Genevieve Steiner-Lim

LINKEDIN (opens in a new window) | X (opens in a new window)

PhD, BPsych (Hons, Class I)
NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow II, NICM Health Research Institute
Clinical Platform Lead, NICM Health Research Institute

Associate Professor Genevieve Steiner-Lim is an NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow, lead of the NICM Clinical Research Platform and Neurocognition Laboratory, and HEADBOX Research Group at NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University. She is also Co-Director of the Age and Ageing Clinical Academic Group for Maridulu Budyari Gumal (SPHERE) and a Guest Professor of Biological Psychiatry of Ageing in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at Jena University Hospital in Germany.

Her cognitive neuroscience research program spans the early detection, prevention, and treatment of cognitive decline and mental ill-health in older people with the aim of reducing dementia risk and improving quality of life. She combines psychophysiological and neuroimaging methods with other interdisciplinary research techniques such as clinical trials, co-design, implementation science, neurophysiology, neuropsychology, machine learning, metabolomics, immune and genetic markers. She develops and tests novel therapeutics and models of care that can provide early intervention for dementia and reduce dementia risk, with a special focus on at-risk and underserved groups including peri- and post-menopausal females, people with mild cognitive impairment, subjective cognitive decline, and psychiatric disorders.

Associate Professor Steiner-Lim has attracted >$25M AUD in grant funding (>$13M is Chief Investigator) including two back-to-back highly prestigious and competitive NHMRC Fellowships, 23 awards and prizes, and has published >100 peer reviewed publications in high impact journals. She currently leads her research group in the HEADBOX Lab comprising research fellows, postdocs, research assistants, and higher degree research students.

Research focus

Cognitive neuroscience
Mild cognitive impairment
Alzheimer’s disease
Learning and memory
Dementia prevention
Neuroplasticity
Psychiatric Disorders
Women’s brain health

Projects and grants

Associate Professor Steiner-Lim's research has been supported by numerous external funding agencies including an NHMRC, government and industry.

See a list of past and current projects.

Awards and recognitions

2025 Inaugural IOP/ASP Early Career Prize, International Organization for Psychophysiology
2022 Best Oral Presentation Award, Australian Dementia Research Forum 2022 (ADRF2022)
2021 Inaugural EMCR Award (Mid-Career Category), Australasian Society for Psychophysiology
2020 Research Excellence Through Partnership Award, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice President, Research, Enterprise and International, Western Sydney University
2019 Best Paper Award (Senior Category), NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University
2018 NSW Young Tall Poppy Science Award, Australian Institute for Policy and Science
2016 Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence as an Early Career Researcher Award, Western Sydney University
2016 Early Career Research Award, School of Science and Health, Western Sydney University
2016 Australia-China Young Scientists Exchange Program (YSEP), Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE)
2016 Best Presenter, NHMRC-ARC Dementia Research Development Fellows, NHMRC National Institute for Dementia Research Australian Dementia Forum
2014 Best Postgraduate Oral Platform Presentation, 24th Australasian Society for Psychophysiology Annual Conference,
2014 Best Tutor Award (voted by students), School of Psychology, University of Wollongong
2012 Best Postgraduate Presentation, 22nd Australasian Society for Psychophysiology Annual Conference
2011 Student Publication Prize, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Science, University of Wollongong
2011 Australian Postgraduate Award, Department of Industry, Australian Government
2010 Dean's Merit List, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Science, University of Wollongong

Affiliations

2025-present Guest Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
2024-present German Center for Mental Health (DZPG)
2016-present Honorary Fellow, School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Australia
2016-present NHMRC National Institute for Dementia Research
2016-present Australian Psychological Society
2016-present Australian Society for Medical Research
2013-present Australasian Cognitive Neuroscience Society
2011-present International Organization of Psychophysiology
2011-present Society for Psychophysiological Research
2010-present Australasian Society for Psychophysiology

Education

2015 PhD (Psychology) with Examiners’ Commendation for Outstanding Thesis, University of Wollongong, Australia
2010 BPsyc (Hons, Class I), University of Wollongong, Australia

Publications

For a full listing of publications please see:

WESTERN SYDNEY UNIVERSITY PROFILE (opens in a new window)
ORCID (opens in a new window)
GOOGLE SCHOLAR (opens in a new window)
RESEARCHGATE (opens in a new window)