Home → Faculty of Science and Information Technology → School of Psychology → Research and Ethics → Research Facilities

Research Facilities

The Animal House
The Psychology Research Participant Pool
The Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory
The Human Vision Motion Laboratory
The Laboratory of Neuroimmunology
The Newcastle Cognition Laboratory
The Psychology Clinic
The Psychometric Test Library
The Vision Science Laboratory

The Animal House

The School has an animal holding area associated with laboratories and providing support for research and teaching in neuroscience, visual perception, learning and brain development, and psychoneuroimmunology. The area is able to hold small mammals such as guinea pigs, rats, and mice, avian species such as chickens and pigeons, and holds invertebrate for use in teaching. A number of the laboratories also have animal holding cubicles for individual research. The Animal House is fully accredited and is staffed by a Senior Animal Technician.

The Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory

The FNL conducts research into human cognitive and perceptual processes and examines their impact on Mental Health. The laboratory has facilities for both EEG and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

You may view The Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory or for further information please contact Dr Frini Karaynidis.

The Human Vision Motion Laboratory

This laboratory maintains:

2 data projectors
Audio generation equipment
2 Macintosh computers with visual psychophysics presentation software
Dark-curtained room for visual experiments

For further information please contact: Dr Stuart Marlin.

The Laboratory of Neuroimmunology

This facility consists of a functional biochemical laboratory with standard equipment including HPLC, gamma counter, ELISA reader and microtome. The laboratory also houses an immune laboratory with all of the standard equipment required for tissue and cell culture, including an incubator, microscopes, and laminar flow/biohazard and biosafety hoods. Endocrine and immune assays are routinely carried out in the facility. A fully operational animal surgery with operating table, stereotaxic equipment is also contained within the laboratory.

You may view the Laboratory of Neuroimmunology or for further information please contact Dr Deborah Hodgson.

The Newcastle Cognition Laboratory

The Cognitive Laboratories maintain:

Nonlinear Cognition Lab
Soundproofed cubicle with dedicated PC for behavioural experiments
4 individual test areas with computers
2 cubicles each with Unix workstation

You may view The Newcastle Cognition Laboratory or for further information please contact Prof Andrew Heathcote.

The Vision Science Laboratory

Species: Chicks, adult hens, pigeon colony, various Australian birds, guinea pigs

Image Processing Workstation

Various CCD Low Luminance and Zoom Video Cameras
Various high quality lenses suitable for macro and video imaging
Frame Grabber hardware and software
Image Processing Software
Specialised software for measuring eye focus and movements

Ophthalmology Lab

Various infra-red video retinoscopes and IR videokeratometers
Ophthalmic lens sets
Retinoscopes (5)
Perimeter devise and bird and mammal stereotaxic devices suitable for Vision Experiments
High Frequency Ultrasound imaging (resolution to 30 :m)
Optical Bench

Behavioural Lab

Computer controlled operant boxes suitable for birds
Controlled environmental chambers
Psychophysical stimulus production

Anaesthetics

Halothane/Oxygen inhalation machine
All major IP and IV

Surgery

Fully equipped surgery specialised for neuroanatomy and neural dissections

Zeiss Surgical Operating Microscope
Operating Table
Kofpt Small Mammal/ Bird Brain Stereotaxic
RF Lesion generator
Electrodes and micro syringes
Perfusion Equipment

Microscopy & Histology

Leitz Upright with fluorescent optics and camera
Freezing Microtome
Bench Dissecting Microscopes (5)
Fume Hood
Cell and brain staining apparatus and chemicals
Chemical assays
Access to MCID Histological Analyses
Access to confocal microscopy and electron microscopy
Access to immunohistological facilities

For further information please contact Dr Sally McFadden.