Join Brain and Mind Centre experts as they reveal insights into how our brains are wired for risk and reward, and the ways this can work against us in environments with easy access to addictive stimuli such as drugs, nicotine, digital media and games, and more.
In this conversation, explore what we could do to stem this tide by harnessing technology and novel approaches. Hear from neuroeconomist Agnieszka Tymula, digital interventions and mental health researcher Louise Thornton, and neuroscientist Morgan James. Hosted by Sana Qadar.
This event is presented with the Brain and Mind Centre, a flagship multidisciplinary intiative at the University of Sydney addressing child development, youth mental health, and ageing and neurodegeneration.
| When | Wednesday 23 September, 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm |
| Where | The Sibyl Centre |
| Accessibility | Lift and wheelchair access and hearing loop are available at the venue |
| Entry | Free and open to all with registrations essential. Update: This event is now booked out. You can join the waitlist or sign up to get an email alert to the event recording here |
Morgan James is a Sydney Horizon Fellow and leads a translational neuroscience lab at the Brain and Mind Centre. His research examines the neural basis of psychiatric disorders characterised by dysregulated motivation, including addictions, eating disorders, and depression. He runs an active drug discovery program that provides a direct pipeline from lab findings to potential treatments. Until December 2024, he held the position of Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Rutgers in New Jersey, the largest multidisciplinary addiction research site in the US, where he remains an Adjunct Professor.
Louise Thornton is Program Lead for Digital Interventions and Engagement at the Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use (Matilda Centre) and a Lead Researcher on Brain and Mind Centre’s Technology Addiction team at the University of Sydney. She is also Program Director for the Leggett Precision Hub for Alcohol Treatment and Director of Research and Strategy at the Mental Health Innovation Team at the University of Newcastle. She leads a program of research to identify and understand the most effective ways digital technologies can be leveraged to reduce chronic disease risk and improve people’s mental health.
Agnieszka Tymula is a neuroeconomist whose research integrates economics and neuroscience to explain how people make decisions under risk, time, and uncertainty—and how to design tools and policies that improve them.
Agnieszka is the recipient of 2025 Young Economist Award from the Economic Society of Australia, 2017 Society for Neuroeconomics Early Career Award for Contributions towards the Understanding of Decision-Making, and 2015 Australia Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award. She has secured over A$34 million in competitive funding (ARC DECRA, Discovery, Linkage; Centre of Excellence) and leads large interdisciplinary teams.
Sana Qadar is an award-winning journalist and host of All in the Mind, ABC’s acclaimed podcast exploring the science of mental health. With a global career spanning ABC News, BBC, Al Jazeera and NPR, she has reported from London, Beijing and beyond. Holding an MA from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, Sana brings deep insight and curiosity to complex psychological and social topics.
Header image: credit Google DeepMind via Unsplash