Strategic initiativesSignature themes |
The Brain & Behaviour Initiative (BBI) is a cross-faculty, multidisciplinary, collaborative framework to promote research in the cognitive and affective neurosciences.
New experimental techniques, including brain imaging, genetic testing and neuropsychological assessment, combined with new theoretical insights, have opened up significant biotechnology potential, and the opportunity for advancement of novel diagnostic tools and treatments for people with mental disorders.
The initial focus is on trauma and resilience to help understand why some people develop conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder in response to stressors, while others do not. This understanding is critical in a setting where there are high levels of violence.
Professor Dan Stein, head of the Department of Psychiatry, has been appointed as Director of the BBI. In collaboration with the University of Stellenbosch, the BBI has successfully negotiated with Siemens the acquisition of a 3 Tesla Allegra Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner for research purposes.
The collaborative initiative between UCT and the University of Stellenbosch has also resulted in funding for imaging work on the opioid system in relation to depression and trauma, as well as for conducting epidemiological work on the prevalence and correlates of trauma in South Africa.
UCT hosts two South African Research Chairs in this area, namely Associate Professor Ernesta Meintjes in Brain Imaging and Associate Professor Marc Combrinck, in Clinical Neuroscience.
Contact us
Dr Marilet Sienaert
Tel: 021 650 4402
Professor Dan Stein
Tel: 021 447 6566
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