Professor Selena Bartlett
Faculty of Health,
School of Clinical Sciences
Biography
Professor Selena Bartlett is a neuroscientist and Professor in the School of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health at Queensland University of Technology. With more than 30 years of experience across pharmacy, neuroscience, addiction, mental health and brain health, her research focuses on neuroplasticity: how the brain changes through experience, stress, relationships and recovery.
Professor Bartlett leads research examining the brain mechanisms that contribute to addiction, anxiety, stress, diet-related behaviours and the long-term effects of early life experiences. Her current work also explores how digital environments, emerging technologies and artificial intelligence are shaping attention, wellbeing and mental health. She is committed to translating neuroscience into practical approaches that strengthen prevention, resilience and brain health across schools, workplaces, health services and communities.
Before joining QUT, Professor Bartlett was at the University of California, San Francisco. She has published more than 110 peer-reviewed research articles, secured more than $20 million in competitive research funding, and mentored researchers across Australia and internationally.
Her contributions have been recognised through the Australian Neuroscience Society’s Lawrie Austin Plenary Lecture Award, Women in Technology awards, and QUT’s Athena Swan award for mentoring women in STEM. Professor Bartlett is also the host of the Thriving Minds podcast and a regular public commentator on brain health, neuroplasticity, mental health and the future of human wellbeing.
Personal details
Positions
- Professor
Faculty of Health,
School of Clinical Sciences
Keywords
pharmacology, obesity, clinical sciences, neuroscience, inflammation, genomics, brain imaging, pharmaceutical sciences
Research field
Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences, Other biomedical and clinical sciences, Clinical sciences
Field of Research code, Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC), 2020
Qualifications
- PhD (University of Queensland)
Professional memberships and associations
Australian Neuroscience Society, Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
Experience
Professor Selena Bartlett is a neuroscientist and brain health researcher who focuses on neuroplasticity and translating brain science into practical approaches for everyday life.
For more than 30 years, Professor Bartlett has studied how the brain changes in response to early experiences, stress, relationships, learning and the digital environments in which people live and work. Her research is driven by the belief that mental health must move beyond a crisis-based model towards one that is more personalised, preventative and focused on lifelong brain health.
Professor Bartlett’s work examines how advances in neuroscience, technology and artificial intelligence are reshaping attention, learning, decision-making, identity and wellbeing. She is particularly interested in how digital environments influence the brain, and how leaders, educators, health professionals and organisations can create conditions that support focus, curiosity, psychological safety and human connection.
Her current work also draws on emerging neuroscience research on inter-brain synchrony: how shared attention, communication, connection, and social context can influence learning, trust and collective performance. This growing field has important implications for education, healthcare, workplaces and communities, particularly as technology changes how people relate, learn and make decisions together.
Professor Bartlett has published more than 110 scientific papers and is the recipient of the Lawrie Austin Award from the Australian Neuroscience Society for her contribution to neuroscience. She has also received the Outstanding Achievement Award and the Biotech Research Award, and previously served as an Ambassador for Women in Technology.
She is the host of the Thriving Minds podcast and author of books that make neuroscience and neuroplasticity accessible and actionable for the public. Through her research, teaching and public engagement, Professor Bartlett works to ensure that brain health becomes everyone’s business and not only someone else’s problem. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thriving-minds/id1471835230
Her work asks a central question for the age of AI: as technology becomes more capable, how do we ensure that humans remain clear-thinking, connected, ethical and able to lead?
Publications
Filter publications:
A complete list of publications is available at: https://www.qut.edu.au/about/our-people/academic-profiles/selena.bartlett
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