Catherine Orr

Dr. Catherine Orr is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Health Sciences at Swinburne University of Technology. She holds a PhD and MPsych in Clinical Neuropsychology from the University of Melbourne and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Vermont before joining Swinburne in 2018. Her work is centered on adolescent brain development and cognitive neuroscience, particularly using neuroimaging to understand emotional and cognitive dysregulation.

• Education: MPsych (Clinical Neuropsychology)/PhD, University of Melbourne
• Postdoctoral Training: University of Vermont
• Current Position: Senior Lecturer, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology

Dr. Orr's research focuses on cognitive neuroscience, particularly the neural basis of emotional and cognitive dysregulation during adolescence. She employs multi-modal neuroimaging to study brain maturation, with projects examining developmental trajectories of cortical and subcortical structures in relation to risk-taking, substance use, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Her work often leverages large longitudinal datasets such as the IMAGEN and ABCD studies.

Her recent publications span high-impact journals and cover topics including substance use disorders, neurodevelopmental trajectories, gender disparities in academic publishing, and neural correlates of psychiatric conditions. The body of her work reflects a strong emphasis on methodological rigor, cross-disorder comparisons, and the application of advanced statistical and machine learning techniques.

Scientific awards and honors:

• No specific awards listed in the provided text.

Dr. Orr is actively involved in research supervision, advising multiple PhD students on topics such as cannabis use, lipoedema, intimate partner violence, and neurofeedback for PTSD. She has secured grant funding from the Barbara Dicker Brain Science Foundation and Brimbank City Council. Her research contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being. She is also associated with collaborative networks such as the ENIGMA Addiction Working Group.