Dr Isabel Chew’s journey in neuroscience is fueled by a passion for understanding the neurobiology of mental health, particularly obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In 2024, she completed her PhD with Professor Christopher Dayas and Dr Lizzie Manning at the University of Newcastle, investigating the involvement of striatal neurons in behavioural inflexibility characteristic of cocaine-use disorders.

This work explored the role of spiny projection neurons in the dorsal striatum in the transition from goal-directed behaviour to more rigid, habit-like response for rewards. Using neuroimaging technology, Isabel aimed to record from the two populations of neurons that form the vast majority (~95%) of the cells in the striatum to understand how they compete/cooperate to guide decision-making and behaviour.

Since then, she’s transitioned to her role as a postdoctoral researcher under the leadership of Dr Lizzie Manning, where she exploring striatal contributions to different aspects of inflexible behaviour in a transgenic mouse model of OCD.

Using cutting-edge miniature microscopes, her research aims to clarify the neural mechanisms underpinning inflexible behaviours relevant to OCD, shedding light on a poorly understood disorder.