Interviewer: Welcome to the Brain and Mind Centre.

Ben: Thank you. I am very excited to be a part of all the excellent work the Brain and Mind Centre does in child neurodevelopment, youth mental health and neurodegeneration, and especially the capacity for multidisciplinary research to shape mental health policy and practice for the benefit of society.

You have an impressive track record of research under your belt. Can you speak more about that?

My research explores how expectancies influence human behavior, with a specific interest in placebo and nocebo effects. My team and I have developed a number of novel experimental models to uncover the mechanisms of placebo and nocebo effects for pain, sleep, nausea, and related conditions.

You have a long history with the University. Can you share more about that?

I completed my PhD here before spending time at other universities and then returned to Sydney. I’ve been a staff member since around 2012. I’ve really enjoyed developing my research program and teaching here, and over time, I became increasingly interested in leadership. Most recently, I’ve served as Head of Psychology for a little over three years.

You have published over 100 scientific papers. Will you be bringing your research team with you to the BMC?

My research team will remain physically based in Psychology, but I certainly see them contributing to the BMC’s work. The connections are already there, and I expect those collaborations to strengthen over time.

As a multidisciplinary institute, what do you think sets the BMC apart as a world‑leading research institute?

What makes BMC unique is that it genuinely spans bench-to-bedside. We have world‑class discovery research—from basic neuroscience to animal studies—right through to clinical services, clinical trials, and policy impact. Many organisations aspire to this continuum, but few truly achieve it. The BMC is one of those rare places where discovery science, translation, lived experience, and systems‑level impact come together.

You’ve been a part of the scientific community for some time. What changes have you seen over the years in terms of research practices or outputs?

One of the biggest shifts has been the ease of collaboration. Researchers are increasingly stepping out of silos and working across disciplines to tackle complex problems together. MDIs like the BMC play an important role in bringing complementary expertise together. Technology has also made international collaboration far more accessible. The ability to assemble diverse teams with different strengths is generating novel discoveries and meaningful change in practice and policy.

How do you see this role playing out over the coming months, especially as the new strategy is developed?

A key responsibility for me will be to contribute to the development of the Centre’s strategy and to ensure our members are meaningfully involved in shaping it. There’s still important work to do in refining our collective vision for the BMC—clarifying who we are within the University and the broader community and determining how we build on the exceptional work already happening here. It’s an exciting opportunity to think deliberately about the Centre’s identity and future direction.

What do you consider your greatest asset as a leader?

I’m genuinely interested in people and deeply believe in the value of research for society. I try to understand what academics and professional staff are aiming to achieve, and how I can support them. Listening, advocating for staff, and aligning with their aspirations are areas where I think I lead effectively.

Thank you. Lastly, why did you want to join the BMC?

I’m motivated by research that delivers societal benefits—work that informs policy, improves practice, and drives positive change. That relies on excellent discovery science, because it’s discovery that seeds innovation in clinical and applied settings. It’s a highly iterative process: discovery informs clinical research, and clinical challenges feed back into discovery. That cyclical, system‑level perspective is something I find energising, and the BMC is an ideal place to contribute to that.

Brain and Mind Centre

Professor Ben Colagiuiri will be joining Professor Ian Hickie AO, who is Co-Director of Health and Policy at Brain and Mind Centre.