Kate Hoy

A/Prof Kate Hoy is an NHMRC Fellow and Clinical Neuropsychologist at MAPrc where she is Deputy Director of the Therapeutic Brain Stimulation division and Heads the Cognitive Therapeutics Research Program.

Kate’s research is focused on the development of novel biological treatments for cognitive impairment in both psychiatric and neurological illnesses. Specifically, her group investigates the effects of brain stimulation techniques such as transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS), transcranial Random Noise Stimulation (tRNS), Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), Theta-Burst Stimulation (TBS) and Magnetic Seizure Therapy (MST).

She is currently conducting clinical trials aimed at improving cognition in patiens with schizophrenia and Alzheimer's, as well as in healthy older adults. Kate's team is also conducting research looking at cognitive impairment in head injury and mild cognitive impairment, as well as investigating ways in which to optimise efficacy of prefrontal brain stimulation techniques.  

Kate has worked in brain stimulation research for more than 13 years and is considered to be a leader in the field. She has published 77 scientific articles and 2 book chapters, and received over 3.5 million dollars competitive funding. In 2014 she was awarded the NHMRC Excellence Award for the top ranked Career Development Fellowship - Biomedical Level 1, and won the 2017 Victoria Telstra Business Women's : Public sector and Academic Award. 

Kate is currently a member of the Faculty of Medicine Research Committee, a past member of the Monash ECR network, was the inaugral ECR representative on the Monash Research Committee, and is a former Deputy Chair of the Australian Academy of Science EMCR Forum, an advocacy group for early to mid-career researchers. She is also currently a mentor in the Global STEM Alliance 1000 girls, 1000 futures program. Kate also initiated, and maintains, the women in brainstim database site aimed at addressing the extreme gender imbalances at international brain stimulation conferences.  Go to womeninbrainstim.com to find out more and register.

Kate is passionate about communicating science to the public, not only her own research, but the importance and impact of science in general. She gives regular talks on her research to a range of audiences, she is active on twitter, has published articles in consumer targeted magazines (i.e. Link Disability Magazine, Australian Quarterly) and on the conversation website, and has been interviewed in the media on a number of occaisions. Kate was awarded a 2013 Victorian Tall Poppy Science Award in recognition of both her research excellence and commitment to science communication.

For a list of current projects see the Cognitive Therapeutics Research Group current research page.

If you would like to find out more about Kate’s research, please contact kate.hoy@monash.edu