstanding contributions to Experimental Psychology.
1999 British Psychological Society Spearman Medal winner. For published work of outstanding scientific merit.
1997 SmithKline Beecham & British Association for Psychopharmacology, Young Psychopharmacologist of the Year Prize.
My Research Activities
Simon’s main areas of interest concern brain mechanisms underlying learning and cognition. One focus of research is the neural substrates underlying executive function, particularly with reference to animal models of schizophrenia. The approach taken is to use well-defined behavioural procedures drawn from current associative learning theory, as well as novel behavioural paradigms, to allow the systematic investigation of the role played by different brain systems in the executive control of cognition and behaviour, with the intention of informing not only psychopharmacological research on putative treatments for mental disorders such as schizophrenia, but also current theories about the interaction of different systems in the higher level control of cognitive function. As such, many areas that touch on on the role of fronto-striatal systems in the control of behaviour are of interest, including projects on addiction, decision making and gambling. Simon also does research applying these findings in a translational manner to patient populations (mostly schizophrenia) and to studies of the broader schizotypic phenotype in the general population.
Recent Students PhD and Honours
PhD
2023 - current Abigail Marcus, School of Psychology, UNSW.
2021 – current Cassandra Ma, School of Psychology, UNSW.
2012-2016 Phillip Green, School of Psychology, UNSW.
2011-2015 Helena Pacitti, School of Psychology, UNSW.
2011-2015 Stephanie Roughly, School of Psychology, UNSW.
2010-2014 Marios Panayi, School of Psychology, UNSW.
2010-2014 Melissa Sharpe, School of Psychology, UNSW.
Honours:
2021 Nashita Khan
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5571-548X