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Associate Professor Murat Yücel

A/Prof Murat Yücel is a Consultant Neuropsychologist & Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry at The University of Melbourne. He has a joint appointment across Orygen Youth Health Research Centre and the Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre (MNC). He leads a number of Neuroimaging projects at Orygen Youth Health and heads the Impulsive & Compulsive Behaviour research team at the MNC.

A/Prof Yücel is frequently involved in discussions of science with consumers, caregivers, philanthropic visitors and policy makers. He also plays an active role in conveying science to the public through the media and public presentations. Most recently, his research findings into drug addiction received widespread international coverage that presented hard scientific data into informative and educational media-friendly grabs accessible to the general public. His work into the effect of cannabis use on mental health has paved the way for open and meaningful discussions in the public arena around drug use and its effects on the community as a whole.

A/Prof Yucel has published over 80 peer-reviewed articles in the domains of psychiatry and drug addiction. He has won awards at major national and international conferences including a Clinical Career Development Award from the National Health and Medical research Council (NHMRC) of Australia; Young Tall Poppy Science Award from the Australian Institute of Policy & Science (AIPS), and Organon Research Award given by the Australasian Society for Psychiatric Research (ASPR) for outstanding research.

Research Interests: 

Dr Murat Yücel is investigating the neural and psychological bases of impulsive, compulsive and addictive behaviour. Using the latest neuropsychological and neuroimaging techniques he is investigating how prefrontal and cingulate brain networks mature through the life-span and how disruptions to them can lead to the maladaptive behaviours and symptoms that characterize psychiatric and addictive disorders.