School of Psychology

Dr Owen’s research has focused on psychopharmacological and neutraceutical interventions with the capacity to impact on cognitive function. She received a PhD scholarship from GlaxoSmithKline in 2005 to examine the role of glucose and energy metabolism on cognition. Dr Owen identified the specific moderators and mediators responsible for the enhancement effects of glucose effects on memory facilitation. Over the recent years Dr Owen has been responsible for coordinating several projects in a range of areas e.g. examining diet, exercise and other metabolic agents with the capacity to improve health and cognitive function as well as herbal and drug interventions. Dr Owen is committed to disseminating research findings to both the public and the scientific community. Her research has received a great deal of media attention and has been featured in media publications across Australia e.g. The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, Canberra Times. She has also recently discussed her research findings on national radio (ABC national). Furthermore in addition to presenting her research works at many conferences around the world Dr Owen also organized several large scale conference events such ‘Promoting Neurocognitive Health through the Lifespan’ 2009 which attracted over 150 scientists and health care professionals from around the world. She also organized the conference ‘Brain Health and Natural Medicine’ 2012 again attracting a large number of international and national delegates.

In her capacity as a research scientist she has forged strong collaborations with a number of industrial sponsors as well as attracted funding from nationally competitive bodies. Dr Owen was recently awarded a Marie Curie Seventh Framework Research Fellowship at Keele University where she is currently examining the health and cognitive consequences of alcohol hangover. Dr Owen has also been keen and actively involved in teaching undergraduate psychology regularly lecturing in biological psychology, psychopharmacology, and cognitive psychology and neuro-anatomy.

Book Chapters

• Owen L (2010) Metabolic agents and cognitive function. Stough, C. & Scholey, A. (In press). Natural medicines, Nutrition and Neurocognition. NOVA Publishers. NY: USA.
• Scholey A, Camfield D, Owen L, Pipingas A, Stough C (2010) 'Cognition' In: Functional foods: concept to product 2e - Edited by Dr. Maria Saarela Woodhead Publishing,
• Camfield D, Owen L, Pipingas A, Stough C, Scholey A (2011) Herbal Extracts and Cognition in adulthood and ageing.

Papers

• Owen L, ScholeyA, FinneganY, Sünram-Lea S (2013)^. Response Variability to Glucose Facilitation of Cognitive Enhancement. British Journal of Nutrition (in Press)
• Scholey A & Owen L (2013) The effects of chocolate on mood and cognitive function: a systematic review. Nutrition Reviews (accepted in press)
• Ossoukhova  A, Owen L, Savage K, Meyer M, Ibarra A, Roller M, Pipingas A, Wesnes K, Stough C, Scholey A (2013) Improved working memory performance following administration of a single dose of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) to healthy middle-age adults. Human Psychopharmacology
• Scholey A,  Camfield DA, McPherson H, Owen L, Nguyen P, Stough C, and Riby, L Hippocampal involvement in Glucose Facilitation of Recognition memory: Event-related potential components in a dual-task paradigm. Biological Psychology (in press)
• Scholey AB, Benson S, Neale C, Owen L, Tiplady B (2012) Neurocognitive and mood effects of alcohol in a naturalistic setting. Hum Psychopharmacol 27(5):514-6.
• Owen L, Sunram-Lea SI (2011) Metabolic Agents that Enhance ATP can Improve Cognitive Functioning: A Review of the Evidence for Glucose, Oxygen, Pyruvate, Creatine, and l-Carnitine. Nutrients 3, 735-755.
• Owen L, Scholey AB, Finnegan Y, Hu H, Sünram-Lea SI (2011) The effect of glucose dose and fasting interval on cognitive function: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, six-way crossover study. Psychopharmacology 1-13.
• McMillan L, Owen L, Kras M, Scholey A (2011) Behavioural effects of a 10-day Mediterranean Diet: results from a pilot study evaluating mood and cognitive performance. Appetite 56, 143-147.
• Sünram-Lea SI, Owen L, Finnegan Y, Hu H (2011) Dose–response investigation into glucose facilitation of memory performance and mood in healthy young adults. Journal of Psychopharmacology 25:1076-1087.
• Scholey AB, Owen L, Gates J, Rodgers J, Buchanan T, Ling J, Heffernan T, Swan P, Stough C, Parrott AC (2011) Hair MDMA Samples Are Consistent with Reported Ecstasy Use: Findings from a Study Investigating Effects of Ecstasy on Mood and Memory. Neuropsychobiology 63, 15-21.
• Scholey AB, Owen L, Gates J, Rodgers J, Buchanan T, Ling J, Heffernan T, Swan P, Stough C, Parrott AC (2011) Is MDMA Present in Hair Samples Consistent with Reported Ecstasy Use? Open Addiction Journal 4, 50-51.
• Camfield DA, Owen L, Scholey AB, Pipingas A and Stough C (2011).; Dairy constituents and neurocognitive health in aging. British Journal of Nutrition. 106, 159-174.
• Owen L, Finnegan Y, Hu H, Scholey A, Sünram-Lea S (2010) Glucose effects on long-term memory performance: duration and domain specificity. Psychopharmacology 211, 131–140.
• Scholey A, Ossoukhova A, Owen L, Ibarra A, Pipingas A, He K, Roller M, Stough C (2010) Effects of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) on neurocognitive function: an acute, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. Psychopharmacology 212, 345-356.
• Owen L. & Sünram-Lea S.I. (2008) Glucose facilitation of cognition: Factors responsible for variability in behavioural response.  Appetite. 50; 2-3, 564.

Grants