Past Ian Scotts Mental Health PhDs

Ilaria Pozzato is a Rehabilitation Physician specialist with an expertise in brain injury. She completed a MBBS (Honours) and a Master’s degree in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Padua University, Italy. In 2014 she began working as Research Fellow at the John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research – University of Sydney. In this role she has further developed her expertise in evaluating health outcomes and disability following an injury, using a bio-psycho-social approach.

Dr Angela Nicholas is a Research Fellow in the Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, at the University of Melbourne. She also works as Senior Evaluation Officer at headspace, the National Youth Mental Health Initiative. In these roles she is involved in the evaluation of primary mental health care delivery and reform. She has a Doctor of Health Psychology from LaTrobe University and a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) from Flinders University of South Australia.

Her PhD relates to the development of suicide prevention messages aimed at family members and friends of people at risk of suicide.

Rebecca Blackmore is a PhD student at the Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation based at Monash University in Victoria. Rebecca completed her Honours in Psychology at Bond University where her thesis publication was awarded a top four paper award from the National Communication Association in Chicago.

Following the completion of her Honours degree in psychology, Bianca worked as a Mental Health Program Worker. She then gained a full-time Research Assistant position at IMPACT Strategic Research Centre at Deakin University, where she worked on an internationally-funded multi-site randomised controlled trial looking at the efficacy of a novel therapy for schizophrenia.

Anna has worked in mental health research for 8 years, starting at Orygen Youth Health and then the Centre for Mental Health within the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health. Prior to commencing her PhD, she also worked in staff health and wellbeing.

The aim of this study is to look at recovering the neurological deficits that occur in Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) in order to reduce symptoms, and in turn, relapse. We know that excessive alcohol use causes changes in the brain, such as cell loss, and compromises cognitive function.

Meghan is a PhD candidate with the Food and Mood Centre, Deakin University. She is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and completed her Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics (Honours) at Monash University. Prior to commencing her PhD, Meghan practised as a clinical dietitian and interned for various research projects, including the landmark SMILES trial.

Josie is an Occupational Therapist who has lived and worked in the Northern Territory (NT) for 10 years, both in remote mental health clinical practice and research. She is part of the Aboriginal and Islander Mental Health Initiative (AIMhi) research program employed as a project manager.

After completing a double degree in Psychology and Marketing at the University of Wollongong, I found that I had a very strong passion for psychology, and decided to undertake my honours year in Psychological Science. The research experience was highly enjoyable and rewarding, and this sparked my interest in starting a PhD. I was very fortunate to be accepted to commence a PhD in Clinical Psychology at UOW in 2018 and have loved the experience so far!

I am particularly interested in examining help-seeking behaviours in individuals such as emergency services personnel, who constantly help others but who often struggle to seek appropriate help for themselves. I am very much looking forward to the years ahead, and hope that my research will assist to improve the health and wellbeing of Australian emergency services personnel.”

Anna completed a Bachelor of Science in 2014 at The University of Melbourne majoring in neuroscience and anatomy. Upon completion she undertook an honours degree in neuroscience at The Florey Institute of Neuroscience & Mental Health within the Addiction Neuroscience lab. After honours Anna worked for three years as a research assistant at the Florey researching the relationship between food addiction and diet-induced obesity in rodents using electrophysiology.

Anna is currently starting her PhD moving into the area of Methamphetamine addiction at the Florey and the University of Melbourne.