Born in Barcaldine, western Queensland, Australia.
Grew up in Darwin and Brisbane, Australia.

Tertiary education:
Griffith University, Brisbane - BSc (Hons 1) physics
Manchester University, UK - MSc history & philosophy of science
Cambridge University, UK - PhD neuroscience

Postdoctoral training:
Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
Salk Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA

Honours & Awards:
Griffith University Medal
Commonwealth Scholarship to the UK
Gedge Prize in Biology, Cambridge University
Queen Elizabeth II Research Fellowship
Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship
Award for Education in Neuroscience, US Society for Neuroscience

Interests:
hiking/bushwalking
French language & literature

PhD

My group works on the neurons and circuits in the brain that underlie the sense of smell.  In particular, we focus on the olfactory cortex, a brain region that is responsible for our ability to recognise and remember odours.  By studying this cortex, we hope to elucidate how the brain processes sensory information in order to form a coherent picture of the outside world.  This kind of fundamental research is important for an eventual understanding of how brain circuits become dysfunctional in certain mental disorders, like schizophrenia and autism.  The olfactory cortex is also highly susceptible to epilepsy, Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease, and the study of this cortex may reveal new understanding and therapies for these devastating and surprisingly common neurological disorders.