My Expertise
While our team has a broad interest in Systems Neuroscience, our studies aim to understand how learning is encoded in brain circuits, and how new behaviours that did not exist before imprint in neuronal circuits when they are generated, matured and adapted upon changes in environmental rules. We focus our studies on neuromodulatory systems (e.g. dopamine, acetylcholine, neuropeptides) supporting plasticity in subcortical brain networks (striatum, basal ganglia pathways), a central process for generating and modifying voluntary behaviours. We capitalise on animal learning theory, allowing us to design accurate behavioural paradigms that expose very specific forms of learning, and we deploy a series of quantitative fluorescence techniques as well as in vivo approaches to explore neuronal correspondence. Using mice as experimental model, the approach taken includes instrumental conditioning, AAV-based circuit- and cell-specific tracing and manipulation in behaving animals, in vivo photometry and computational analysis of behavioural and neuronal data. We are also interested in studying how these systems fail by modelling certain pathologies in mice such as age-associated motivational decline and behavioural control disorders.
Fields of Research (FoR)
Neurosciences, Animal Behaviour, Animal Physiology - SystemsBiography
Jan 2024 - Associate Professor, Director of the Australasian Course in Advanced Neuroscience (ACAN). Member of the Australasian Neuroscience Society Council and the ACAN Course Management Committee
Jan 2021 - Dec 2024: Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Head of Neuromodulatory Systems & Behaviour Team, Decision Neuroscience Laboratory (School of Psychology, The University of New South Wales, Australia).
Sept 2019 - : Senior Lecturer,...view more
Jan 2024 - Associate Professor, Director of the Australasian Course in Advanced Neuroscience (ACAN). Member of the Australasian Neuroscience Society Council and the ACAN Course Management Committee
Jan 2021 - Dec 2024: Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Head of Neuromodulatory Systems & Behaviour Team, Decision Neuroscience Laboratory (School of Psychology, The University of New South Wales, Australia).
Sept 2019 - : Senior Lecturer, Head of Neuromodulatory Systems & Behaviour Team, Decision Neuroscience Laboratory (School of Psychology, The University of New South Wales, Australia).
Sept 2016 - Aug 2019: Australian Research Council DECRA Fellow based in the Decision Neuroscience Laboratory (School of Psychology, The University of New South Wales, Australia).
Nov 2012-Aug 2016: Research Fellow at the Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research (Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Australia). Director: Prof Jürgen Götz
Oct 2010-Oct 2012: Postdoctoral Researcher at the Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory (Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Australia). Supervisor: Prof. Bernard Balleine
Dec 2009-Sept 2010: Postdoctoral Researcher at U839 INSERM (Paris, France). Supervisor: Prof Jean-Antoine Girault
Sept 2007-Nov 2009: Doctoral Thesis (Université Pierre et Marie Curie; conferral date: 12 May 2010): In vivo study of segregated signaling responses of striatonigral and striatopallidal neurons in BAC transgenic mice. Laboratory: Neurotransmission and signaling (UPMC, Paris, France) Supervisor: Dr Denis Hervé/Prof Jean-Antoine Girault. Qualification: Special Mention
Jan-July 2007: Master project in Biomedical Research (BIOMED). Laboratory : U839, INSERM (Paris, France). Supervisor : Dr Emmanuel Valjent
Sep-Dec 2006: Research stay at the Department of Neuropharmacology at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona). Supervisor: Prof. Rafael Maldonado.
Jan-June 2006: Graduation Project (Universitat Pompeu Fabra). Laboratory : U839, INSERM (Paris, France). Supervisor : Dr Emmanuel Valjent
2001-2006: Human Biology studies in the Health and Life Sciences Faculty (Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona)
My Grants
2024-2026 NHMRC Ideas Grant (CIA Bertran-Gonzalez; CIB Matamales) [GNT2030452: $652,756]
2024 UNSW Science | UNSW Strategic Support Fund (Lead CI) [$1,100]
2023-2025 NHMRC Ideas Grant (CIA Matamales; CIB Bertran-Gonzalez) [GNT2019970: $486,802]
2022 UNSW PVCRI | Research Infrastructure Scheme (co-investigator) [$170,000]
2021-2023 ARC Discovery Project (CI1 Matamales; CI2 Bertran-Gonzalez) [DP210102700: $378,205]
2021-2024 ARC Future Fellowship [FT200100502: $912,402]
2021-2024 UNSW Psychology | FT Fellowship Support Fund [$400,000]
2021 UNSW Science | UNSW Research Stopgap Scheme (Lead CI) [$91,195]
2021 UNSW Science | UNSW Strategic Support Fund (Lead CI) [$6,700]
2019 UNSW UNSW DVCR | Promoting High Quality Research Scheme [$500]
2019-2021 ARC Discovery Project (Lead CI) [DP190102511: $464,678]
2019-2021 NHMRC New Investigator Project Grant (CIA) [APP1165990: $397,754.12]
2018 UNSW Goldstar Award (Lead CI) [DP180102797: $40,000]
2017 UNSW Research Infrastructure Scheme (co-investigator) [RG163114: $199,497]
2016-2019 ARC Discovery Early Career Research Award [DE160101275: $375,000]
My Awards
2020 Dean of Science Early Career Excellence Award (UNSW)
2018 Goldstar Award (University of New South Wales)
2017 Paxinos-Watson Award (Australasian Neuroscience Society 2016)
2017 Scientific Mobility Program (Australian Academy of Science and Embassy of France)
2016 Discovery Early Career Research Award (Australian Research Council)
2013 Scientific Mobility Program (Australian Academy of Science and Embassy of France)
2008 Prix Forum FENS 2008 (Societé des Neurosciences, France)
My Research Activities
Invited Conference and Institutional Talks (National)
April, 2020 Invited speaker at the Brain Awareness Week public outreach lecture (University of New South Wales). Host: Natasha Kumar (Sydney, Australia). DELAYED COVID-19
March, 2020 Invited speaker at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health seminar series (University of Melbourne). Host: Christopher Reid (Melbourne, Australia).
May, 2019 Plenary Lecture at the Kioloa Neuroscience Colloquium (ANS, SfN). Host: Prof Greg Stuart (ANU); Chair: Prof John Bekkers (ANU, Australia).
Sept 2018 Invited speaker at the School of Medicine seminar series (Western Sydney University). Host: Dr Morven Cameron (Sydney, Australia).
July, 2018 Invited speaker at the Neuroscience and Non-Communicable Diseases seminar series (UNSW School of Medical Sciences). Host: Dr Natasha Kumar (Sydney, Australia).
May, 2018 Invited speaker at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences seminar series (Macquarie University). Host: Dr Simon McMullan (Sydney, Australia).
April, 2018 Invited speaker at the Eccles Seminar (John Curtin School of Medical Research, ANU). Host: Dr Nathalie Dehorter (Canberra, Australia).
Nov, 2016 Invited speaker at the Queensland Brain Institute Seminar (University of Queensland). Host: Prof Jürgen Götz (Brisbane, Australia).
Aug, 2016 Invited speaker at the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute Seminar Series (Monash University). Hosts: Dr Adam Morris and Prof Marcello Rosa (Melbourne, Australia)
Dec, 2015 Selected talk at the Systems & Computational Neuroscience Down Under (QBI). Host: Prof Geoff Goodhill (Brisbane, Australia)
Oct, 2015 Invited speaker at the 3rd QBI-MCN Symposium “Constructing the Integrated Brain” (QBI, Brisbane, Australia)
July, 2015 Invited speaker at the Australian Learning Group Midyear Conference (Katoomba, Australia).
July, 2014 Invited speaker at the Queensland Brain Institute Seminar (University of Queensland). Host: Prof Geoff Goodhill (Brisbane, Australia).
July, 2014 Invited speaker at the Australian Learning Group Midyear Conference (Katoomba, Australia).
Jan, 2014 Selected talk at the Australasian Neuroscience Society meeting (Adelaide, Australia).
Oct, 2013 Selected talk at the Biological Psychiatry Australia Society meeting (Brisbane, Australia).
Sept, 2013 Invited speaker at the Recent Advances in Neuroscience Conference “Plasticity, Imaging, Regeneration and Addiction” (University of Sydney). Host: Prof Bernard Balleine (Sydney, Australia).
Invited Conference and Institutional Talks (International)
Sep 2024 Invited speaker at the Department of Anatomy seminar series (Otago University). Host: Prof John Reynolds (Dunedin, New Zealand)
Aug 2024 Invited speaker at the Australasian Winter Conference on Brain Research (Queenstown)
March 2023 Invited speaker at the Otago brain Research Centre (University of Otago). Host: A/Prof Karl Iremonger (Dunedin, New Zealand)
August 2019 Invited speaker at the Pacific Biosciences Research Center (Honolulu University). Host: Prof Peter Balsam (Columbia University, New York)
June 2019 Invited speaker at the Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Integratives d'Aquitaine (University of Bordeaux). Host: Dr Shawna Parkes (France)
Nov, 2017 Invited speaker at the Zuckerman Institute seminar series (Columbia University). Host: Prof Rui Costa (Manhattan, New York, US).
Nov, 2017 Invited speaker at the National Institute of Drugs of Abuse Seminar (NIH). Host: Prof Geoffrey Schoenbaum (Baltimore, Maryland, US).
June, 2017 Invited speaker at the Department of Basic Neuroscience Seminar (University of Geneva). Host: Prof Christian Lüscher (Geneva, Switzerland).
May, 2017 Invited speaker at the Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience (INRIA). Host: Dr Etienne Coutureau (Bordeaux, France).
May, 2017 Invited speaker at the NeuroFrance Symposium “Dynamics of cholinergic signals in health and disease”. Host: Jacques Barik (Bordeaux, France).
My Research Supervision
Supervision keywords
Areas of supervision
I am available to supervise Honours and Master of Psychology (Clinical and Forensic) students. My students’ research projects aim to determine the neuronal processes by which actions are planned, executed and optimised. For this, we use mouse models of instrumental action and we take advantage of modern transgenic and microscopy technologies to visualise circuit activity in the brains of trained animals.
My Engagement
- Director and course coordinator of the Australasian Course in Advanced Neuroscience (ACAN)
- Deputy Director of the Decision Neuroscience Laboratory (School of Psychology, UNSW)
- Member of ANS Council
- Member of the ACAN Management Committee.
My Teaching
NEUR3221 Neurophysiology (UNSW)
PSYC4103 Elective Course (UNSW)
Australasian Course in Advanced Neuroscience ACAN (Director of the Systems Neuroscience & Behaviour Theme, week 3)