Personal profile
Biography
As a neuropharmacologist I have contributed to the understanding of brain circuitry, particularly the involvement of the neurotransmitter dopamine on regulating brain function. In my career I have discovered neurotransmitter/neurochemical interactions that regulate behaviours associated with drug abuse and dietary intake, such as: reward, addiction, psychoses, depression, anxiety and memory function. I am also interested in pharmacotherapies for mental health disorders, their effectiveness, side effects and effects on quality of life. I am a member of the Lifespan Health and Wellbeing Research Centre and the Centre for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence).
Research interests
I am interested in understanding the neurobiology/pharmacology of:
- drug (methamphetamine) addiction
- drug (methamphetamine)-induced psychosis
- ADHD
- anxiety
- oxytocin as a therapeutic
- cannabinoids as therapeutics
- brain circuitry - dopamine, glutamate, GABA
Research student supervision
I supervise honours, Clinical Masters (Neuropsychology), Masters of Research and PhD candidates studying the impact of novel or established pharmacotherapies on mental health and wellbeing.
Teaching
- PSYC1104 First year Psychology (Lecturer)
- PSYX2236 Biopsychology & Learning (Lecturer)
- PSYN8845/PSYC9897 Clinical Psychopharmacology (Co-Convenor, Lecturer)
- MEDI3300 Neuroscience (Guest Lecturer, tutor)
Research engagement
Research affiliations:
- Lifespan Health and Wellbeing Research Centre
- Centre for Emotional Health
- Centre for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (ARC, AI)
- Australasian Neuroscience Society
- Biopsychiatry Australia
- Kinoxis Pharmaceuticals
- Lambert Initiative
Community engagement
- Reviewer for the Australian Research Council
- Reviewer for the National Health and Medical Research Council
- Frequent reviewer for neuroscience and pharmacology journals
Fingerprint
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Unlocking midbrain microglia as treatment targets for dopamine dysregulation in schizophrenia
Purves-Tyson, T. (Chief Investigator), Cornish, J. (Primary Chief Investigator), Moalem-Taylor, G. (Chief Investigator), Bauman, M. (Chief Investigator), Curtis, J. (Chief Investigator), Lappin, J. (Chief Investigator), O’Donnell, M. (Chief Investigator), Debs, S. (Associate Investigator) & Conn, I. (Associate Investigator)
17/07/23 → 31/12/26
Project: Research
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Does oxytocin treatment in adolescence reverse the negative impact of early life stress on mental health and susceptibility for drug addiction?
Baracz, S. (Primary Chief Investigator) & Cornish, J. (Supervisor)
1/01/18 → …
Project: Research
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Does oxytocin pretreatment reduce ¿ice¿ abuse by regulating specific GABA signalling mechanisms in the prefrontal cortex?
Cornish, J. (Primary Chief Investigator)
1/01/17 → …
Project: Research
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Biomolecular Discovery and Design Research Centre
Packer, N. (Primary Chief Investigator), Paulsen, I. (Chief Investigator), Nevalainen, H. (Chief Investigator), Haynes, P. (Chief Investigator), Molloy, M. (Chief Investigator), Atwell, B. (Chief Investigator), Barron, A. (Chief Investigator), Beggs, P. (Chief Investigator), Bergquist, P. L. (Chief Investigator), Brown, L. (Chief Investigator), Cornish, J. (Chief Investigator), Chung, R. (Chief Investigator), De Deene, Y. (Chief Investigator), Garcia-Bennett, A. (Chief Investigator), Gillings, M. (Chief Investigator), Goodchild, A. (Chief Investigator), Guillemin, G. (Chief Investigator), Hallinan, J. (Chief Investigator), Hose, G. (Chief Investigator), Jaschke, P. (Chief Investigator), Mabbutt, B. (Chief Investigator), Raftos, D. (Chief Investigator), Ranganathan, S. (Chief Investigator), Sofronov, G. (Chief Investigator), Sunna, A. (Chief Investigator), Tetu, S. (Chief Investigator), Andersen, M. (Chief Investigator), Willows, R. (Chief Investigator), Ahn, C. (Associate Investigator), Breen, E. (Associate Investigator), Campbell, M. (Associate Investigator), Care, A. (Associate Investigator), Cordina, N. (Associate Investigator), Curach, N. (Associate Investigator), Everest Dass, A. (Associate Investigator), Elbourne, L. (Associate Investigator), Goold, H. (Associate Investigator), Hassan, K. (Associate Investigator), Kautto, L. (Associate Investigator), Krisp, C. (Associate Investigator), Kroukamp, H. (Associate Investigator), Lee, A. (Associate Investigator), Lin, C.-H. (Associate Investigator), Mackie, A. (Associate Investigator), McKay, M. (Associate Investigator), McQuade, L. (Associate Investigator), Mirzaei, M. (Associate Investigator), Mohamedali, A. (Associate Investigator), Ostrowski, M. (Associate Investigator), Parker, L. (Associate Investigator), Pascovici, D. (Associate Investigator), Penesyan, A. (Associate Investigator), Shah, B. (Associate Investigator), Sun, A. (Associate Investigator), Thompson, E. (Associate Investigator) & Williams, T. (Associate Investigator)
1/01/17 → …
Project: Research
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Novel Therapeutics for the remediation of social deficits in psychiatric illness
Cornish, J. (Primary Chief Investigator), McGregor, I. (Chief Investigator), Kassiou, M. (Chief Investigator) & Hunt, G. (Chief Investigator)
18/03/15 → …
Project: Research
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A CBD-rich hemp extract is superior to CBD alone in reducing relapse to methamphetamine-seeking in rats
Umpierrez, L. S., JKorkozian, M., Costa, P. A., Anderson, L. L., McGregor, I. S., Baracz, S. J., Perry, C. J., Arnold, J. C. & Cornish, J. L., 20 Mar 2026, In: Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry. 145, p. 1-13 13 p., 111629.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile5 Downloads (Pure) -
Administration of an extrasynaptic δ-subunit GABAA receptor agonist in the prelimbic cortex attenuates methamphetamine sensitisation and relapse to methamphetamine-seeking behaviour in male rats
van den Buuse, M., Roberts, J., Hunter, M. T. C., Hay, G. L., Everett, N. A., Baracz, S. J., Wearne, T. A. & Cornish, J. L., 28 Mar 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Journal of Psychopharmacology. 13 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Efferent projections of topographically distinct relaxin family peptide receptor-3 (RXFP3) lateral hypothalamus/zona incerta cells
Richards, B. K., Kilby, A. I. J., Cornish, J. L., Kim, J. H., Lawrence, A. J. & Perry, C. J., 16 Jan 2026, (Submitted) (bioRxiv).Research output: Working paper › Preprint
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Incubation of craving for alcohol-associated cues is reduced by running-wheel exercise
Ferella, T. M., Kilby, A. I. J., Umpierrez, L. D. S., O’Connor, A., Swinberg, M., Lawrence, A. J., Cornish, J. L. & Perry, C. J., 29 Apr 2026, (Submitted) 36 p. (bioRxiv).Research output: Working paper › Preprint
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Neurochemical phenotype of relaxin family peptide receptor-3 (RXFP3) lateral hypothalamus/zona incerta cells
Richards, B. K., Cornish, J. L., Kim, J. H., Lawrence, A. J. & Perry, C. J., 12 Apr 2026, (Submitted) (bioRxiv).Research output: Working paper › Preprint