school of psychology and psychiatry annual report 2011

www.med.monash.edu/psych

School of Psychology and Psychiatry Annual Report 2011

Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

Addiction and Consciousness

Brain Injury and Rehabilitation

Culture and Mental Health

Forensic Mental Health and Behavioural Science

Mental Illness and Mood Disorders

Movement Disorders and Ageing

Neurodevelopment and Disorders

Sleep Health and Sleep Disorders

Addiction and Consciousness

Brain Injury and Rehabilitation

Culture and Mental Health

Forensic Mental Health and Behavioural Science

Mental Illness and Mood Disorders

Movement Disorders and Ageing

Neurodevelopment and Disorders

Sleep Health and Sleep Disorders

Australia n China n India n Italy n Malaysia n South Africa

We are a unique school in Australia and by harnessing Monash’s strong, integrated network of platform technology in biomedical imaging and experimental neuropsychology, as well as key strengths in culture, health and mental illness, we aim to provide a greater understanding of the mechanisms of action involved in disorder, its trajectory across the lifespan, and novel treatment approaches.

We are committed to collaborative links with other parts of the Faculty and University. These relationships are especially close with biomedical sciences, neurology, primary health, law, engineering and science. We also have collaborative ties with hospitals and clinical services around Melbourne through our research centres – Southern Synergy and the Centre for Developmental Psychiatry and Psychology based within Southern Health sites, the Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science based at Forensicare; and the Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Centre based at the Epworth Hospital.

We maintain links with our international campuses in Malaysia and South Africa and have strong international research collaborations in Asia, North America, Europe, and Africa.

School of Psychology and Psychiatry | iii

2011 and beyond: A report from the Head of School .................4

Successful Academic Partnerships: Psychology and Psychiatry .........................................................5

Research Summary ....................................................................8

Education Summary ...................................................................9

Our Work: Research ..................................................................11

2011 Research Highlights ..........................................................14

Notable Funding commencing in 2011 .....................................16

Our Work: Undergraduate Teaching ..........................................18

Our Work: Postgraduate Coursework and Professional Training ..........................................................22

Our Work: Research Degrees ....................................................23

School Achievement Awards ....................................................27

Community and Industry Engagement ......................................29

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2011 was truly a year to remember for our school. We rolled out our innovative teaching program “MyPsychLab@Monash”; introduced our new Masters of Mental Health Science degree; saw a record number of research degree completions; and renewed and reinvigorated our research focus.

During the year we welcomed a number of talented new researchers who created immediate impact: Dr Audrey McKinlay, who was awarded the ARC DECRA during the year; Dr Clare Anderson, who became our new Sleep Health and Sleep Disorders research theme leader; Dr Matt Mundy; and Dr Jo Fielding. Additionally during 2011 we recruited a number of researchers who will join the team in 2012: Larkins Fellow Professor Mark Bellgrove (who will lead our Neurodevelopment and Disorders research theme); Associate Professor Nao Tsuchiya (who will lead our Addiction and Consciousness research theme); and Professor David Kissane who will become the new Head of Psychiatry discipline.

These seven researchers join an exceptional existing team who have consolidated our hard work of the previous few years to be rewarded during 2011 in various ways:

n Staff promotions: During 2011 Nellie Georgiou-Karistianis was promoted to Professor; Stuart Thomas and Michael Daffern were both promoted to Associate Professor; and Sabura Allen to Senior Lecturer.

n Career recognition: Professor Louise Newman and Professor David Copolov were both honoured by the Australia Day Council.

n Research success: Researchers from the school were awarded grants from across a range of bodies: NHMRC Program Grant to Professor Bruce Tonge and Dr Kylie Gray, NHMRC; Project Grants to Professor Jennie Ponsford, and Associate Professors Shantha Rajaratnam and Steven Lockley (Harvard Medical School); ARC Linkage Grants to Professors James Ogloff, Graham Meadows, Daniel Lubman, Maurice Eisenbruch, Associate Professor Nicole Rinehart and Dr Simon Albrecht; ARC Discovery Grants to myself, Associate Professors Shantha Rajaratnam and Steve Robinson and Drs Peter Enticott and Glenda Bishop. Additional research projects also received major funding from other funding bodies such as the Victorian Neurotrauma Initiative, the TAC and the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression.

n In 2011 the Monash University Psychology discipline was ranked 35th in the QS World University rankings. This is an outstanding achievement.

Kim Cornish Professor and Head of School

2011 and beyond: A report from the Head of School

School of Psychology and Psychiatry | 5

Successful Academic Partnerships: Psychology and Psychiatry

Psychology

Our vision is to lead the discipline of psychology in Australia through collaborative partnerships across scientific, educational and clinical domains by fostering interdisciplinary research that translates into societal impact, and by working to improve psychological and neurocognitive well-being.

Psychiatry

We have a vision to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illness through robust clinical research, education, implementation and evaluation, so that people can improve their quality of life by engaging in appropriate preventative, curative and recovery programs.

The School has a vision to provide leadership in the disciplines of psychology and psychiatry by integrating cutting edge interdisciplinary research that is grounded in cognitive neuroscience and clinical translation; superior teaching that is transformational in its approach of blending traditional with virtual learning experiences; and by advancing clinical practice using research-driven approaches to service delivery.

Over the next two pages we profile six researchers from within the school, highlighting the depth and breadth of talent across both disciplines.

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Professor Nellie Georgiou-Karistianis World leading cognitive neuroscientist, Professor Nellie Georgiou-Karistianis’ research focuses on exploring linkages between brain mechanisms and the cognitive and motor signatures in neurodegenerative diseases (e.g. Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Friedreich ataxia). Via the use of state-of-the-art motor, cognitive and brain imaging technologies her research has significantly enhanced the understanding of behavioural consequences of disease, enabled novel strategies for management of symptoms, and provided ground-breaking new insights on functional operations of the human brain. She is currently leading a large-scale longitudinal neuroimaging study in Huntington’s disease to determine sensitive biomarkers for future therapeutic trials. She is also the team leader of the School’s Movement Disorders and Ageing Theme.

Associate Professor Michael DaffernWith the experience of two decades working in prisons and in general and forensic mental health services in both Australia and the United Kingdom, Associate Professor Michael Daffern brings a wealth of practical knowledge to his academic career. This is exemplified in the international recognition he has received for his research on behavioural assessment methods, risk assessment, youth violence, and aggression within institutions. Most recently he has published the book “Offence Paralleling Behaviour: A Case Formulation Based Approach to Offender Assessment and Treatment”, and his current research into the efficacy of violent offender treatment in Victorian Prisons will assist treatment providers and the Adult Parole Board, who make release decisions for violent offenders in custody. Currently he is also the Chair of the APS College of Forensic Psychologists.

Associate Professor Pamela SnowOral language skills can provide an early indicator of children and adolescents at risk of falling through society’s cracks. This theory has become a driving passion for Associate Professor Pamela Snow, a speech pathologist turned psychologist. Pam conducts her world-pioneering research from Bendigo in rural Victoria. Her research focuses on how problems with oral language competence can affect a young person’s whole life. Issues she studies include difficulties understanding what other people are saying or in conveying ideas in the course of everyday interactions, and the distinction between poor language skills as a result of medically diagnosable conditions and limited language ability as a result of psychosocial disadvantage or a chaotic home environment.


Dr Audrey McKinlayARC-DECRA award recipient Dr Audrey McKinlay’s research program examines aspects of child and adult traumatic brain injury (TBI), with a specific focus on very early injury. A major component of Audrey’s work is examining the long-term outcomes of mild traumatic brain injury on children under five years of age. Her research is aimed at enhancing the understanding of incidence, prevalence and prediction of TBIs and their long-term consequences, in particular the associations between early brain injury and later mental health system use. This research will also examine the number of young people presenting in the forensic system with a history of TBI.

Professor Mairead Dolan Professor of Forensic Psychiatry, Mairead Dolan, has two main themed programs of research; the first focuses on the neurobiology of antisocial behaviour across the lifespan and the second focuses on personality disorder and risk assessment in mentally disordered offenders. Professor Dolan is currently conducting an ARC funded study looking at the predictive validity of the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk (SAVRY) for institutional infractions and recidivism in adolescents in contact with the criminal justice system in Victoria, and has recently completed an imaging study looking at the effect of COMT genotype on brain structure and function in adolescents who had childhood ADHD.

Professor Mark Bellgrove Incoming Larkins Fellow, neuroscientist, Professor Mark Bellgrove, is a leading authority on the genetics and cognitive neuroscience of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In his laboratory, he employs a number of novel innovations to understand how variations in our DNA might influence the efficiency of brain networks underpinning disorders such as ADHD. Professor Bellgrove and his team have identified a number of subtle endophenotypes that may index genetic liability for ADHD and predict both illness severity and the therapeutic efficacy of psychostimulant medications in children with ADHD. Professor Bellgrove, who completed his undergraduate and Doctoral training at Monash University, has had a distinguished career before returning to Monash where he will be both establishing a new laboratory and leading our Neurodevelopment and Disorders research theme.

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Research Summary

School Research Performance

Research Funding 2010 $,000

2011 $,000

ARC Income 791.9 1,073.5

NHMRC Income 2,876.5 2,361.6

Other Competitive Commonwealth funding 348.3 339.9

Other Income 3,585.8 3,587.8

Total: 7,602.5 7,362.8

Publications 2009 2010 2011

Books 3 2 2

Peer-reviewed Journal Articles 206 254 198

Book Chapters 19 10 15

In 2011 our research was published in some of the world’s most prestigious journals including: Neurology (Cornish KC, Hocking DR, Moss SA, and Cary S. Kogan Selective executive markers of at-risk profiles associated with the fragile X permutation August 16, 2011); Journal of the American Medical Association (Rajaratnam SW, Barger LK, Lockley SW, et al. Sleep Disorders, Health, and Safety in Police Officers. JAMA. December 21, 2011); Lancet Neurology (Tabrizi SJ, Scahill RI, Stout JC, the TRACK-HD investigators et al Biological and clinical changes in premanifest and early stage Huntington’s disease in the TRACK-HD study: the 12-month longitudinal analysis, January 2011); Current Psychiatry Reviews (Plakiotis C, O’Connor DW, Ictal electroencephalographic measures in electroconvulsive therapy practice, 2011); and Biological Psychiatry (Enticott PG, Kennedy HA, Rinehart NJ, Tonge BJ, Bradshaw JL, Taffe JR, Daskalakis ZJ, Fitzgerald PB, Mirror Neuron Activity Associated with Social Impairments but not Age in Autism Spectrum Disorder, October 5, 2011).

Source: School of Psychology and Psychiatry Research Office.

School Teaching Load across both disciplines

Commencing Actual Load *

Returning Actual Load

Total Actual Load

Total Number of student unit enrolments (est)

UG 388.99 696.07 1,085.06 8,680

GPG 61.71 105.44 167.15 1,337

HDR 29.70 124.93 154.63 n/a

ALL 480.40 926.44 1,406.84 11,255


Education Summary

Source: Kronos. University Planning and Statistics

* Commencing Actual Load reduced in UG compared to 2010 with no 2011 first year intake in the Bachelor of Behavioural Neuroscience or the Bachelor of Psychological Science and Business (at Peninsula Campus only).

The school has a complex and diverse undergraduate profile, offering psychology at multiple campuses in Australia, Malaysia and South Africa. Our flagship psychology program is the Bachelor of Psychology (with Honours) providing students with an intensive program in the discipline. Psychology is also taken as a part of several other courses including the Bachelor of Behavioural Neuroscience, the Bachelor of Psychological Science and Business (Malaysia) and the Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology) (South Africa). In addition to these degree programs the school, as the Academic Organising Unit for Psychology across Monash University, offers units to students in nine out of 10 faculties.

The core psychology units provide students studying a range of degrees the opportunity to undertake the first step in the pathway to becoming a registered psychologist. In addition to the psychology programs we also teach into Psychiatry units of the Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programs in years 1,2 and 4.

The school also provides the opportunity for students to undertake the next step in the pathway to becoming an accredited psychologist through its accredited Doctor of Psychology research degree programs in both Clinical Psychology and Clinical Neuropsychology. For prospective psychiatrists the school offers a Master of Psychological Medicine in conjunction with the University of Melbourne, while professionals working in the mental health fields will, from 2012, have the opportunity to undertake a Master of Mental Health Sciences program. In 2011 we also provided more than 300 students with professional training through our short course programs offered during the year on campus and at our clinical sites.

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In 2011 Monash Biomedical Imaging conducted an architectural design competition amongst Monash University architecture students. These designs were on display during Frontiers in Neurogenetics and Biomedical Imaging symposium held during September. For more information on the symposium turn to page 29.


Our Work: Research

Our aim in the school is to conduct research that influences the wider community and society.

During 2011 we identified a number of particular areas, or “themes”(outlined in the next few pages) that we want to work in, where our strengths and our expertise lie, and also where the needs are: what are the contemporary issues where we think there are both opportunities and needs for research?

We aim to nurture these particular themes that have current promise. We have work in the school, for example looking at adolescent depression and trying to figure out what are some of the most effective treatments; how do those adolescents’ treatments differ from the treatment of adults? We have other work that looks at parenting issues: when parents have mental illness how does that translate into their parenting of their children and how that, in turn, then passes along some of the mental illness burden to their children?

We have work where we are trying to understand brain mechanisms of diseases like Huntington’s disease and also syndromes like Friedreich’s ataxia, depression and autism.

All of these pieces of work contribute in different ways to the clinical picture and sometimes they help us to understand the underlying neuromechanisms that need to be modified; sometimes they help us to better understand what kinds of struggles people have in day to day life because of those brain changes; and ultimately some of the work helps us to identify brain pathways that might be targets for drug treatments which we can then participate in the testing of to try and cure some diseases.

During 2011 we have also focused on recruitment of staff from international and national sources to continually regenerate. A number of new staff commenced with the school, notably Dr Audrey McKinlay from the University of Canterbury, Dr Clare Anderson from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Dr Matt Mundy from Cardiff University, and Professor Gary Egan and Dr Jo Fielding from the University of

Melbourne. Our 2011 recruitment brought us Professor Mark Bellgrove from the University of Queensland, Associate Professor Nao Tsuchiya from the Japan Science and Technology Agency and the California Institute of Technology (CalTech), and Professor David Kissane from Cornell University and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, all commencing in 2012.

This broad recruitment strategy has further networked our school with top institutions and collaborations world-wide and has created fertile ground for the school’s rapid trajectory of growth. During 2011 we planned the transition of the Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc) from the school to the Faculty’s Central Clinical School, commencing 2012, further aligning MAPrc geographically within a school in their same location. We continue our longstanding relationship with these well-established and productive investigators through many ongoing collaborations which will continue well into the future.

“What makes research really fun is to find out the new techniques people are using, the new questions they’re asking and to be in an environment where everybody’s doing something that you wish you were doing too.”

Professor Julie Stout, Director Research

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Culture and Mental HealthTheme Leader: Dr Cameron Duff

Greater sensitivity to social and cultural contexts provides unique insights into the onset of mental illness. Our research provides novel evidence to support the ongoing development of mental health promotion and prevention strategies.

For more visit: www.med.monash.edu/psych/research/themes/theme-culture.html

Brain Injury and RehabilitationTheme Leader: Professor Jennie Ponsford

Almost 500,000 Australians have an acquired brain injury (about one in every 50 people). We have a particular focus on investigating functional and psychosocial outcomes and the factors that impact on these outcomes.

For more visit: www.med.monash.edu/psych/research/themes/theme-brain.html

Forensic Mental Health and Behavioural ScienceTheme Leader: Professor James Ogloff

Within the Victorian criminal justice system approximately one-third of people the police take into custody are receiving mental health services. We are focused on understanding what produces criminal behaviour and what might be done to prevent it.

For more visit: www.med.monash.edu/psych/research/themes/theme-forensic.html

Addiction and ConsciousnessTheme Leader: Associate Professor Nao Tsuchiya

We are interested in understanding the neuronal basis of addiction and consciousness. Conscious experience remains a fundamental and almost mysterious research topic in science and our team members research some of the “big” questions in science.

For more visit: www.med.monash.edu/psych/research/themes/theme-addiction.html


Neurodevelopment and DisordersTheme Leader: Professor Mark Bellgrove

The human brain undergoes massive developmental changes from infancy to early adulthood, underpinning age-related changes in many facets of ability and function. The consequences of disruption to neurodevelopment can be dramatic.

For more visit: www.med.monash.edu/psych/research/themes/theme-neuro.html

Movement Disorders and AgeingTheme Leader: Professor Nellie Georgiou-Karistianis

With an ageing population the study of aged individuals with and without disease is becoming more significant. We also focus on mental health in older people including the detection and treatment of depression.

For more visit: www.med.monash.edu/psych/research/themes/theme-movement.html

Sleep Health and Sleep DisordersTheme Leader: Dr Clare Anderson

In Australia sleep disorders account for more than 20 per cent of motor vehicle crashes and have an economic impact of $4.3 billion. Our research focuses on the contribution of sleep to waking function, health and safety.

For more visit: www.med.monash.edu/psych/research/themes/theme-sleep.html

Mental Illness and Mood DisordersTheme Leader: Dr Glenn Melvin

Mental Illness impairs the lives of many Australians. We are focused on developing and evaluating psychological and pharma-cological treatments for mental illness, as well as programs to enhance mental health.

For more visit: www.med.monash.edu/psych/research/themes/theme-mentalillness.html

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2011 Research Highlights

Professor James Ogloff was selected to receive the Donald Andrews Career Contribution Award from the Canadian Psychological Association. The award was made “Owing to Professor Ogloff’s outstanding empirical, clinical and pedagogical contributions to criminal justice psychology over his career, in Canada and internationally.”

Professor Jennie Ponsford was elected President-Elect of the International Neuropsychological Society.

Associate Professor Shantha Rajaratnam is now President of the Australasian Sleep Association.

2011 was a year of achievement and recognition for many of our researchers. In particular, Professor James Ogloff, Professor Jennie Ponsford and Associate Professor Shantha Rajaratnam were recognised by international bodies for their leadership contributions in their specific fields of research.

Professor James Ogloff.

Professor Jennie Ponsford. Associate Professor Shantha Rajaratnam.


In 2011 Monash Biomedical Imaging conducted an architectural design competition amongst Monash University architecture students. These designs were on display during Frontiers in Neurogenetics and Biomedical Imaging symposium held during September. For more information on the symposium turn to page 29.

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Australian Research Council (ARC)

ARC Future FellowshipAssociate Professor Andrea WhittakerBorders, babies and biotechnologies: Cross border reproductive travel in Asia and Australia.Total Funding: $728,706

ARC Discovery Professor Julie Stout, Professor Jerome Busemeyer, Dr Daniel J UptonCognitive models of decision making in clinical populationsTotal Funding: $262,915

Professor Kim Cornish, Associate Professor Sylvia A Metcalfe, Associate Professor Julian N Trollor, Associate Professor Nellie Georgiou Karistianis, Dr Wei Wen, Professor Robert Iansek, Dr Joanne Fielding, Professor John L Bradshaw, Professor Martin Delatycki, Dr Anna K HackettAre neurobehavioural and neuromotor impairments associated with FMR1 gene expansion?Total funding: $400,000

ARC LinkageDr Kirsten A Ellis, Dr Louisa J Willoughby, Associate Professor Julie Fisher, Dr Nicole J Rinehart, Mr Neil B RayAcquiring Physical Skills: Exploiting Games Technology to Teach Sign Language.Total funding: $183,115

Associate Professor Jonathan A Clough, Professor James R Ogloff, Mr Rudy MonteleoneAsking the Right Questions: Improving Juror Comprehension of Judicial Directions.Total funding: $230,444

Professor Maurice Eisenbruch, Professor David P Chandler, Mr Willem van de Put, Dr Sotheara Chhim, Professor Dr Gregory H Stanton, Professor Dr Alexander Hinton, Professor Dr Ivan H Komproe, Dr Mark Jordans, Associate Professor Ing Britt Trankell, Associate Professor Jan OvesenAngulimala walks – From understanding violence in Cambodia to building cultural competence in Australian international development.Total funding: $270,000

Professor Graham N Meadows, Professor Scott B Patten, Dr Joarder Kamruzzaman, Dr Gour Karmakar, Professor Brett A Inder, Dr Lee Gordon Brown, Dr Simon L Albrecht, Mr Peter Gibbs, Associate Professor Fiona M McDermottImproving management decisions in mental health care through applications of advanced simulation modelling.Total funding: $184,000

Notable Funding commencing in 2011


National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)

NHMRC Project Professor Paul Fitzgerald, Dr David A Barton, Dr Kate HoyA randomised controlled trial of magnetic seizure therapy in major depression disorder.Total funding: $359,208

Dr Nicole Rinehart , Dr Jennifer Louise McGinley, Professor Bruce Tonge, Professor Robert Iansek, Dr Anna T Murphy, Professor Kim Cornish, Professor John BradshawMotor functioning in young people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – combined type: A three-dimensional motion analysis study.Total funding: $369,417

Professor Jayashri Kulkarni, Professor Susan Ruth Davis, Dr Caroline GurvichSelective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) – A potential new treatment for woman of child-bearing age with psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia.Total funding: $205,016

Professor Susan Ruth Davis, Associate Professor Robin Jean Bell, Professor Jayashri KulkarniTransdermal testosterone therapy: a potential treatment for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)-associated sexual dysfunction in women.Total funding: $235,296

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Our Work: Undergraduate Teaching

A multidisciplinary approach

Major advances in psychology require innovative and multidisciplinary approaches, drawing upon expertise from related fields such as psychiatry, neuroscience and neurology, genetics and molecular biology. Monash University’s world class leaders and facilities in Psychology, Psychiatry and these related disciplines provides our undergraduate students with exceptional training opportunities to support their development into outstanding scientists and scientist practitioners, as well as a broad range of other careers.

Over the past two years we have worked hard to modernise as well as consolidate our teaching programs. Specifically we are no longer delivering undergraduate psychology in the on-campus mode at Gippsland and Peninsula campuses, and no longer offer Psychology through Open University.

The school harnesses the unique opportunities presented through the merging of the disciplines of Psychology and Psychiatry to develop world-class, research-led undergraduate programs supported by innovative pedagogy, technology and teaching approaches.

MyPsychLab@Monash

In 2011 the Psychology discipline introduced a new teaching innovation – MyPsychLab@Monash. This personalised delivery system combines the very best of on-line innovations, such as pre- and post-tests, research articles and videos, with face-to-face teaching. It has, in a single year, transformed how we deliver lectures and engage our diverse student cohorts.

The program provides students with weekly personalised feedback on their understanding of the curriculum and how they are performing. It enables motivated students to be better prepared for lectures which in turn allows for more constructive lecture sessions by active researchers and entices

students to seriously consider psychology beyond first year.

In 2011 the program was rolled out to our first year cohort of students. The results of that roll out were overwhelmingly positive: first year unit evaluation (by students) scores improved, particularly in relation to the feedback related questions, and students who regularly

utilised MyPsychLab performed better in the units than those who did not.

In 2012 we will be rolling out MyPsychLab@Monash into 2nd year, with two of the three core units utilising this program, and we plan to continue the implementation into 3rd year cohort in 2013. This has been possible because of both Monash’s partnership with Pearson and the support from the e-education centre and our faculty.

These changes have resulted in a significant reduction in teaching contact hours as well as travel time between campuses, and substantially increased engagement of research-active academic staff from both disciplines in the teaching of undergraduate Psychology.

International Programs

At Sunway, the Psychology program is significant in the shaping of research and the development of research training programs, with the Honours program being a key component of this capacity building.

At Monash’s South African campus we have moved toward focusing the Psychology program toward the local accreditation body rather than APAC, and from 2013 will withdraw the APAC-accredited sequence.


Research Led TeachingAs research themes that describe the school’s strengths have been identified over the past twelve months, we are redeveloping our undergraduate psychology program to reflect the strengths at Monash, with the aim of giving each student exposure to world class researchers.

Our research themes are integrated within all core units from years 1– 4 and new elective offerings are in development in the following areas:

i. Cognitive neuroscience

ii. Consciousness

iii. Mental health

In this way we also aim to build the relationship between the two disciplines of psychology and psychiatry at the undergraduate level.

Moreover, the people who are teaching our undergraduate students now include some of our most senior academic staff who contribute around the area of their expertise to fully integrate our research and teaching activities and bridge the perceived divide between research and teaching.

What’s Next: Re-designing the Psychology Program to address student diversity and work readiness

The undergraduate psychology student cohort is incredibly diverse: we recognise that students pursue psychology within virtually every faculty and undergraduate degree program at Monash. For a variety of reasons though, teaching is geared towards the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC)-accredited psychology major and progression to honours and postgraduate courses.

Over 1500 students take our first year Psychology units, but only about 60 gain entry into the honours program. As a result, the goals and aspirations of many students do not seem to be met by the current program.

In Australia, the issue of delivering the APAC-accredited major to such a diverse cohort of students who take units in Psychology is one faced by many Australian Universities. The school has now empanelled a group to work in collaboration with APAC to develop a new Psychology curriculum that provides training in not only the core content areas of Psychology, but also ‘work-readiness’ skills that are deemed important for those who will graduate with only two or three years of study in Psychology.

The new curriculum will enable the school to devote its efforts in more intensive research training to those students who will go on in a career pathway in Psychology. In this model, we will enable all students to acquire the fundamental knowledge in psychology required to take them into a range of career areas, including those outside psychology as a profession, or outside research in psychology, but into industries and career paths into which psychology can contribute: e.g. child protection, journalism, human resources, education. This project will be initiated in 2012 and will continue through 2013.

Associate Professor Shantha Rajaratnam, Director Undergraduate Programs.

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Excellence – Student Academic Awards

We are proud of the achievement of our students and in 2011 the following students were presented with their Awards for Academic Excellence at the Faculty’s Prize night.

Three new awards were presented for the first time: The Kim T Ng Prize – Bachelor of Behavioural Neuroscience, with Honours in Psychology; The Tom Triggs Prize – Bachelor of Psychology (with Honours); and The Dexter Irvine Prize – 2nd year Behavioural Neuroscience.

First Year

Peter Donaldson – William Webster Prize for psychology core units.

Caroline Roberts – First Year Prize for Behavioural Neuroscience core units.

Second Year

Gabrielle Klepfisz – Stella Crossley Prize for core psychology units.

Danny Aliano – Dexter Irvine Prize for Behavioural Neuroscience core units.

Third Year

Annalise Avitabile – Malcolm MacMillan Prize for core psychology units.

Celia Pais – John Bradshaw Prize for Behavioural Neuroscience core units.

Honours

James Gooden – Kim T Ng Prize for the study of Behavioural Neuroscience, with Honours in Psychology.

Yvette Always – Australian Psychology Society Prize and the Tom Triggs Prize for the Bachelor of Psychology (with Honours) cohort.

Anne Pichler – the Ross Day Prize for Psychology Honours.

Danny Aliano with Emeritus Professor Dexter Irvine.

James Roy Gooden and Emeritus Professor Kim Ng.


Sunway campus Congratulations to our Sunway campus psychology senior lecturers, Dr Carina Chan and Paul Jambunathan, for winning the Pro Vice-Chancellor (PVC)’s Award for Excellence in Research, Teaching and Administration (Round 2, 2010).

Research

Dr Carina Chan for the project Achieving International Research Leadership: Increased in Publication Activities, External Collaborations and Contribution to Research.

Teaching

Paul Jambunathan and Dr Carina Chan for the project Engaging the Community,

Enhancing Students’ Learning Experience and Fostering Research Opportunities Via An Innovative Scuba Diving Selective Program for MBBS Students.

Administration

Dr Carina Chan for the project Promoting Research Capabilities and Collaborations: An Inaugural Regional Diabetes Forum in Asia and Global Peers for Progress Conference in Malaysia.

Congratulations also to Goh Pei Hwa (pictured below) who was conferred the Best Graduating Student Award for the Bachelor of Psychology and Business. She is currently pursuing her Honours year.

From left: Dr Karen Golden, Lee Suyinn, Choo Ser Yin, Dr Tam Cai Lian, Simran Kaur, Goh Pei Hwa, Dr Carina Chan, Dr Chee Chew Sim.

Honours Research Jessica Green completed Honours in Psychology at Monash University, supervised by Professor Louise Newman and Dr Glenn Melvin. Jessica’s project examined outcomes for young people with Anorexia Nervosa following day program treatment.

“I have just started a Doctor of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) at Monash, with my research being supervised by Associate Professor Nicole Rinehart and Professor Vicki Anderson. Having the ability to specialize in Child, Adolescent and Family Psychology, and further develop my research skills, were two key reasons for choosing the DPsych,” says Jessica.

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With health sector workforce and service based demands changing as a result of the far-reaching reforms witnessed in health care provision over the last decade, our new Master of Mental Health Sciences will serve as an important medium from which we can continue to build and further consolidate links with Industry and the community. The Master of Mental Health Science provides high quality research training opportunities cementing and increasing the potential for growth of clinical training, and translational research in these fields.

The program’s core strength lies in the choice of pathways suited to students own workplace training needs, or individual preference: forensic behavioural sciences; community mental health; and child psycho-therapy. Aligned with the school’s strategic priority of implementing a highly energised research environment, the program provides fundamental training in research methodology, allowing students to apply evidence-based principles into their work practice. The program was implemented in 2011 with students commencing in 1st semester, 2012.

Our Work: Postgraduate Coursework and Professional Training

2011 was a transformational year for the postgraduate area with the approval and implementation of the new Master of Mental Health Science, the consolidation of professional development programs and a review of the Master of Psychological Medicine.

In 2011 we also made significant progress in the following areas:

n Master of Psychological Medicine review: The program, offered in conjunction with the University of Melbourne, underwent a review of structure and materials and this review work continues with an aim to finalising the review, after the commencement of the new Head of Psychiatry discipline Professor David Kissane.

n The Graduate Diploma in Mental Health for the Teaching Professions received support during the year, with the Victorian government announcing they would again provide financial support for up to 35 teachers by way of scholarships, to under-take the program commencing in 2012.

n The professional development program continued to evolve with more school programs being offered than ever before, and more participants: doubling our 2010 numbers to more than 300 participants across the school programs.

Tessa Maguire Tessa Maguire is a Clinical Nurse Educator, Coordinator of the Management of Aggression Program at Forensicare, and part-time student at Monash University. She completed the Graduate Diploma of Forensic Behavioural Science in 2010 and was the first student to enrol in the Master of Mental Health Science. Tessa is currently analysing the data for her minor thesis titled ‘Effective limit setting strategies for nurses working in the Forensic setting’. This project arose from concern that although the term limit-setting is widely used, there is little evidence regarding what constitutes effective limit setting, especially in the context of managing inpatient aggression.


With nearly 200 Research Degree students we have one of the largest cohorts of doctoral students within the University. These students are increasingly encouraged to complete their thesis, by publication, and with an average of three publications per thesis our doctoral students are contributing to the school’s re-energised research environment. In 2011 there were more than 50 doctoral completions – far in excess of any previous year.

Our Work: Research Degrees

2011 was a year of transformation within the Research Degrees program. We undertook a range of activities that better focus on engaging with students in their progression. In 2011 these activities focused particularly on the PhD program: we streamlined our internal processes to mark the new MRGS oral presentation milestones; provided an emphasis on the student group as a cohort; and worked closely with students to ensure timely completions. These activities will continue into 2012 and indeed grow to include the cohort of DPsych students, as well as the introduction of additional activities, such as the doctoral student research degrees forum, and more broadly in the School’s re-energised research activities such as our monthly research seminars.

Academic Programs ExcellenceDPSY5105 Clinical Developmental Psychology is cited as the sole unit within our faculty to make a repeat appearance on the University’s Purple Report (identifying units evaluated as outstanding) after two or more successive offerings. A great combined team effort from the Unit Coordinator (Nicole Rinehart), the DPsych(Clin) Coordinator (James Ogloff) and teaching staff Louise Newman, Glenn Melvin, Audrey McKinlay and David Moseley.

Melita Giummarra – School Doctoral Thesis Award Recipient

Melita Giummarra completed her PhD with the school in 2011 under the supervision of Emeritus Professor John Bradshaw and Professor Nellie Georgiou-Karistianis. Her thesis examined the unity between body and self in phantom limb phenomena and resulted in 15 first author publications, and numerous awards. Her doctoral research explored the corporeal awareness of the phantom, somatosensory memories, phantom limb triggers and phantom limb embodiment. It also documented the novel phenomenon of synaesthesia for pain; i.e., pain that is triggered by seeing others in pain. She was awarded a NHMRC early career clinical fellowship in 2011. Her current research within the School endeavours to investigate the role of attention and emotion in how we process sensory information, both within our own bodies and in the bodies of others.

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2011 Doctoral Student completions:

2011 was a record breaking year for the school with 59 Research Degree students completing, including 28 PhD students.

PhD

Patricia Kim Addamo The influence of task demands on effort-induced motor overflow across the life span

Jake William Anderson Clinical psychological and neuropsychological dynamics in postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)

Kathryn Denise Baker Distinct roles for the ryanodine and IP3 receptor intracellular calcium release channels in memory formation using a single-trial discrimination avoidance task for young chicks

Gennady Baksheev The prevalence of psychiatric disorders in police cells: service provision implications and associations with criminal victimisation

Chhordaphea Chhea ‘I can’t believe that I have robeng?’ Understanding health-seeking behaviour related to tuberculosis in Cambodia

Louise Anne Corben An examination of the temporal and kinematic components of voluntary movement in people with Friedreich ataxia

David John Curnow Predicting the risk of “white collar” offending: assessing the interaction of work environment and offender characteristics

Theresa Ngoc Thu Dang The accumulation, metabolism and toxicity of hemin in cultured astrocytes and neurons

Peter John Ellingsen The history of psychoanalysis in Australia

Irina Elliott Procedural justice in victim-police interactions: a mixed methods study

Samantha Fernandes Modulation of glutamine synthetase in brain cells

Timothy William Friedman Detection of subtle differences in cognitive function

Tania Mary Gibbie Sexual risk taking behaviour in men who have sex with men: psychological health, relationships with risk and a motivational interviewing intervention

Melita Joy Giummarra Phantom limb phenomena: the unity of self and body

Antonia Juliana Jakobson Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on dream recall

Charlotte Louise Keating Theoretical and practical insights for anorexia nervosa and major depression: novel neurobiological targets for pharmacology and brain stimulation therapies

Izelle Labuschagne A functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging investigation of the effects of oxytocin on brain responses to social emotional cues in Generalised Social Anxiety Disorder

Jeffrey Robert Liddell Peroxide detoxification and the antioxidative defences of cultured astrocytes

Sean Thias Macdermott The development and psychometric evaluation of two measures of emotion regulation for use with older children and adolescents

Joshua Daniel Newton Identifying beliefs about posthumous organ donation among young Australian adults using an augmented theory of planned behaviour framework


Jacolyn Maree Norrish Development and evaluation of positive psychology interventions for Australian adolescents

Riana Dewi Nugrahani “It’s a thin line”: health, illness and well-being among Indonesian factory workers

Billie-Jo Phipps-Nelson The temporal profile of prolonged nocturnal driving: counteracting sleepiness and fatigue with blue light and breaks

Jennifer Meryl Re The heart of the matter: the developing mother-infant relationship in prenatal and postnatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease

Jordan Schaan Dogs as a psychological asset for professionals: a qualitative study of the psychological benefits of human-dog companionship

Bernadette Ward The role of parents in adolescent alcohol use

Lydia Elisabeth Windisch Acculturation, family functioning and perceived experiences of discrimination: influences on the social functioning of young people of Greek, Lebanese, and Turkish cultural heritages in Australia

Sappaporn Wirattanapokin

Youth-onset Type 2 diabetes: self-management among adolescents in Bangkok

DPsych Clinical

Kylie Celeste Brownfield Empathy in adolescents with early brain injury

Richard Chambers Mindfulness and emotion regulation in clinically depressed youth

Kerrie Janelle Clarke Caregiving in youth psychosis: moving towards a cognitive model of caregiving

Steven Mark De Lisle The role of mindfulness in problem gambling and implications for treatment

Alexander Murray Ferguson

Major mental illness, substance abuse and antisocial personality: implications for mental health and criminal justice outcomes in a mentally iII offender population

Elliot Gerschman Life-meaning, psychological health, and well-being

Flora Jane Gilbert The role of aggression-related cognitions in aggressive behaviour

Joel Walter Godfredson Police encounters with people experiencing mental illness

Dragana Kesic Use of force on and by the police: the role of mental disorders

Simone Kowitz Childhood trauma as a vulnerability to psychopathology after subsequent trauma in adulthood

Joyce Yan Lee Inpatient aggression and work stress: comparing civil and forensic psychiatric nursing

Aisling Malone Understanding aggression and victimisation in first-episode psychosis using a social information processing framework

Nicholas Richardson An investigation of the relationships between two emotion regulation strategies and adolescent depressive symptomatology

Tamsin Short Violence in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders: patterns of offending and victimisation

Holly Knox Thompson Self-injurious behaviours in youth

Heidi Ann Tranberg Juvenile arthritis: the psycho-social adjustment of healthy siblings

Hui Yi Wong Associations among family functioning, temperament, and psychological well-being in Chinese and Anglo-Celtic children in Australia

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DPsych Clinical Neuropsychology

Ariane Michele Dowd Neuromotor and clinical definition in young children with autism

Simone Elizabeth Field Challenging a memory model of auditory verbal hallucinations in schizophrenia

Belinda Anne Gargaro A clinical and neuropsychological investigation into the comorbidity of autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Tracy Rose Henderson Attentional control of smooth pursuit eye movements: insights from Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases

Ming-Yun Hsieh Cognitive behaviour therapy and motivational interviewing for anxiety disorders following moderate-severe traumatic brain injury

Emra Lutfiye Oguzkaya Memory functioning in children and adolescents with frontal and temporal lobe epilepsy

Rebecca Anne Segrave Alpha activity in major depressive disorder: hemispheric laterality and beyond

Julia Anne Shekleton Neurobehavioural performance in primary insomnia and healthy individuals: role of circadian rhythms, prior sleep and psychological well-being

Chloe Camille Stanley-Cary

An ocular motor investigation of autism and Asperger’s Disorder

Laura Catherine Tweedly The investigation of a brief intervention to minimise alcohol use following traumatic brain injury

DPsych Organisational

Nicholas James Duck Factors that optimise the credibility of advertisements whilst promoting feelings of emotional well-being and satisfaction

Adrian Ronald Medhurst Salesperson work engagement: how employee involvement climate, psychological capital, and engagement influence attitudinal and performance outcomes.

Kathryn May Page Working for wellness: defining, measuring, and enhancing employee well-being

Emily Anne Voigt Intention to leave and employee turnover: expanding understanding of key antecedents in the modern workforce


School Achievement Awards

The School strongly values its staff and students and has an annual awards program to celebrate and reward excellence and outstanding performance. These awards are presented at the end-of-year School Meeting, and in 2011 the following staff and students were recognised for their achievements during the year.

Research leadershipAssociate Professor Shantha Rajaratnam

Shantha’s research performance since commencing with the school in 2003 has been stellar. Most recently he led a landmark study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which found that more than 40 per cent of police officers screened positive for a sleep disorder, contributing to outcomes such as falling asleep while driving, uncontrolled anger towards suspects and health problems. He is the Chief Investigator on a number of NHMRC grants, including “Light intervention for shift workers” and “Melatonin for delayed sleep phase disorder.” Shantha is a member of the school’s Sleep Health and Sleep Disorders research theme, a convenor of the Monash Sleep Network and the current President of the Australasian Sleep Association.

Rising research star Dr Narelle Warren

Narelle conducts qualitative and ethnographic research into how understandings and experiences of chronic conditions vary according to gender, age, geographical location and culture. She holds a NHMRC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship to investigate trajectories of stroke and Parkinson’s disease in European and Indian-Australian communities. She is interested in formal analytic approaches and techniques to analyse qualitative data, and runs workshops on this in both Malaysia and Australia.

Teaching ExcellenceDr Russell Conduit

BNS2011, Brain Structure and Function 1

Russell’s teaching has always been well regarded by his students who love his enthusiasm for the subject. Russell has a deep knowledge of the subject area and

Kim Cornish and Shantha Rajaratnam.

Russell Conduit.

Kim Cornish and Narelle Warren.

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Kim Cornish and Melita Giummarra. Kim Cornish and Anastasia Georgiou.

is able to explain concepts with clarity. However, it is his understanding of students and his encouragement of independent thought that is most valued by those he teaches. His research speciality is in the area of Sleep Research with particular focus on sleep physiology; sleep disorders and novel treatment approaches; altered states of consciousness, such as dreaming; and electrophysiology, and he is also a supervisor of a number of our Research Degree students.

Honourable Mentions to Dr Stuart Thomas for PSY3230 Psychological Foundations of Law and Dr Liesl Heinrich for PSY2051 Research Design and Analysis.

Doctoral graduate (2011)

Melita Giummarra

Course: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis Title: Phantom Limb phenomena: The unity of self and body.

Melita’s work was jointly supervised by Emeritus Professor John Bradshaw and Associate Professor Nellie Georgiou-Karistianis. Her research investigated the experience of phantom limb phenomena in amputees, and used perceptual illusion paradigms (a modified rubber hand illusion) to modify phantom limb sensations. Melita published an astonishing total of 14 first-authored papers, and one invited book chapter, from her doctoral research, 67 per cent in ERA A/A* ranked journals. Melita was subsequently awarded the Monash Bridging Fellowship, and an NHMRC early career fellowship to commence in 2012.

Professional staff achievement award

Anastasia Georgiou

Anastasia is an outstanding member of staff, who consistently seeks opportunities to improve and streamline services in the School. Anastasia has strong conceptual skills and is able to see how an issue in one area links to an issue in another area, and how the two problems could be addressed simultaneously. A key example of this is the Postgraduate Studies administration restructure. Anastasia was working across the Postgraduate and Research Degrees teams, and proposed an initiative to School Executive to merge the two areas, with the aim of streamlining services for students and staff by creating efficiencies in time and reducing process duplication; enhanced coordination of operations at senior level with directors and the School Manager; and cross training of staff to accommodate peak period and leave arrangements, reducing the need for casual staff during peak periods. All this with no increase in FTE or cost!!

It is important to note that as Anastasia was acting in the roles, she had no guarantee of being a successful applicant for the Hew7 Manager position and was aware that the outcome could be her returning to her substantive Hew 5 position. However, Anastasia indicated that she believed the proposal to be in the School’s best interests, which superseded her own interests.

Honourable Mentions to Alanna Sawyer, Patricia Stephens, Eloise Perini, Cheryl Roberts, Melinda Sonogan and Simone Braund.


Community and Industry Engagement

Frontiers in Neurogenetics and Biomedical ImagingAssociate Professor Nellie Georgiou-Karistianis and Professor Gary Egan co-chaired a one-day satellite meeting – Frontiers in Neurogenetics and Brain Imaging – held during September in conjunction with the World Congress on Huntington’s Disease. A key theme was to bridge the gap between neurogenetics, brain imaging and behaviour and to encourage stimulating discussion among world-class clinicians and researchers with a major interest in neuroimaging. The meeting boasted an outstanding group of world-class clinical researchers with an international reputation in their respective fields, including plenary speaker Associate Professor Gülin Öz (pictured) from the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota (USA).

Associate Professor Gülin Öz.

Australia Day HonoursProfessor Louise Newman was made a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia “for service to medicine in the fields of perinatal, child and adolescent mental health, to education, and as an advocate for refugees and asylum seekers”.

Professor David Copolov was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in the General Division for “service to medical research, to professional organisations, and to higher education.

Professor David Copolov OAM.

Professor Louise Newman AM.

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Recognition of an iconic careerIn September we celebrated the career and contributions of the recently retired and now Emeritus Professor Bruce Tonge. A day-long seminar, highlighting the multidisciplinary approach in addressing the issues of young people’s mental health for which Professor Tonge is well renowned, was held in conjunction with Southern Health.

Some of the speakers included: Professor Steward Einfield who outlined The Australian Child to Adult Development Study including the influential Developmental Behaviour Checklist that he and Professor Tonge designed; and Professor Patricia Howlin from the Institute of Psychiatry, London and Professor Gillian Turner. A whole host of other leading clinicians and researchers, including several key staff from the School of Psychology and Psychiatry and the Centre

for Developmental Psychiatry and Psychology and contributed to the excellent program of the day.

Staff in the MediaStaff from across the school are valued for their research expertise, and are regularly sought out by various outlets for expert comment on issues of the day. In 2011 some of our regular contributors included:

Professor Louise Newman, on the impact on the mental wellbeing of children in detention centres, conditions in asylum seeker detention centres and the mental health of detainees.

Associate Professor Nicole Rinehart, on Autism and Asperger’s disorder.

Dr Lisa Warren, on Police attending a psychiatric-related incident every two hours in Victoria.

Professor Kim Cornish, on how Fragile X determines late-onset dementia.

Professor James Ogloff, on Jury deliberations.

Professor Jennie Ponsford, on light therapy and traumatic brain injury.

Associate Professor Shantha Rajaratnam, on the effect of shift work on sleep patterns and the effects of sleep deprivation.

Professor Bruce Tonge, Professor Kim Cornish and Dr Kylie Gray, on NHMRC Program Grant – Children’s Mental Health.

An active schoolThis year the school had nine teams enter the School championship as part of the Monash 10,000 steps challenge. While Psycho Warriors won the School Cup for the third year running, this year we had two teams (Psycho Warriors and Psych Winners) who finished in the top 10 for the 190 Monash Clayton based teams.

Earlier in the year our mixed netball team (Psyched) won silver in the Monash staff challenge of the Monash Games.

www.med.monash.edu/psych

Monash University reserves the right to alter information, procedures, fees and regulations contained in this document. Please check the Monash University website for updates (www.monash.edu). All information reflects prescriptions, policy and practice in force at time of publication. CRICOS provider: Monash University 00008C. August 2012. MMS339527

School of Psychology and Psychiatry Executive 2012Head of School Professor Kim Cornish

School Manager Ms Leisa McGuinness

Head of Psychology DisciplineProfessor Kim Cornish

Head of Psychiatry Discipline Professor David Clarke (Acting until July 2012) Professor David Kissane (from July 2012)

Research Director Professor Julie Stout

Research Degrees Director Professor Nellie Georgiou-Karistianis

Postgraduate Coursework and Professional Training Director Associate Professor Stuart Thomas

Undergraduate Programs DirectorAssociate Professor Shantha Rajaratnam

Centre for Developmental Psychiatry and Psychology Director Professor Louise Newman

Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science DirectorProfessor James Ogloff

Monash Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre Director Professor Jennie Ponsford

Southern Synergy Director Professor Graham Meadows

Aged Mental Health Research Unit Director Professor Daniel O’Connor

Animal Welfare Science Centre DirectorProfessor Grahame Coleman

Further informationSchool of Psychology and Psychiatry Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Monash University Wellington Road Clayton Victoria 3800

Telephone: + 61 3 9905 3968 Fax: + 61 3 9905 3948 Email: [email protected]

school of psychology and psychiatry annual report 2011

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