RANZCP Foundation Masterclass: Intellectual Disability and Psychiatry

Scientia Professor Trollor AM is a NHMRC Leadership Fellow, Director of the National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health at UNSW Sydney. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2025 for significant service to people with disability, particularly as a clinician and academic.  

He previously held UNSW’s inaugural Chair of Intellectual Disability Mental Health (UNSW Sydney) and was head Department of Developmental Disability Neuropsychiatry (3DN). 

Julian and the Centre work to improve health policy, practice and supports for people with an intellectual or developmental disability.  They lead educational resource development, health promotion, consultancy, advocacy and contributions to policy and legislation. The team also conducts translational research of benefit to people with disability and the health sector. 

A/Prof Koncz is the Chair of Intellectual Disability Mental Health, within the National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health at UNSW Sydney. She is a neuropsychiatrist who is passionate about improving mental health outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  

She is a clinical academic with Southeastern Sydney Local Health District Mental Health Service. She has an established track record of conducting high quality, translational research in neuropsychiatric conditions, ageing, and dementia. She also leads the design and delivery of intellectual disability mental health education content for a diverse range of professionals across the health and disability sectors.  

Rebeca’s work focuses on driving innovative research and capacity-building initiatives to improve the mental health of people with cognitive disabilities. 

Tahli Hind is a Lived Experience project officer who has worked at 3DN, UNSW Sydney and now The National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health for 4 years.  

Tahli has lived experience of Intellectual Disability and mild Cerebral Palsy. Tahli brings her own lived experience to her work and is involved in many projects. She regularly translates information into accessible formats to enable people with Intellectual Disability to understand health. She also educates health professionals about providing better care through her presentations and advocacy work. 

Dr Franklin is a psychiatrist clinician-researcher who specialises in the psychiatry of intellectual and developmental disability. She leads the newly formed Queensland Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability and Autism Health, that focuses on improving the health of people with intellectual or developmental disability through provision of clinical service, research and education.  

Dr Franklin serves on the RANZCP Section of Psychiatry of Intellectual and Developmental Disability Committee, the Australian Association of Developmental Disability Medicine, and the Down Syndrome Medical Interest Group–Australia. She also co-chairs the Mental Health and Regression Workgroup of the Down Syndrome Medical Interest Group–USA. 

Cathy is passionate about building capacity in health services and systems to better support people with intellectual or developmental disability.