Therapeutic Innovations in Mood and Anxiety Disorders
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Healthscope Chair of Psychiatry
Professor Chee Ng03 9426 2111
Research Overview
The major focus of the research activity is to improve knowledge and skills that are grounded in innovative therapeutic research relevant to direct patient care.
Located at the Melbourne Clinic Professorial Unit, the research group initiates local research projects and forms research collaborations with other leading researchers both nationally and internationally. Together with researchers and clinicians, the Unit is focussed on research in treatments for mood and anxiety disorders in the areas of psychopharmacology, pharmacogenomics, brain stimulation, nutraceuticals, lifestyle interventions and integrative mental health models.
Currently the research unit is conducting RCTs using novel pharmacotherapies and nutraceuticals for affective and anxiety disorders as part of the largest psychiatric trial network in Australia. Of note, the unit is involved in multi-centre projects testing novel psychopharmacological agents and nutraceuticals to improve mood or reduce anxiety in people with psychiatric disorders and to examine potential genetic markers of treatment response.
Staff
- Professorial Unit Head and Healthscope Professor of Psychiatry Professor Chee Ng
- Honorary Principal Research Fellow Prof Jerome Sarris
- Senior Lecturer, Dr Joel King
- Research Coordinator, Nathan Dowling
- Clinical Trials Co-ordinator, Sarah Nadjidai
Research Assistants
- Gina Oliver
- Samantha Galea
- Mr Lachlan Cribb
Clinical and Honorary
- Dr Richard Bonwick
- Dr Scott Blair West
- Dr Chia Huang
- Dr Perry Short
- Dr Michael Maloney
- Dr Colin Scott
- A/Prof Amgad Tanaghow
Funding
NHMRC - The Candesartan Adjunctive Major Depression Trial - CADET: A double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial (2019)
MRFF - The Candesartan Adjunctive Bipolar Depression Trial - CADET: A double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial (2019)
NHMRC - Efficacy of adjunctive Garcinia mangostana Linn pericarp for bipolar depression (2017)
NHMRC - N-Acetyl Cysteine in the Treatment of OCD: A 24-week double-blind RCT (2017)
Research Publications
TOP 5 publications
Sarris J, Murphy J, Mischoulon D, Papakostas GI, Fava M, Berk M, Ng CH. Adjunctive Nutrient Nutraceuticals for Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-analyses. American Journal of Psychiatry 2016;173(6):575-87. (IF: 13.5) 1st comprehensive review in nutraceuticals in depression PubMed
W, Zhang QE, Cai DB, Yang XH, Qiu Y, Ungvari GS, Ng CH, Berk M, Ning YP, Xiang YT. N-acetylcysteine for major mental disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 2018; 137(5): 391-400 PubMed
Ng CH, Kato T, Han C, Wang G, Trivedi M, Shao H, Ramesh V, Narayanan S, Gala S, Tan W, Feng Y, Kasper S. Definition of Treatment-Resistant Depression - Asia Pacific Perspectives. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2019 Feb 15;245:626-636. PubMed
Sarris J, Byrne G, Cribb L, Oliver G, Murphy J, MacDonald P, Nazareth S, Karamacoska D, Galea S, Short A, Birling Y, Menon R, Ng CH. L-Theanine in the Adjunctive Treatment of Generalised Anxiety Disorder: A Double-Blind, Randomised, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Journal of Psychiatric Research. 2019 Mar;110:31-37. PubMed
Sarris J, Byrne GJ, Stough C, Bousman C, Mischoulon D,…Ng CH. Nutraceuticals for Major Depressive Disorder- More is Not Merrier: an 8-week double-blind, randomized, controlled trial. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2019; 245: 1007-1015. PubMed