Newsletter: June, 2026

As we near the midway mark of the year, and head into winter proper, I would like to spotlight some achievements and recent updates.

Congratulations to Dr Tom Reilly, who was awarded the 2026 Isaac Schweitzer Travelling Fellowship, and to Associate Professor Leo Chen, who received the RANZCP Foundation’s Pat, Toni and Peter Kinsman Research Scholarship.

We have a new research theme, which will accompany the existing four themes. Professor Jason Thompson will lead the ‘Health Policy and Systems Science’ theme, focusing on models of care, compensation systems, and disability and social insurance systems.

Our research is organised across what are now five themes, and I encourage all researchers in the Department to look at our themes page, and to register your interest in being part of a theme by contacting the theme leads.

We recently received an update from the Vice-Chancelor regarding the University’s ongoing financial challenges. The University is aiming to achieve a break-even result by the end of 2027, which will require financial restraint and careful management. The Department runs a tight budget and we have not been asked to make any cuts to our expenditure, but will be constrained in our ability to support new initiatives. We will do our best to maintain our focus on achieving high standards across our academic, research and professional services programs.

Finally, I want to provide an update on the honorary application process. Our honorary staff make enormous contributions to the work of the Department, but the process for obtaining the appointment hasn’t always been clear. We now have an online guide, which you can find here: it includes information on the eligibility criteria, benefits and obligations, and the application forms that need to be completed.

Professor Chris Davey
Head, Department of Psychiatry

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