WORM NEUROSCIENCE LABORATORY

What happens to our brain when we learn something? When we learn something, we suddenly don’t gain a new brain or grow 500 new brain cells. But something changes.

In our lab, we study how learning and gaining memories alters how brain cells signal to each other. We find that learning triggers the release of neurochemical signals that can have wide-ranging impacts on brain regions that control movement, or the ability to sense the environment. We use the worm brain to understand these chemical changes, hoping that we can translate our research on the tiny worm brain to the much bigger brain of humans, which may change the way we manage and treat conditions like neurodegeneration and chronic pain.

OUR RESEARCH

We are interested in the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying changes to neural circuits that occur during learning and adaptive behaviour. Dysfunction or dysregulation of some of these processes have been linked to pathology or disease.

Research projects

Some of our current projects include:

Identifying the molecular profile of memory formation
Investigating factors that boost memory resilience during ageing
Understanding genetic drivers of neuronal integrity in a nematode model of Motor Neurone Disease (MND)

GROUP MEMBERS

Principal Investigator: Yee Lian Chew (she/her)

Yee Lian is a worm-wrangler, geneticist, neuroscientist and baker of weird cakes. Motivated to learn more about the brain using the worm model. Passionate about equity, diversity and inclusion. Always learning, always reflecting.

BSc (U Sydney) 2010, PhD (U Sydney) 2015, EMBO fellow/postdoc (MRC LMB, UK) 2015-2018, Lecturer/Research Fellow 2019-2020 (University of Wollongong)

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Rosie Colman she/her

PhD Student (2025 - )

Rosie is an enthusiastic neuroscientist, writer and budding science communicator. Her PhD project seeks to identify what is unique about brain cells as they age and whether that can be used to slow or stop memory loss. Outside of her research, Rosie's goal is to communicate science with the community in a way that makes people feel smarter and more engaged with the world around them. She is also a big believer in community and wants to use her career to give back in whatever way she can.

Dr Aelon Rahmani (he/him)

(PhD student (2021 – 2024), Lab support assistant (2025), Postdoctoral Research Associate (2026- )

Aelon is a budding neuroscientist, an advocate for diversity in STEM, and worm compadre. In 2020, he graduated with a B. Bionanotechnology (Honours) from the University of Wollongong, Australia. Aelon's PhD project and now postdoctoral research involves using C. elegans to study the biological process of learning.

Anna McMillen (she/her)

PhD Student (2022 - )

Anna is a developing scientist with a love for genetics, neuroscience, and all things in between. She emphasizes the importance that interdisciplinary and multicultural exposure has played in her journey of scientific discovery. Her academic career has taken her across the globe with a BS from North Carolina State University in the US, an MSc from the University of Glasgow in the UK, and now Australia.

Dr Michaela Johnson (she/her)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Michaela is a neuroscientist, passionate about enhancing our understanding of the nervous system and how different factors interact to cause the development of neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's disease. Michaela strives to foster a supportive community where knowledge and ideas flourish, particularly by aiding in the development of her peers and fellow early career researchers.)

WORK WITH US

Get in touch to know more about our research or to join the lab! We are always keen to hear from interested and enthusiastic PhD, Masters and Honours students.