Lizzie Manning

Dr. Lizzie Manning is a Senior Lecturer in Physiology at the University of Newcastle's School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, part of the College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing. Her research focuses on neural mechanisms underlying mental health disorders such as OCD, depression, and Tourette’s syndrome, with a particular emphasis on inflexible behaviors and stress-related pathways. She employs cutting-edge techniques like calcium imaging and optogenetics to study brain circuits involved in compulsive behaviors and decision-making impairments.

Education: PhD in Neuroscience from The University of Melbourne and Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health (2014), followed by postdoctoral training at the University of Pittsburgh (2014–2020). Key collaborations include work with Prof. Chris Dayas on stress and hypothalamic circuits, and Prof. Michael Breakspear on computational neuroscience modeling.

Research Interests: Neural basis of compulsive behaviors, stress neurobiology, and translational approaches to psychiatric treatments. Her lab investigates subcortical pathways (e.g., direct/indirect striatal pathways) and the role of non-invasive brain stimulation (e.g., TMS) in modulating neural activity.

Grants & Awards: Secured over $3.1M in funding, including NHMRC Ideas Grants and ARC Discovery Projects. Recognized with awards such as the 2023 Mid-Career Research Award and Early Faculty Travel Award (IBNS).

Student Supervision: Advises PhD students on topics like stress-action pathway interactions and hypothalamic circuit modulation. Committed to fostering diversity in academia through initiatives like the Indigenous student engagement committee.

Community Engagement: Co-founded the 'Mindscapes' art event to reduce mental health stigma, linking scientific research with community outreach.