Our clinical trials

Neurofeedback is a non-invasive method of teaching self-regulation of neural activity. It works by monitoring your brain and providing feedback to help you produce the desired brain activity.

In this project, we will examine neurofeedback in relation to producing brain waves associated with improved mood and decreased stress. 

Eligibility

Participants must be aged 18 or over, right-handed, and can easily understand English. Individuals who currently have a formal psychiatric diagnosis, have a history of trauma exposure, and/or have experienced a traumatic brain injury is not eligible for this study.  

Process

Participation involves a 20-minute online survey followed by two in-person sessions (approximately 75 minutes each). Participants’ travel costs will be reimbursed with a $25 e-gift card for each session (totalling two $25 gift cards). 

Please contact millyli@swinburne.edu.au for any questions. 

This study investigates whether measuring sleep and daily activity rhythms can improve prediction of mood changes in bipolar disorder. To better manage bipolar disorder, we plan to build a risk algorithm into a simple wrist-worn device called an actigraph – a scientific version of a Fitbit.

Recruitment will close in January 2027.

Traumatic events can have a significant impact on someone's wellbeing and quality of life. By identifying what helps or harms men's mental health, this study could lead to better support and intervention strategies for men dealing with the long-term impacts of traumatic experiences.

This study is especially important as men in rural and regional Australia face high suicide rates. Understanding the unique challenges and strengths of men in major cities and regional areas could provide valuable insights for improving mental health care and reducing suicide rates in the community.

Recruitment will close on 28 February 2026.

The Bipolar Research Clinic (BRC) will be the first free digital clinic of its kind for individuals living with bipolar disorder. It will provide access to three digital tools designed to improve quality of life with support from appropriately trained individuals (with lived or living experience of mental ill health) and postgraduate trainees in clinical psychology.

To co-design, pilot and evaluate BRC, we are seeking input from adults in Australia with an interest in improving access to psychosocial interventions for bipolar disorder or experiences with such interventions. These may include people with a lived or living experience of bipolar disorder, people caring for a person with bipolar disorder, or clinicians and representatives of mental health or lived experience workforces.

Participants will be required to complete surveys, workshops, focus groups and interviews, and reimbursed for their time. Recruitment will close on 31 January 2026.

The AMETHYST study is an Australia-wide psychological therapies trial for hearing voices. It compares the current best practice therapy with the Avatar Therapy – a new way of helping people who hear voices.

We are looking for participants in this study who will receive an evidence-based therapy via video-conferencing from our Voices Clinic.

Eligibility

You may be eligible if you:

• hear distressing voices
• live in Australia
• have access to the internet
• are aged over 18.

Recruitment will close in March 2026.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome / Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is a complex multi-system disease for which there is no universally accepted diagnostic case definition, cause or treatment.

It is characterised by chronic, disabling fatigue extending for over six months where rest or sleep is unrefreshing. Patients experience substantial periods of “payback” after exertion in the form of post-exertional malaise.

The CFS Diet Study aims to determine whether diet may play a role in CFS/ME symptoms and whether dietary interventions might be used as a potential therapeutic.

It will compare symptoms of fatigue, dietary habits and blood biomarkers of immune function or inflammation in CFS/ME patients and healthy controls.

Eligibility

You may be eligible if you:

• are aged between 18 and 40 years old
• have a current CFS/ME diagnosis or have never been diagonised with CFS/ME
• are willing to provide blood samples
• are fluent in written and spoken English.

Process

This study will involve one appointment with a researcher at Swinburne University of Technology (Hawthorn campus). You will be asked to complete a series of questionnaires and provide a blood sample. You will also be asked to complete a four-day diet diary and wear a physical activity monitor for a few days.

Recruitment will close on 31 January 2026.

If you have experienced a panic attack and worry about having another, you might have panic disorder. We are conducting a study to understand if and how combining group cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with a trained therapy dog can help treat panic disorder.

Recruitment will close in October 2029.

If you have excessive and recurrent fears of being contaminated or repeatedly clean, check or avoid things that you think are contaminated, you might have obsessive-compulsive disorder.

We are trialling a mixed reality-based psychological treatment for fears of being contaminated by certain stimuli, such as dirty or mouldy objects.

Recruitment will close in December 2026.

The three-month trial involves three in-person visits to Swinburne University of Technology (Hawthorn campus) and three online sessions in each participant's own home.

Eligibility

To be eligible, participants must:

• be aged between 50 and 75 years
• be in good general health
• have not been diagnosed with dementia, depression, anxiety or other psychiatric disorders
• be fluent in written and spoken English
• be a non-smoker
• not have any gastrointestinal or cardiovascular disorders
• be willing to provide blood samples at each in-person visit.

Process

Participation involves:

• attending our centre on three separate occasions over a three-month period
• completing questionnaires and cognitive tasks at home on three occasions
• taking a micronutrient formulation (or placebo) twice daily during this period. 

Each in-person session takes between 90 minutes and five hours (with a light meal provided). There is also an optional brain-imaging component that takes up to 90 minutes. Participants are reimbursed for their time and travel expenses.

For further enquiries, please call +61 3 9214 5213 or email arcli2@swinburne.edu.au

The three-month trial involves three in-person visits to Swinburne University of Technology (Hawthorn campus) and two online cognitive tests from each participant's own home.

Eligibility

To be eligible, participants must:

• be over 60 years old
• be a non-smoker
• be in good general health
• be fluent in written and spoken English
• not have current endocrine, gastrointestinal or bleeding disorders
• not have history of dementia, stroke or neurological disease
• not have history of significant brain trauma, stroke, loss of consciousness or epilepsy
• not have history of alcohol or drug dependency
• not have history of anxiety, depression or other psychiatric disorders requiring treatment in the last two years
• not be suffering from heart disease or uncontrolled high blood pressure
• not be on certain medications (as determined by the researchers) that may affect the study outcome
• be willing to provide blood samples throughout the testing phases.

Process

Participation involves:

• attending our centre on three separate occasions
• completing two online tests from home
• taking CoQ10 (or placebo) daily during this period. 

Each in-person session takes approximately three hours. Each online test takes approximately 45 minutes. Participants are reimbursed for their time and travel expenses.

For further enquiries, please call +61 3 9214 5243 or email coq10@swinburne.edu.au.