FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH IN THE SETTING OF THE JUSTICE SYSTEM
With
Professor Kimberlie Dean, Head of Discipline
UNSW Psychiatry and Mental Health
Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW & Clinical Academic Forensic Psychiatrist
and Research Lead for Forensic Mental Health Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network, Sydney, Australia
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed in Sydney, Australia | May 2025
Prof Kimberlie Dean is Head of the Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health at UNSW. She was appointed to the inaugural Chair in Forensic Mental Health at UNSW in 2011, a joint appointment with Justice Health NSW. She also holds a Clinical Academic appointment as a Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist with Justice Health NSW. She is Academic Program Director for the Masters Forensic Mental Health at UNSW.
Her academic journey commenced with studying medicine at the University of Tasmania and the University of Adelaide. During her medical training, she became intrigued by broader questions concerning mental health, which sparked her interest in epidemiological and population health research.
Prof Dean trained at the Institute of Psychiatry and Maudsley Hospital in London, completing clinical training in Forensic Psychiatry and a PhD in Epidemiological Psychiatry. She returned to Australia over ten years ago to continue her work at UNSW.
Her research interests include understanding links between mental illness and offending behaviour including violence and testing interventions in justice settings/populations. She is currently involved in a range of research projects involving survey methodology, data linkage and intervention evaluation.
At the heart of her research is a commitment to uncovering the truth and enhancing mental health for the most vulnerable community members.
Source: Supplied and adapted
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Access to dental care for priority populations
Professor Dileep Sharma is a distinguished dental educator and researcher who currently serves as Professor and Discipline Head of Oral Health at the University of Newcastle, Australia. With over two decades of experience spanning clinical practice, research leadership, and academic mentorship, Professor Sharma has established himself as a leading authority in oral health education and interdisciplinary research.
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Brain ageing, dementia and psychiatric disorders
Professor Perminder Sachdev graduated from the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, in 1978 and completed his MD in Psychiatry there in 1983. Following time in New Zealand, he relocated to Australia, where he completed psychiatric training and a PhD at UNSW in 1991. His doctoral work examined ethnopsychological concepts in Māori culture. His early research focused on drug-induced movement disorders, including akathisia, tardive dyskinesia and neuroleptic malignant syndrome, while his later work has centred on dementia and pre-dementia syndromes, particularly neuroimaging, biomarkers and risk factors.
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Renal care & data linkage of Tasmanian kidney disease cases
Professor Matthew Jose is a Renal Physician & Head of the Renal Unit at the Royal Hobart Hospital, and Professor of Medicine for the University of Tasmania.
Winner of the 2021 Rural Science Award from the Australia and New Zealand Society of Nephrology, he has worked in regional, rural and remote Australian locations for nearly 20 years as a Renal Physician, including the Northern Territory.
