The Developmental Cognitive Neuropsychology Research Unit
The Children's Hospital at Westmead and The Macquarie Centre for Cognitive Science
Our Mission
The DeCog unit strives to be a centre of excellence in developmental cognitive neuropsychology research and to promote a high standard of training and clinical practice in neuropsychological assessment and treatment of developmental and acquired cognitive disorders.
Annual Report 2007 
Goals
To establish a centre of excellence in developmental cognitive neuropsychology research by:
- extending research collaborations and conducting multidisciplinary research within CHW, MACCS and with prominent research institutes interstate and overseas.
- submitting publications in national and international peer reviewed journals
- securing research grants for DeCog and CHW.
To extend clinical practice in the treatment of cognitive disorders by:
- developing theoretically driven and empirically proven assessment and treatment methods.
- establishing a 'state first' Learning Difficulties clinic at CHW which will offer assessment and treatment for children and adolescents with reading and spelling disorders.
- developing tools, methods and norms to facilitate early diagnosis of developmental cognitive disorders
To promote training and education in developmental cognitive neuropsychology by:
- providing supervision and research opportunities for post-graduate neuropsychology trainees.
- holding a bi annual international DeCog conference
- presenting DeCog research at national and international conferences
What is the Developmental Cognitive Neuropsychology Research Unit?
The Developmental Cognitive Neuropsychology Research Unit (DeCog) was established in March 2000 as an outreach unit of the Macquarie Centre for Cognitive Science (MACCS) based at The Children's Hospital at Westmead. The Unit is a joint initiative between the two institutions and aims to establish a centre of excellence in developmental cognitive neuropsychology research. Since it's inception the unit has flourished, growing from its original 4 clinical neuropsychologists to approximately 20 members including associates, research staff and post graduate students. Under the banner of CHW and MACCS, DeCog has established the first developmental cognitive neuropsychological unit in the southern hemisphere and has consistently delivered what it set out to do - uphold a high standard of neuropsychological assessment and treatment of developmental and acquired disorders, establish a centre of excellence in developmental cognitive neuropsychology and to promote research, seminars and publications at a local and international level. The Unit has a well established track record of publications, conference presentations and successful grant applications.
This document was updated on Wednesday, 24 February 2010.
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