Introducing Dr Antoinette Poulton: Our CNH July Post-Doc Feature Story
Can you describe your research interests?
"My research centres on questions related to executive dysfunction. I am especially interested in cognitive mechanisms underpinning reward sensitivity and impulse control, and how these processes contribute to impulsive behaviour. My current NHMRC-MRFF funded project focuses on how impulsivity is implicated in drug and alcohol misuse, including vulnerability for the development of substance/alcohol use disorders. This project includes examining how personalised feedback about alcohol/drug use and impulsivity might impact subsequent intake behaviour.
I am also interested in using remote electronic methods to collect data. During my PhD, I developed a novel smartphone app that allows users to record alcohol intake in real time, in the natural environment. More recently, I have collaborated with Dr Gezelle Dali and Professor Robert Hester on the development of an app that enables researchers to collect real time cognitive data related to working memory and impulse control. Recent publications show how data collected via these apps is both valid and reliable. We are currently using both apps to determine how daily variations in impulse control might be related to daily alcohol intake. I am fascinated by how apps of this nature further our reach as researchers, enabling us to recruit large diverse samples, including people in rural locations, older individuals, and people with disabilities.
My funded work includes a collaboration with colleagues at the Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use at the University of Sydney, which has paved the way for adopting user experience designs in some of my work."
What inspired you to pursue this research topic?
"When I commenced the Graduate Diploma in Psychology in 2011, I never imagined I would be starting on a pathway toward academic research. I fully anticipated I would return to my teaching career. I was privileged, however, to be taught by several inspiring academics whose enthusiasm for acquiring knowledge and problem solving was contagious. It was during Neuroscience and the Mind that my interest in cognitive and behavioural neuroscience crystalised. I have clear memories of listening to Prof Hester discussing his research. I appreciated the way he imparted knowledge, his patience, and his knack for encouraging critical analysis. So, initially at least, I didn’t so much choose the research topic, rather the supervisor. Nonetheless, I love how research into executive function can be applied across so many rich domains."
What do you like most about your work so far?
"I really enjoy the way research affords us the freedom to concentrate on virtually any problem we like and, together with peers and colleagues, to work on potential solutions. I love how I am surrounded by people invested in contributing to making the world a better place. And I am still surprised by how unlikely encounters have led to breakthroughs and important collaborations. My initial work on the Alcohol Capture app, for instance, owes a great deal to a chance encounter with a 17-year-old who was teaching himself iOS app development at the time."
Do you have any exciting projects or news upcoming?
"Recently, I have started to consider how positive and/or negative mood contributes to behavioural impulsivity. I am interested in extending on this work to examine how this mechanism might underpin examples of everyday impulsivity, such as using a phone while driving or running a red light. Via a collaboration with Dr Bianca Levis at Thomas Embling Hospital, we also hope to determine whether this process might drive more serious violent offending."