Honours and ILP students
Honours and Independent Learning Project students at CHeBA gain valuable experience conducting research in the field of brain ageing.
They develop key research skills and deepen their understanding of current issues in brain ageing—knowledge that supports future careers in healthcare (including general practice and geriatrics), research, or policy development.
Honours students
Students who graduate with an Honours degree (at least class 2 division 1) in a relevant field from an Australian or New Zealand University may be eligible to apply to the Masters by Research or PhD programs in the Faculty of Medicine.
Our aim is that they should finish their Honours with at least one first author paper.
For more information on Honours degrees in the Faculty of Medicine at ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼÇ, including application deadlines, visit the .
ILP students
An ILP is a useful entry point for any students considering a higher research degree or a research career. Students who graduate with an MBBS from an Australian or New Zealand University are eligible to apply to the Masters by Research or PhD programs in the Faculty of Medicine.
CHeBA staff are available to supervise both allocated and negotiated Independent Learning Projects. Please see Research and impact for more information.
Find out more about Independent Learning Projects, including application deadlines, on the .
-
Zara Page
Honours StudentMy honours project utilised data from the Sydney Memory and Ageing Study and CogSCAN to compare the cognitive performance of participants from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to native English speakers on traditional paper-and-pencil and computerised neuropsychological assessments. Further, I identified linguistic and acculturation factors, such as years of education in English, that may influence culturally and linguistically diverse participants’ performance. This helps to inform clinicians and researchers alike on a more culturally-appropriate way to assess cognitive decline in people from diverse backgrounds. Throughout my honours project, I had fantastic opportunities beyond writing my final thesis such as presenting a poster at a conference, speaking at an event for early-career researchers and writing a paper for publication.
"My supervisors Dr Nicole Kochan and Dr Karen Croot were exceptional at supporting and encouraging me throughout my honours project and built my skills and confidence to take on a PhD project."
Sophia Xi
ILP StudentÂThe relationship between dietary patterns and neurocognitive health among older adults
Diet may be a promising strategy to postpone, slow or prevent cognitive decline and reduce the risk of dementia. My thesis investigated the important question as to whether, and how effective, different types of dietary patterns and related food groups are in protecting against neurocognitive decline in older adults.
"I am so thankful to have been able to undertake my PhD in CHeBAÂ and DCRC- where I have received incredible academic guidance, constant support, and great encouragement to strive for my best as a researcher and clinician."
Sujin Jang
Honours StudentÂContribution of cerebrovascular and Alzheimer-type pathology in the aetiology of neurocognitive disorders
Alzheimer’s disease and cerebrovascular disease are the two most prevalent causes of dementia. However, the molecular basis of Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia remains incompletely understood. Combined vascular and Alzheimer’s disease pathology is the leading cause of dementia in the very old. My thesis explored the association and interaction between cerebrovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease pathology/dementia from the perspectives of plasma lipid profiles, imaging biomarkers, post-mortem pathology, and animal models.
"The great supervision and assistance I received at CHeBA inspired me to continue exploring the nature of dementia in the future."