Welcome from the Department Head

Professor Christopher Davey, Head of Department of Psychiatry

The Department of Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne was established in the 1960s. It is one of the largest Departments in the Melbourne Medical School. There are about 120 academic and professional staff, 140 honorary staff and 50 students pursuing research degrees from Honours, Masters, and PhD programs. A further 240 students are enrolled in graduate coursework programs, including the flagship Master of Psychiatry program. The Department plays a key role in the medical curriculum of the graduate Doctor of Medicine (MD) program, providing rotations in mental health for medical students and teaching in other sections of the course. The Department also offers opportunities for students undertaking research projects in the MD course.

The Department is located across a broad reach of Melbourne, including teaching and research units at Austin Health, Royal Melbourne Hospital, St Vincent's Health, Northern Health and Western Health.  The Department also has units at two private hospitals: Albert Road Clinic (Ramsay Health Care) and The Melbourne Clinic (Healthscope).

The Department’s research focuses on improving our understanding and treatment of mental health disorders across the lifespan. It covers a broad range of psychiatric research, including prediction and biomarker research, neuropsychiatry, psychopharmacology, neuroimaging, psychosocial research, economic evaluation, ethics, psychiatric epidemiology, and mental health service delivery.