Head of School's Welcome
Welcome to the School of Psychological Sciences at The University of Melbourne. Located in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, we are consistently recognised as one of the finest in the world. We aspire to excellence in research, teaching, and public engagement, and our consistently high rankings are an excellent reminder of how well we are performing, our global reputation and our importance to the University and Australian community.
Professor Rob Hester is a cognitive neuroscientist and has held academic positions in the School supporting Research/Research Training, Teaching and Learning portfolios, and was previously the Associate Head of School.
After completing a PhD in Psychology in 2003 at La Trobe University (Melbourne, Australia), he held two postdoctoral positions, first at The University of Dublin, Ireland (Trinity College) from 2003-2004, and then with at The University of Melbourne, from 2004-2006 as an ARC postdoctoral fellow.
From 2006-2008, Professor Hester was a Senior Research Fellow in the School of Psychology at the Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, before moving to The University of Melbourne as an NHMRC CDA Senior Research Fellow, followed by an ARC Future Fellowship.
Message from the Head of School
The Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences is committed to improving the human condition through psychology. We are bringing together interdisciplinary researchers across the board ensuring we are uniquely positioned to address some of the grand challenges faced by our society. Especially in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic as we look to survive and subsequently recover from its effects.
Our research profile has grown both locally and internationally with the establishment of our research hub model, which aims to provide structure to our vast body of research. Our hubs include the Ethics and Well-being Hub, the Decision Science Hub, the Complex Human Data Hub and the Clinical Neuroscience Translation Hub. The School has also established the Melbourne Centre for Behaviour Change and more recently the Contemplative Studies Centre.
Recognised as one of the finest psychology schools in the world, we attract some of the best students nationally and internationally to our broad range of programs. We will continue to evolve our approach to learning and teaching to meet the needs of our students.
The School also recognises the importance of collaboration and highly values our partnerships, the growth of which has been a major focus of our recent efforts. We are committed to working with partners in the community, industry and government, as well as those with a lived experience of mental health issues. Our research and teaching relies on strong existing partnerships with a range of clinical, industry, hospital, community and government organisations, and we are pleased to be building new relationships
Professor Rob Hester
Head of School