NEW TREATMENTS FOR PATIENTS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS

Associate Professor Bernadette Fitzgibbon
Director of Psychiatry Research
Paratus Clinical, Australia &
Associate Professor,
Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed in Melbourne, Australia | November 2025

Associate Professor Bernadette Fitzgibbon is a neuroscientist with several decades of experience in researching, developing, and translating novel therapies for mental health and chronic pain conditions. This includes the application and optimisation of brain stimulation and psychedelic therapies, overseeing large multi-site intervention trials, both within Australia and abroad. Through her work, she has developed meaningful collaborations with consumers, volunteers, policy makers, and services providers, ensuring that the outcomes of her work contribute towards real-world clinical impact.

She is currently the Director of Psychiatry Research at Paratus Clinical, where she leads the delivery of clinical trials in emerging therapies for psychiatry, collaborating with academic institutions, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. She is also an Associate Professor at the Australian National University, where she contributes to novel investigator-initiated trials within interventional psychiatry and clinical neuroscience, and a consultant at The Psychedelic Consultancy: a hub to connect and support professionals navigate the legal psychedelic assisted psychotherapy ecosystem in Australia and internationally. Together, she is dedicated to changing the landscape of mental health treatments to improve the outcomes for people living with mental illness.

Source: Supplied