Symposia Speakers

Professor Chris Dayas completed his PhD at the University of Queensland in 2001, focusing on identifying brain regions involved in neuroendocrine responses to stress. He discovered that psychological and physiological stressors activate distinct cellular patterns in the amygdala and brainstem catecholamine cells—challenging the prevailing view of a uniform stress responses. Awarded a CJ Martin fellowship, Chris pursued postdoctoral training at The Scripps Research Institute in California, where he investigated neural mechanisms underlying alcohol relapse. Professor Dayas’ work revealed that alcohol-related cues activate brain patterns similar to those triggered by other addictive substances, and that treatments like naltrexone and mGlu2/3 receptor agonists can modulate these responses and reduce stress-induced relapse. He also identified that hypothalamic peptides, traditionally linked to feeding, can act as key players in alcohol-seeking behaviour.

After returning to Australia, Professor Dayas established his own laboratory in the Discipline of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle. He co-runs a laboratory with Dr Lizzie Manning and Dr Erin Campbell that focuses on the brain pathways that are involved in motivated behaviours and stress. The team studies the basic wiring of circuits controlling the activity of specific cell types in the hypothalamus and other nodes of the brain reward-seeking pathway including the amygdala, striatum and prefrontal cortex.

The teams' aim is to dissect the maladaptive rewiring that occurs in the brain which promote pathological motivational states that can manifest as addictions, and mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.

Professor Dayas is currently Head of School, School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle.