Students in lecture theatre

Upcoming events 

Expand your mind with the Institute of Advanced Studies.

Each year the Institute hosts events by distinguished visiting and local scholars, artists, writers and public intellectuals. These events contribute to our goal of sharing  research, new ideas and encouraging discussion and debate within the broader community.

Public Lectures

Postgraduate Masterclasses

IAS Masterclasses provide an opportunity for advanced honours, postgraduate students and academic and professional researchers to meet and discuss their research with a distinguished visiting scholar. Masterclasses are designed to be cross-disciplinary, and registrants are welcome across all relevant disciplines and from all WA Universities. Participants are encouraged to discuss their research within the framework of the stated topic.
Paul Croarkin

Depression in Youth and Emerging Neurotherapeutics

An IAS Masterclass with Dr Paul Croarkin, Chair, Division of Pediatric Research, Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic

Tuesday 9 December, 1pm-4pm, Don Voelte & Nancy Keegan Case Study Room, UWA Business School

 
 
Mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety, alongside disorders like ADHD and epilepsy, are becoming increasingly prevalent in children. These disorders often co-occur, exacerbating each other’s symptoms and leading to decreased quality of life and poor outcomes, such as increased risk-taking behaviours, suicidal ideation and poorer performance in school. These effects can have long-term implications with difficulties persisting into adulthood and leading to lifelong disabilities and impairment. Much effort has gone into understanding risk factors, examining trends, and considering large initiatives to reduce depression in adolescents. Unfortunately, the predictive value of identified risk factors is limited and has not improved much over time despite decades of research.

Assembling a multidisciplinary team to think broadly and deeply about the origins of youth mental ill-health will advance health and biotechnologies through understanding the origins of mental illness, which will lead to improved diagnostics and treatments. Our project connects with culture and heritage by involving youth to ensure their views are heard and respected. The project supports resilient environments by exploring the intersection between mental health, ecology, evolution and genetics. By combining neuroscience, psychiatry, and evolutionary biology, this work supports early intervention, resilience-building, and equitable mental health care, contributing to UWA’s commitment to interdisciplinary solutions for global and local challenges.

Dr Paul E. Croarkin  serves as the Ervin A. and Margaret C. Mueller Director of the Mayo Clinic Children's Research Center and the Research Chair for Mayo Clinic Children’s. Dr Croarkin’s translational research focuses on advancing and refining brain stimulation modalities for children, adolescents, and adults, supported by federal, foundation, and industry grants. His work informed a multicentre registry study on transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for adolescent depression. His team’s earlier research identified imbalances in GABAergic and glutamatergic tone as key factors in childhood and adolescent depression. His findings have been published in JAMA Psychiatry, Neuropsychopharmacology, and the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. His multidisciplinary collaborations span psychosocial sciences, clinical psychiatry, neurology, neurostimulation, developmental neuroscience, ethics, basic science, physics, and engineering.

Dr Croarkin is a UWA Institute of Advanced Studies Visiting Fellow, working with Professor Jennifer Rodger in the UWA School of Biological Sciences.

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Past lectures

Many of our events are recorded. See our Past lectures page for more information and links to these recordings.

Past lectures
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