Rate My Professor Mick Hunter

Conjoint Associate Professor Mick Hunter serves as Honorary Associate Professor in the School of Science (Psychology) at the University of Newcastle, part of the College of Engineering, Science and Environment. He earned his PhD in Neuropsychology, BSc (Honours) in Psychology, and Graduate Certificate in Education and Higher Education from the University of London. Hunter's research career commenced at the Institute of Psychiatry, London, where he focused on models of learning, cognitive function, psychopathology, and inter-hemispheric transfer of training during five years of postgraduate and postdoctoral research. There, he gained expertise in behavioural training, recovery surgery, unit recording, and EEG/ERP techniques. He then served as Lecturer in Psychology at Aston University, Birmingham, from 1977 to 1984, collaborating on EEG and ERP research in human subjects while undertaking clinical training.

In 1985, Hunter joined the School of Psychology at the University of Newcastle as a Lecturer, specialising in Clinical Psychology and Psychopathology. He has advanced EEG/ERP experimental techniques and developed functional MRI neuroimaging to investigate cognitive functions in normal and clinical groups. Current research employs fMRI and MRS to identify brain chemistry changes associated with neural function and explores neuroplasticity through molecular and neurochemical alterations in a chicken learning model. Additional studies address functional sequelae of stroke and heart surgery, causes and effects of child abuse, therapy mechanisms, and links between psychopathology, learning, and brain plasticity. Hunter convened the postgraduate Clinical Psychology program from 1986 to 2002 and serves as Head of School of Psychology. Key publications include Austin et al., 'Depression and anxiety symptoms during the transition to early adulthood for people with intellectual disabilities' (2018); Conrad et al., 'Utility of risk-status for predicting psychosis and related outcomes' (2017); Bull et al., 'Effect of Core Temperature and Embolic Load During Cardiac Surgery on Motion Perception' (2016); and Atkinson et al., 'Changes in mid-to-late latency auditory evoked responses in the chicken during neural maturation' (2010). His 30 years of research in psychology, clinical psychology, and brain function involve collaborations across clinical and biomedical sciences.