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Leadership, Academics and Clinical Team
The transformative learning experiences at ISN Psychology are designed to help our students grow both in and out of the classroom. We follow a high academic standard as a guide for the creativity and leadership of our staff.
Our Academics are well placed within the field of Psychology and include experienced clinicians, educators and recognised scientists and experienced educators. The combined resources of the Institute of Social Neuroscience, though ISN Psychology and ISN Clinic provides considerable opportunity to work with experienced academics and psychologists
Professor Tony Paolini
President, Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Professor Tony Paolini MPsych (Clin Neuro) PhD MAPS is President and CEO of ISN Psychology and on the Board of Directors. A founding Director of the Institute for Social Neuroscience, Professor Paolini is a psychologist and internationally recognised neuroscientist. He has qualifications in psychology (MPsych – Clin Neuro) and in Neuroscience (PhD). Under the mentorship of Professor Graeme Clark, he lead the Auditory Clinical Neuroscience Unit at the Bionic Ear Institute. Professor Paolini has published numerous peer reviewed publications, lead large research teams and has received significant research funding including from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NH&MRC) and the Australian Research Council (ARC). He has published significant internationally peer-reviewed papers in many fields of neuroscience and psychology including medical bionics, sensory and cognitive neuroscience, and behavioural and social neuroscience. At ISN he applies his knowledge of neuroscience and psychology to provide a further understanding of how the environment we live in helps shape our behaviour and mental health. With a research and clinical interest in the role anxiety plays in sensory perception, Professor Paolini is utilising his knowledge to help treat clients who have a heightened sensitivity to sounds and tinnitus distress. He was Professor and Head of Psychology at RMIT University, Senior Principal Research Fellow at the Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, and holds adjunct positions at La Trobe University and The University of Melbourne.
Professor Sabine Hammond
Professor of Psychology
Professor Sabine Hammond, FAPS MAICD, has extensive experience as a researcher, educator and practitioner in Australia, Europe and the United States, and has held leadership roles in both academic and professional settings. She is a past Honorary Professor of Australian Catholic University (ACU) and a former Head of the ACU National School of Psychology. As Executive Manager for Science, Education and Membership at the Australian Psychological Society she was responsible for a wide-ranging portfolio with strategic focus on supporting the discipline of psychology. Professor Hammond’s expertise includes governance, ethics, professional practice and regulation. Professor Hammond has been actively involved in initiatives aimed at reconciliation with Australia’s First Peoples, especially in the areas of cultural safety, suicide prevention, and training a culturally responsive workforce.
Associate Professor Pascal Molenberghs
Director of Academic Studies
Associate Professor Pascal Molenberghs completed his Master in Psychology and PhD in Medical Sciences at the University of Leuven, Belgium. He has since worked at the University of Queensland, Monash University and the University of Melbourne and thus brings a wealth of knowledge to the Institute for Social Neuroscience.
His research focus is Social Neuroscience, aiming to understand our social brain and how it breaks down in neurological patients. Interests include empathy, morality, intergroup relations and leadership. His research has already attracted more than $3 million in grant funding and has been published in the leading neuroscience journals. His work has also featured widely in the media, including stories in Time Magazine, The Age and New Scientist.
Associate Professor Paul Jenkinson
Director of Learning and Teaching
A/Professor Paul Jenkinson received his PhD in Neuropsychology from the University of Keele, UK in 2008, and holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher and Professional Education (PgCHPE). He has held positions at a number of leading UK universities, and was recently a Senior Researcher and Honorary Senior Lecturer at University College London, and Reader (Associate Professor) in Neuropsychology at the University of Hertfordshire. He has over 40 publications, with many in high impact factor journals. He has been the recipient of considerable grant funding, including from the prestigious European Research Council (ERC). In addition to his research skills, Paul has considerable teaching experience and is a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy (FHEA), a title conferred in recognition of excellence in teaching.
Associate Professor Melissa Weinberg
Sports & Exercise Coordinator
Dr Weinberg is an accomplished lecturer, researcher, and public speaker with a wealth of experience in both the research and practical aspects of psychology.
She completed her PhD at Deakin University and also holds a Masters in Applied (Sport & Exercise) Psychology. Melissa led the research component of the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index producing reports on the wellbeing of Australians, and was Senior Research Fellow at the Young and Well CRC. She is a registered psychologist specialising in athlete wellbeing and peak performance.
Melissa is a TEDx speaker and has appeared on various TV and radio programs where she discusses the science of happiness and what makes Australians happy. She has authored scientific articles and book chapters on the topic, and has presented at numerous academic and corporate conferences in Australia and internationally.
Associate Professor Daryl Marchant
Associate Professor in Psychology (Sport and Exercise)
Daryl a registered psychologist, completed postgraduate qualifications at the University at Alberta and Victoria University. He is an academic ‘all-rounder’ with strengths in teaching, postgraduate student supervision, and research. He has supervised to completion 30 doctoral, masters and honours research students and published 60 peer reviewed publications and conference presentations. Daryl was previously the postgraduate research coordinator and director of research in the School of Sport and Exercise Science at Victoria University.
Daryl’s primary research interests are applied sport psychology, assessment, personality, talent identification, supervision, anxiety and choking. He has received numerous industry and academic excellence awards and consults in elite sport, assessment psychology and organisational psychology. Daryl believes the learning experience must be experiential and multi-layered to enable students to develop skills relevant to themselves in their present and future roles and to translate their learning into practice as adaptive professionals.
Dr Emma Nicholls
Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, ISN Psychology
Principal Clinician, ISN Clinic
Dr Emma Nicholls is a Clinical Psychologist and board-approved supervisor with over 12 years experience. Emma–s therapeutic style is collaborative and warm, and she tailors treatment to focus on the client–s personal goals. She works from a place of empathy, support and patience, with treatment that is often long-term in nature depending on the needs of the individual. She has extensive experience in working with trauma, PTSD and Personality Disorders, depression and anxiety disorders. Therapy with Emma can include practical skills, psycho-education, and in-depth therapeutic processes to understand psychological and emotional processes. Her aim is to support clients using the most up to date evidence-based treatments to assist in gaining awareness and a sense of self-efficacy in managing MH issues and improving life satisfaction. Emma has undertaken specialised training in: CBT, DBT, ACT, CPT, Schema therapy, trauma-focussed. She also supervises psychologists and students
Dr Weijia Chen
Lecturer in Psychology
Dr Weijia Chen is a lecturer, researcher, and supervises honours students at ISN. She has qualifications in law (LLB), economics (BCom), and psychology (BSc, Hon) from the University of Melbourne. She completed her PhD at the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, having worked on several research projects. In her doctoral thesis, Weijia explored the boundaries of attribute amnesia, a counterintuitive phenomenon where neurologically healthy adults seem to have trouble recalling information they had recently attended to. She also examined ways to improve cancer detection in medical imaging; and collaborated with radiologists at The Royal Melbourne Hospital to develop training programs for their registrars. Weijia’s primary research interests are visual search, perceptual training, and memory. She is also the ISN HREC secretary.
Dr Jian Chen
Lecturer in Psychology
Dr. Jian Chen is a researcher, lecturer and supervises honours students at ISN. He completed his Ph.D. at the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences in 2019. In his doctoral thesis, Jian examined the role of attention in enumeration proficiency. His findings emphasize the importance of attentional factors in understanding the causes of low numeracy. He also holds a research master’s degree in Psychology and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. Jian was a research supervisor at Monash University and an experienced tutor at the University of Melbourne. He is a firm supporter of open science practice. Jian uses behavioural, eye tracking, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging methods in his research. He is actively involved in the international research community.
Dr Guy Prochilo
Lecturer in Psychology and Honours Coordinator
Dr Guy Prochilo is a Lecturer in research methods and supervises honours students at ISN. He holds a dual Bachelor of Science (Hons. Psychology) and Business Management (Economics) from the University of Queensland, and completed his PhD at the University of Melbourne in the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences. In his doctoral thesis he developed an organizational neuroscience model of occupational stress that integrated the job-demands resources model with the allostatic load model of stress, and tested propositions of this model in a pilot and feasibility clinical trial. He has a keen interest in quantitative research methods and trial methodology, is proficient in R statistical software, and is an advocate for open science practices and research reproducibility. In this capacity, he is also the Australian and New Zealand Open Research Network (ANZORN) representative at ISN Psychology. He has additionally published work evaluating the use (and misuse) of statistics in organizational neuroscience.
Damien Stewart
Senior Lecturer in Psychology
Prior to Becoming a Psychologist, Damien was a Police Officer for 20 years serving 10 years with the Western Australian Police Service and 10 years with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in Sydney. Upon resigning, Damien had reached the rank of Senior Sergeant. Upon resigning from the AFP in 2012, Damien completed two master’s degrees in at the University of Queensland – An MPhil focusing on male team sport drinking practices and a Master of Applied Psychology in Sport & Exercise Psychology. After graduating in 2014, Damien created Room23 Psychology and went into private practice where he currently practices from the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, Australia. Damien’s practice is highly focused on assisting current and previous serving Police & Military personnel suffering from mental health issues resulting from their career (e.g., depression, anxiety, and trauma) as well as people suffering from chronic pain and long-term injury among other psychological disorders. Damien also delivers supervision and mentorship to early career psychologists. Damien is a member of several committees including as the Convenor of the Military and Emergency Services Interest Group and National Chair of the College of Sport & Exercise Psychology, both of the Australian Psychological Society. Damien is a Senior Lecturer at ISN Psychology, where he teaches and co-ordinates Principals of Psychotherapy and Basic Counselling Skills.
Catherine Panayi
Clinic Director, ISN Clinic
Clinical Psychologist
Catherine Panayi will oversee both ISN Clinic’s in Bundoora and Ivanhoe. Catherine has, over the course of 15 years, developed experience in supervising provisional psychologists and early career psychologists. She has worked in a range of public and private settings including public mental health in Geelong, Western GP Division, Back2Work and privately liaising and building working relationships with medical and non-medical professionals.
David Williams
ISN Human Performance Clinic
Sport & Exercise Psychologist
David is a qualified and registered psychologist based in Melbourne, Australia. David specializes in sport and exercise psychology. David’s experiences in the field have consisted of working both locally and internationally with a range of different sports and athletes. At present David is the lead Psychologist for the Geelong Football Club and AFL Players Association, he has also consulted for the Malaysian Olympic cycling program, and as a result of having worked internationally been fortunate enough to build relationships with Football powerhouse FC Barcelona and the Manchester City group via consulting for Melbourne city FC. Being influenced heavily by the latest neuroscience information David’s experiences include; assisting organisations to create enriched high performance environments; training athletes in all areas of high performance including, resilience, skill acquisition, attentional control, mindfulness, cognitive and behavioural change, performance under pressure, leadership, and high performance self-management.
Hita Mistry
Placement Coordinator, ISN Psychology.
Clinical and Forensic Psychologist
Hita is a Senior Clinical and Forensic Psychologist with 20 years experience working across forensic, public and private mental health sectors. Hita has held senior practitioner and management roles within these capacities and brings a wealth of clinical and supervisory experience to her current role. She has provided training workshops, professional development and consultancy to several organisations within forensic and public mental health service area and spoken at National and International conferences.
Hita is a Member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) and is a Chartered Forensic Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (BPS). Hita has been a Board Approved Supervisor with the National Psychology Registration Board of Australia (AHPRA) for over 15 years supervising Psychologists towards Clinical and Forensic Endorsements and Higher Degree students.
Hita has a strong clinical background, in particular, working with clients who present with trauma, personality disorder and attachment difficulties. She is trained in several theoretical frameworks including EMDR and is a member of the EMDR Association of Australia (EMDRAA). Hita is passionate and committed to supporting and developing the next generation of Clinical Psychologists through supervision, education and mentorship.
Dr Matt McGregor
Sports and Exercise Course Coordinator
Sports and Exercise Psychologist
Matt is an experienced Psychologist with a 20 year history of working in the sports industry with individuals, teams and organisations, in both elite and sub elite domains and across a variety of sports including AFL, cricket, kayaking, rowing, swimming, hockey, tennis and equestrian. Endorsed in Sport and Exercise Psychology, and trained in Mental Health and Wellbeing, as well as Career Counselling, Matt has a broad clientele. With a PhD, Masters degree in Applied Psychology, and Certificate of Practice in Clinical Neuropsychotherapy, Matt has also lectured at undergraduate and post graduate level at UniSA, Deakin and Victoria Universities, and supervised students across field placements.
Felicity Garland
ISN Clinic Kew
Clinical Psychologist and MPP Program Coordinator
Felicity is a clinical psychologist and board approved supervisor with over 14 years’ experience in psychology and mental health. She has worked with provisional and early career psychologists to support and develop their capacity to perform the duties of a psychologist with autonomy, integrity, and expertise. Felicity has worked in private practice, education and forensic settings, crisis support, and with first responders. She is passionate about providing best practice client-centred support. In therapy, Felicity routinely utilises therapeutic paradigms including cognitive behaviour therapy, schema therapy, eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing, acceptance and commitment therapy, and attachment-based strategies for a range of presenting problems. Felicity has also lectured postgraduate and undergraduate students at Deakin University and Edith Cowan University.
Tony Glynn
ISN Human Performance Clinic
Clinical and Human Performance Psychologist
Tony is an AHPRA registered psychologist with over 20 years experience as a Performance Psychologist and Clinical Psychologist. Tony is adept working at the elite, professional and development levels in performance and clinical roles. He has developed these skills working with athletes from a range of sports such as cricket, rugby, AFL, netball, rowing, swimming, and soccer. He is currently a Performance Psychologist for Equestrian Australia and Tennis Australia.
His experience as a Clinical Psychologist extends to children, adolescents and adults in Australia and the UK. His current clinical work involves largely adolescent and adult populations (athletes and non-athletes) through Fit Mind Consulting and The Royal Children’s Hospital. In addition to seeing children, young people and families in his work he has led NHMRC funded research into how best to service these populations.
Dr Michelle Noonan
Clinical Psychologist, ISN Clinic
Senior Lecturer, ISN Psychology
Michelle is an experienced Clinical Psychologist, a Psychology Board of Australia Approved Supervisor, a credentialled Eating Disorder Clinician, and a yoga teacher. Michelle has over 10 years’ experience in clinical practice and has worked across a range of settings including hospital, private practice, education, and in forensic mental health.
Michelle is skilled in providing psychological therapy for adolescents and adults, and has extensive experience in working with complex trauma, PTSD, personality disorder, adjustment to major life changes, anxiety, and mood disorders. Her current clinical work mainly involves working with adults in the assessment and treatment of eating disorders, disordered eating and body image issues. Michelle practices from an inclusive ‘Health at Every Size’ (HAES) framework. Michelle’s approach is warm, compassionate, and collaborative. She utilises a range of evidence-based, client-centred, and embodied approaches that are tailored to the individual needs and goals.
Laura Kennan
Clinical Psychologist, ISN Clinic
Clinical Psychologist who has many year experience working with adults with a wide range of problems including depression, anxiety, postnatal depression, trauma, relationship difficulties, loss and grief and workplace issues. Laura particularly enjoys working with clients going through life transitions such as from school to university, adjusting to parenthood and retirement, relationship breakdowns and changes in life circumstances.
Laura seeks to gain a deep understanding of the causal factors impacting the client’s current situation and works collaboratively with them to determine their goals of therapy and the the best approach for treatment. She uses a range of frameworks including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Schema Therapy, ACT, and Mindful Self-Compassion. Laura has worked in a range of settings including the community health, not for profit and tertiary sectors. She is also an accredited Mental Health First Aid instructor and Board Approved Supervisor.
Additional Expertise
ISN also works with a large cohort of psychologists and clinical psychologists who engage with ISN as expert lecturers and supervisors.