Volunteer for a research study
QBI offers the public the opportunity to become involved in our research through volunteering in a wide range of our human studies. Your help may be vital to solving some of humanity's greatest ailments and answering some of the biggest questions we face.
Please see a list of studies, below, which need human participants. All studies have received Human Ethics clearances and comply with University and government policies and legislation.
If you are interested in participating, send an email to communications@qbi.uq.edu.au specifying the study with which you would like to be involved.
If you are unable to take part in a study and still wish to offer support, please consider giving to QBI.
Concussion research study
Are you a person who plays competitive football or other contact sport? Would you be interested in helping us understand the consequences of concussion?
We are conducting a study to investigate the effect of concussion on the brain using MRI scans, cognitive testing, and biomarkers. Our goal is to develop methods that can better detect and monitor concussion.
We need volunteers to participate. Participation in the study may involve all or a combination of the following: MRI scans, cognitive testing, provision of blood and saliva samples and use of an actigraph (sleep and movement wristwatch monitor).
Who?
- You are aged between 18 and 40 years
- You are healthy and have no history of neurological symptoms or severe concussions that have led to unconsciousness for more than 30 minutes
- You play competitive contact sports in Brisbane
Where?
The University of Queensland, Centre for Advanced Imaging, building 57
Will I get paid?
You will receive $50 for travel expenses for participation in all aspects of the study.
How will my data be used?
Your data will be anonymised. You will receive an image of your brain.
Interested?
If you meet the requirements for the study and are interested in participating, send an email to communications@qbi.uq.edu.au or contact via phone at 07 3346 6300 for more information. Or complete an expression of interest form.
Download a printable recruitment flyer
Clinical Trial: Exploring the effect of exercise on cognitive function in older adults
Description
It is well known that exercise has a positive influence on cognitive function during aging. However, the optimal dose, intensity and duration of exercise for improving cognitive function is not known, nor are the mechanisms by which exercise may prevent or even reverse cognitive decline.
Join our study to help identify the ‘sweet spot’ for exercise and memory. How much is enough? How much is too little?
Are you aged 65 – 85 and do you want to:
- become more physically active?
- participate in regular supervised exercise?
- learn more about you brain health, learning and memory?
- be part of supportive community?
Healthy men and women aged 65–85 are invited to participate in a six-month supervised exercise program. To be eligible participants must have no history of stroke or brain trauma, no diagnosed mental illness or cognitive function impairment, be free of significant cardiovascular disease, have a healthy BMI (< 30 kg/m2) and be able and willing to commit to the duration of the exercise program. Participation will include fitness tests, cognitive function testing, MRI scans of the brain, and small blood samples.
Participants will be divided into three groups to complete either low-intensity (very easy), moderate-intensity (easy) exercise or aerobic-interval (hard) exercise three times per week for six months. All exercise will be supervised and monitored and we will measure cognitive function, fitness, blood hormones, genetic factors and brain volume before beginning exercise, at regular interval during the exercise program and six months following the conclusion of the exercise program.
Contact
Contact the Healthy Brain-Ageing Team (healthybrains@uq.edu.au) for further details.
The Healthy Brain-Ageing Team
The Stafford Fox Exercise and Healthy Brain-Ageing Centre
School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences (Building 26B)
The University of Queensland | St Lucia, QLD, 4072 | Australia
+61 7 3346 8770
healthybrains@uq.edu.au
qbi.uq.edu.au/exercisestudy
About Professor Perry Bartlett
Corpus callosum dysgenesis database
Description
Our aim is to collect information about adults and children who have been diagnosed with agenesis or dysgenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC). Malformations of the corpus callosum are relatively rare and most studies so far have involved smaller groups of people.
In this study we aim to survey the Australian population of ACC patients to assess the range of disorders associated with callosal malformations in Australia. If you or your child has been diagnosed with agenesis or dysgenesis of the corpus callosum we invite you to contact us and take part in this study.
Requirements/time commitment
We are asking for your participation by filling out a questionnaire and sharing with us information about you or your child’s diagnosis, implications and family history. Any copies of documentation such as digital copies of MRI scans would be very much appreciated. No active participation in any further research is needed at this stage. You will be asked to sign a consent form that will allow us to store your or your child’s information in our database. In the questionnaire you will have the option to indicate if you wish to be informed of further studies. At any given time you have the right to retract your participation and remove your information from the database.
Eligibility criteria
-
Individuals who have been diagnosed with malformations of the corpus callosum
Contact
Professor Linda Richards AO
E: corpuscallosumresearch@uq.edu.au
07 3346 6355
Queensland Twin Adolescent Brain Project (QTAB)
What changes occur in the brain during the critical period of early adolescence? Would your family like to take part in our journey to explore this very important period of development?
Our team is using advanced imaging techniques to see inside the brain and to track developmental changes through early and mid-adolescence in a large sample of twins from Brisbane and South-East Queensland. Concurrently, we are assessing cognition, social behaviour, and mental health, as well as collecting blood and saliva samples.
This will provide vital new knowledge of the structural and functional changes in the adolescent brain – how the healthy teenage brain develops, and to help us understand how developmental processes in the brain may go awry during adolescence. This study will help to explain why adolescence is not an equally vulnerable period for all individuals.
Who?
-
Healthy twins aged from 9 to 12 years
-
Living locally (i.e. in Brisbane or South East Queensland)
Where?
The University of Queensland, Centre for Advanced Imaging, building 57
Commitment?
This is a longitudinal study. We hope you will be able to visit us on three occasions over 3 to 5 years so that we can track developmental changes in your brain.
Payment
You will receive an honorarium to cover travel expenses and for participation in all aspects of the study.
How will my data be used?
Your data will be anonymised and stored securely for use in ongoing research.
Interested?
If you are interested in participating, please register your interest using the form below.
Movement disorder research project
Longitudinal Study of Movement Disorders
We are looking to establish a quantitative assessment of the symptoms associated with different types of movement disorders. We will collect data from patients with a history of any movement disorder and also from the age matched healthy controls (35 – 75 years).
Why is the research being conducted?
Better understanding is needed into the nature and cause of movement disorders in order to identify the pathway of the disease progression. This in-depth study will ultimately help in better and more timely treatments to improve the quality of life of people with movement disorders.
What will you be asked to do?
The project involves collecting information at Queensland Brain Institute in University of Queensland St. Lucia. The session may take around and 1.5 – 2 hours. You will be required to perform some simple movement tasks and voice and handwriting samples will also be taken. An experienced researcher will be present at all times to guide your through these assessments
Interested?
If you are in Brisbane and are interested in contributing towards the research then please contact the following person:
Dr Francois Windels
Phone 04 36 428 774
Email apcn@uq.edu.au
This project has been approved by the University of Queensland Human Research Ethics Committee (EC00456).
Cognitive Test Development
The Cognitive Neurology Group (Professor Peter Nestor) at the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) conducts research on improving early detection and accurate diagnosis for different types of dementia.
Part of this involves developing better tests of memory, language and thinking abilities. In order to develop new tests and interpret performance of people with dementia, we also need the help of healthy people. This is where we need your help!
YOU NEED TO
- Be over the age of 50 years.
- Have English as your first language.
- Be in reasonably good health with no previous history of significant brain diseases.
- Be available for three hours (maximum) to attend an appointment at the QBI, UQ (St Lucia).
WHERE
Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) (Building #79), The University of Queensland, St Lucia Qld.
YOUR COMMITMENT
You will be asked to complete a series of pen-and-paper and computerised tests that are designed to assess mental abilities, such as memory, thinking, language and how our eyes scan the world.
WILL I GET PAID?
There is no payment for participating.
INTERESTED?
If you meet the requirements and are interested in participating, or you would like further information, please email Dr Soo Lee (nestor.research@uq.edu.au), phone (07) 3443 2615, or visit the Nestor Lab website.
The FLAG Study
Are you from a family that has been affected by a genetic form of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and would like to help with research? The Cognitive Neurology Group (Prof. Peter Nestor) is running a research project trying to better understand these genetic forms of FTD—such as those due to the C9ORF72, progranulin (PGRN) or tau genes—by studying the relatives of affected individuals.
If you would like further information, please email Soo Lee or phone on (07) 3443 2615.
The Gut Microbiome and the Brain
Description
We, in the Neurobiology group at QBI, are interested in the connection between the bacteria living in the gut, the brain, and mental disorders such as schizophrenia. We are looking for participants with no history of mental health diagnosis in order to understand this complex relationship. Participation will involve collecting a faecal sample and answering some dietary and cognitive questionnaires.
Who?
- Males
- Between 30 and 50 years old
- Body Mass Index ≥ 30kg/m2
- No current or past mental health diagnosis
- No antibiotic use in the past 2 months
- No use of constipation and reflux medication in the past 2 months
- No gastrointestinal condition in the past 2 months
- Not pregnant
Where?
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Building 79
OR - Your home (we can come and do the questionnaires at your home if this is more convenient)
Time Commitment and Reimbursement
- It will take approximately 1 hour to fill out the questionnaires
- You will get a $50 Coles voucher for your time
Contacts
If you are interested and meet the requirements for the study, please send an e-mail to Svetlina Vasileva at s.vasileva@uq.edu.au or call Andrea Baker at 0410 570 132.
Exercise and cognitive function
It is well known that exercise has a positive influence on cognitive function during aging. However, the optimal dose, intensity and duration of exercise for improving cognitive function is not fully known, nor are the mechanisms by which exercise may prevent or even reverse cognitive decline.
Join our study to help identify the exercise-related mechanism for improved memory.
Are you aged 18 – 65 and do you want to:
- Know your VO2max (the gold standard measurement of fitness)?
- Test your ability to complete game-based cognitive tests?
- Be part of ground-breaking research?
Healthy men and women aged 18–65 are invited to participate in a two-visit program (each visit is 2.5 hours, one week apart). To be eligible participants must have no history of stroke or brain trauma, no diagnosed mental illness or cognitive function impairment, be free of significant cardiovascular disease, have a healthy BMI (< 30 kg/m2) and be able and willing to commit to the duration of the testing. Participation will include fitness tests, cognitive function testing, small blood samples and one week of activity tracking and paper-based questionnaires.
Contact
Contact Sam Belford and the Healthy Brain-Ageing Team (healthybrains@uq.edu.au) for further details.
Neuropsychology research
If you are interested in volunteering as a research participant please email our Research Coordinator. We welcome individuals who are either healthy or those with a neurological diagnosis. If you have a neurological disorder, please provide a referral from your medical specialist (e.g. Neurologist, Psychiatrist, or Geriatrician).
Neurological Basis of Decision Making
Description
The function of the human brain relies upon precisely wired neural networks. Many of these networks depends upon the corpus callosum, the largest white matter tract in the brain, to transmit information between the two brain hemispheres.
During this experiment we plan to study how the corpus callosum facilitates decision making processes in neurotypical individuals. Participants will undertake a collection of neuropsychology tasks whilst they have an MRI to monitor their brain function. This data will be used to determine how neurotypical individuals form functional networks to formulate strategies to make decisions and solve problems.
Participants who volunteer for this study will be required to undergo 2 MRI scans of approximately 1 hour each at the UQ Centre for Advanced Imaging, a range of computer-based tasks at the Queensland Brain Institute and neuropsychological assessment at the UQ Neuropsychology Research Clinic. Tasks will be completed over 2 sessions of approximately 4 hours each.
Participant benefits
Participants will be financially compensated at a set rate of a $180. Parking will be provided free of charge, however refreshments are the responsibility of the participant.
In addition to this, participants that achieve a score of 500 or more points across all the tasks during the MRI sessions will be entered into a lottery to potentially win a further $40 (which will be awarded, at random, to 5% of eligible participants).
Payment will be made in the form of a $140 Coles group and Myer’s gift card which will be presented after the second and final session of testing. Furthermore, participants will receive $40 cash when they complete the EEG task.
At the completion of their participation in the study, the participant may also receive a copy of their MRI scans if they wish.
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible for this study, potential volunteers must be
- aged 18 to 60
- have no history of mental illness or a major neurological disorder
- have no history of brain injury or surgery
- MRI safe (i.e., no pacemakers, implanted electronic medical devices, or steel pins / plates)
- able to lie still in a confined space for up to an hour at a time
Register interest
To register your interest in volunteering for this study, contact Lisa Mackenzie at corpuscallosumresearch@uq.edu.au