2021 Honours, Masters and PhD – How to apply

Are you passionate about making a difference and improving lives through brain research?

Start your graduate research career at The Florey, one of the world’s top 10 brain medical research institutes and home to over 600 researchers discovering the secrets of the brain. Our mission is to improve the lives of people living with brain and mind disorders and diseases through world-class research and translational outcomes.

Hear from The Florey’s director, Professor Steve Petrou on what makes The Florey a unique place to start your graduate research career.

The Florey’s has five main research themes focusing on discovery science, dementia, epilepsy, stroke and mental health.

The Florey’s discovery research theme has over 18 specialist laboratories focusing on discovery science including drug discovery, understanding physiology and genetics, and deciphering large datasets to understand diseases and disorders of the brain. Hear from theme representative, Dr Sarah Gordon about the Discovery research theme’s strengths and priorities.

The Florey’s dementia research theme accommodates more than 200 of the country’s top researchers who are working together to find accurate ways to prevent, make an early diagnosis, and ultimately to find a cure for this group of diseases. Hear from theme co-leader, Professor Ashley Bush on The Florey dementia research theme’s strengths and priorities.

The Florey’s epilepsy research theme uses various techniques including imaging and neurobiology, ion channels and precision medicine approaches to understand the mechanisms of epilepsies and determine the best treatment option for patients and ultimately find a cure. Hear from theme co-leader, Associate Professor Chris Reid about the epilepsy research theme’s strengths and priorities.

The Florey’s stroke research theme seeks to understand, prevent or cure stroke using approaches from basic science, through to public health, drug discovery, rehabilitation and epidemiology. Hear from stroke theme co-leader, Professor Vincent Thijis about the stroke research theme’s strengths and priorities.

The Florey’s mental health theme seeks to understand the biological pathways and influences which can lead to mental illnesses, and translate these to make a difference for people experiencing these conditions. Hear from theme co-leader, Professor Andrew Lawrence about the mental health’s strengths and priorities.

What types of research projects are on offer at The Florey?

  • The Florey conducts multidisciplinary research into the brain and mind. Projects that are open for student applications this year are suitable for students with biomedical or clinical expertise, and we also have a range of projects available which are suitable for students with a background in physics, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, statistics or informatics.
  • We recommend looking through our website to get a full understanding of the projects on offer, and if something interests you, email the supervisor to arrange a time to discuss.

Hear from The Florey’s Graduate Research Committee Chair, Associate Professor David Abbott on how to apply for The Florey graduate research projects for 2021.

Browse all our research projects