Acclaimed mental health expert Professor Patrick McGorry will give his assessment of the future of mental health in Australia at a public lecture in Newcastle this week.
The former Australian of the Year will speak at the Royal Newcastle Hospital Heritage Oration on Wednesday 3 August.
The Royal Newcastle Hospital Heritage Trust, in conjunction with the University of Newcastle Foundation, annually awards a visiting fellowship to a prominent scholar to visit and teach in Newcastle. This year Professor McGorry has been appointed the Fellow.
Professor McGorry is a leading international researcher, clinician and advocate for the youth mental health reform agenda. He is Executive Director of Orygen Youth Health (OYH), a world-renowned mental health organisation for young people that has put Australia at the forefront of innovation in the prevention and treatment of mental illness.
The oration is part of the Newcastle Hospitals Congress, which is an annual multidisciplinary educational meeting for health professionals in the Hunter region. The theme for this year is From Discoveries to Therapies in Neuroscience.
Also speaking at the congress at the John Hunter Irvine Memorial Lecture on Thursday 4 August is Beverley Raphael, Professor of Psychological and Addiction Medicine at the Australian National University.
Professor Raphael was also formerly Director of Mental Health for New South Wales. She has been extensively involved in the development of disaster mental health across most Australian disasters and is an international and national advisor in this field.
The congress is an opportunity to showcase the work of clinicians and researchers in the fields of mental health and neurology, and in particular to celebrate the achievements of the Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research (CBMHR).
The Royal Newcastle Hospital Memorial Lecture, featuring Professor Patrick McGorry is on Wednesday 3 August at 6pm at the Royal Newcastle Centre Lecture Theatre at John Hunter Hospital.
The John Irvine Hunter Memorial Lecture featuring Professor Beverly Raphael is on Thursday 4 August at 12.30pm at the Royal Newcastle Centre Lecture Theatre at John Hunter Hospital. Both lectures are free to the public.
About the University of Newcastle (UON) Foundation:
The UON Foundation is the platform for philanthropic support for the University of Newcastle. Donations help fund student scholarships, academic positions, research and projects.
Media contact: Shirley Savy, Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle (02) 4921 5603
