Thoughtful approach for new UQ Centre

A $1.25 million University of Queensland-based research centre which focuses on the human mind will be launched at Brisbane Customs House tonight.

Minister for Transport and Main Roads Steve Bredhauer MLA will launch the Key Centre for Human Factors and Applied Cognitive Psychology at 5.30pm.

"The purpose is to create a world-class PhD and research program in human factors and applied cognitive psychology," said Centre director Professor Michael Humphreys, who is an authority on human memory.

"It improves on existing programs in Australia because it has a substantially greater concentration of expertise in these areas."

The Australian Research Council-funded centre is based in the University's Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences. Expertise in cognitive psychology - the new "science of the mind" - will also be pooled from several Australian universities.

These include Macquarie University and the University of New South Wales in Sydney, the University of Newcastle, the University of South Australia in Adelaide and Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne.

The Centre's research programs will integrate theoretical issues- such as the role of memory and reasoning processes in work performance - with practical issues relevant to industry. These include the design of computer operating systems and the management of workload, safety and fatigue.

Professor Humphreys said the Centre would make "a significant contribution" to such important applied problems such as safety and workplace productivity. "It should also stimulate research in cognitive psychology by making the research more relevant," he said.

The Centre will offer a PhD program, conduct research, and serve as a contact, referral, and co-ordination centre for human factors expertise throughout Australia.

For more information, contact Professor Michael Humphreys (telephone 07 3365-6670 or emaildirector@humanfactors.uq.edu.au).