Introducing Dr Gezelle Dali: Our CNH April Post-Doc Feature Story
What are you research interests?
"Broadly, I am interested in the cognitive and neural mechanisms that drive impulse control and performance monitoring, particularly in the context of substance use. This involves answering research questions like ‘What is the link between performance monitoring processes and daily life behaviours in healthy individuals and substance misuse cohorts?’, ‘What is the role of error monitoring processes in the development of substance use behaviours?’ and ‘What are the implications of reduced performance monitoring in the general population?’
I am also interested in the use of smartphones to track cognition and related behaviours such as substance use. I have collaborated with Dr Antoinette Poulton and Prof Rob Hester on the development of smartphone apps to assess inhibitory control and working memory as well as track alcohol use in real time. These apps have allowed us to intervene and provide personalised feedback on alcohol intake and cognition, which we found reduces subsequent alcohol use. The results of this work were used to support a successful NHMRC MRFF Early-to-Mid Career Researchers grant. I am interested in extending this work to the measurement of error detection processes in real time.
As part of my work, I am also collaborating with the IMAGEN and ABCD consortia to use large, longitudinal datasets to answer research questions like ‘Does increased reward sensitivity predict transition to smoking dependence?’, and ‘Can the initiation and level of substance use in adolescence and young adulthood be predicted by behavioural and neural correlates of performance monitoring?’"
What inspired you to pursue this research topic?
"My interest in this research topic stems from taking Neuroscience and the Mind in the third year of my undergraduate degree. At the time I was majoring in physiology and so the intersection of neurobiology and cognition in that subject really aligned with my interests. I was particularly drawn to the series on executive functioning and the implications of impaired cognition in substance use disorders."
What do you like most about your work so far?
"I enjoy taking a multimodal approach by combining research methods such as behavioural testing, neuroimaging and ambulatory assessment to explore the mechanisms underlying cognition in healthy individuals and substance misuse. I like the process of developing new behavioural tasks and building on my programming experience. Finally, I enjoy working on larger scale, longitudinal projects which have the potential to afford us new insights in predicting substance use trajectories in young people."