Professor Kim Cornish joins VU, advancing psychology neuroscience research

Victoria University (VU) is excited to welcome the appointment of Vice-Chancellor's Distinguished Professorial Research Fellow, Professor Kim Cornish AM.

Professor Cornish is a global leader in developmental cognitive neuroscience. As the Founding Director of Monash University’s Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health – and as a former Sir John Monash Distinguished Professor – she will continue her pioneering research in early childhood development, learning and mental health.

Professor Cornish said:

I’m excited and proud to become part of the VU Research team. I firmly believe that research should not be confined to the page. Instead, it should be something that invigorates, supports and uplifts people’s lives.

Professor Cornish has led extremely high-performing research teams throughout her stellar career – in the United Kingdom; Canada and Australia. Over more than three decades she has garnered in excess of $40m of contestable grants, research fellowships and philanthropic donations. 

In 2024, Professor Cornish was awarded the Order of Australia for her significant contribution to tertiary education, to psychological sciences and to the community.

“I warmly congratulate Professor Cornish on her new appointment. We are thrilled to have such a wonderfully ethical and innovative researcher join us. I am certain that her work in early childhood psychology and neuroscience will enhance and inspire our entire VU community,” Vice-Chancellor Professor Adam Shoemaker said.

“Professor Cornish’s ethos of research of, by and for society perfectly aligns with Victoria University's profound commitment to research with impact. I am sure that she will continue to produce highly distinctive work that shapes and serves our community for years to come," Professor Andy Hill, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Impact said.

VU is in the midst of the Vice-Chancellor's Research and Impact Fellowships campaign to attract six new early-to-mid-career level candidates who have a compelling research track records that align with VU’s research profile.

They will join an existing team of VU researchers whose mantra is authentic connection and demonstrable research impact.

Professor Cornish takes up her new appointment on 15 July 2025.