EMERGING RESEARCHER APPOINTED TO JAMES PACKER CHAIR IN MOOD DISORDERS AT UNSW Joins department with over 60 years research in Psychiatry and Mental Health to investigate Bipolar Disorder
The UNSW Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health is widely renowned as the pre-eminent psychiatry research department in the country and one of the leading university psychiatry research groups internationally. In 2023 it celebrated 60 Years of Psychiatry & Mental Health at UNSW Sydney.
Australian Health Journal spoke with Professor Kimberlie Dean, Head of the Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health at UNSW Sydney, about the recent appointment of mental health disorders expert and clinician researcher Dr Aswin Ratheesh to lead the James Packer Chair in Mood Disorders at UNSW Sydney.
Professor Dean spoke about UNSW being home to an outstanding mental health research community with key partners across the Mindgardens Neuroscience Network, welcoming Dr Ratheesh
As a leading clinical researcher in mood and psychotic disorders, Dr Ratheesh is passionate about prompt and early access to interventions for people with such conditions.
The appointment comes after prominent businessman and investor James Packer, jointly with The Packer Family Foundation, made a $7 million gift to establish the role last year.
The Chair will lead a new unit at UNSW and the Mindgardens Neuroscience Network that will conduct rigorous research in mental health, with a particular focus on mood disorders such as bipolar disease. The gift also funds a team of researchers to support the Chair.
Dr Ratheesh’s research is focused on understanding pathways leading to the onset of mood disorders and finding ways to provide effective treatments for individuals who develop such conditions. He has worked as a psychiatrist for over 12 years both in youth and adult mental health settings and has led several studies that have helped identify risk markers for future bipolar disorder.
He believes some of the current knowledge gaps in mood disorders include our ability to predict who will develop such conditions, who is at risk of worsening, and who will respond to specific treatments.
Dr Ratheesh currently leads an NHMRC Partnership grant in early intervention for bipolar disorder and is a chief investigator on a Centre of Research Excellence grant in early intervention for bipolar disorder. He co-leads the International Society of Bipolar Disorders Taskforce on Early Intervention and is an Associate Editor for the leading journal, the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. He has received awards from the International Early Psychosis Association and the Australasian Society for Bipolar and Depressive Disorders for his research.
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New clinical research entity first to operate across both Australia and New Zealand
Over the past 30 years, 18,000 clinical trials that have been registered in Australia, with the sector contributing $1.4 billion to Australia’s economy annually. Trials are a critical aspect of evidence-based medicine, and are essential for testing how new treatments, tests and vaccines will work. In New Zealand they contribute $146 million to the New Zealand economy.
To capitalise on this unique position and growth, a coordinated multi-site clinical research operation was missing, until now.
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Thyroid health into pregnancy
‘Without an adequate amount of thyroid hormone mothers can be exposed to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including gestational hypertension and preeclampsia or eclampsia, which affect around 10% of pregnant women and are the leading causes of maternal and neonatal mortality worldwide. Mothers who suffer from hypertensive disorders during pregnancy are at increased risk of long-term cardiovascular consequences and hypertensive disorders in subsequent pregnancies. Evidence also indicates a risk of reduced cognitive ability to their offspring.
‘Knowing if you are genetically predisposed to Hashimoto’s or Graves’ Diseases, which are both thyroid autoimmune disorders is important to be aware of, to ensure all appropriate tests are ordered. Autoimmune disorders may predispose mothers to a thyroid problem during pregnancy’, says Professor Creswell Eastman, who also serves as the ATF’s Principal Medical Advisor.
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Surgeon receives global award for kidney transplant science
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Honoured “for eminent service to medicine, particularly in the areas of clinical and biomedical research, to the development of ethical policy and practices for organ donation, acquisition and transplantation, and to renal medicine organisations and publications, Jeremy Chapman AC has played significant roles in development of kidney, pancreas and unrelated Bone Marrow Transplantation in Australia.
