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2024 College awards: first round of recipients announced!
25 Mar 2024
Grants & awards
Each year, the College presents a variety of awards and grants to members and external individuals or organisations to acknowledge outstanding achievements and contributions to psychiatry, the community and the College.
We are pleased to announce a long list of deserving winners below. Several awards are still undergoing judging and will be announced over the coming months.
We look forward to celebrating with many of our award winners at the College Ceremony on 20 May, during Congress.
Award recipients
The College Citation – Dr Kym Jenkins
Established in 1986, the College Citation honours special service to the RANZCP or psychiatry.
The selection panel wished to recognise Dr Jenkins for her strong contribution to Mental Health of Professions, to education and to the College governance.
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The Ian Simpson Award – Professor Jayashri Kulkarni
The Ian Simpson Award was established in 1976 to honour Dr Ian Simpson, who was a foundation member of the ANZCP and who became ANZCP President in 1966. The award acknowledges the most outstanding contributions to clinical psychiatry through service to patients and the community.
Prof. Kulkarni received the award on account of her research for 30 years to improve the quality of care for women with mental illnesses globally.
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The Margaret Tobin Award – A/Professor Vinay Lakra
Named in honour of the late Dr Margaret Tobin, the Margaret Tobin Award is made to the RANZCP Fellow who has made the most significant contribution to administrative psychiatry in Australia and New Zealand over the preceding five years.
The selection panel agreed to award A/Prof Lakra for his excellence and substantial contributions in the last 5 years and his leadership and work during COVID to support both the College and local health system.
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The RANZCP Early Career Psychiatrist Award – Dr Korinne Northwood
The RANZCP Early Career Psychiatrist Award was established in 1979 to encourage and promote research in psychiatry in Australia and New Zealand. It is presented to the early career Fellow, Affiliate or trainee who has contributed the most significant paper published in the past two years.
Amongst a competitive field, the selection panel was greatly impressed by Dr Northwood’s sophisticated and high-level systematic review, which developed and validated new techniques with clinical significance, and which was published in a high-impact journal.
Read moreThe RANZCP Senior Research Award – Professor Jayashri Kulkarni
Established in 1978 to recognise excellence in research in psychiatry in Australia and New Zealand, the RANZCP Senior Research Award is presented to the Fellow or Affiliate who has made the most significant contribution to psychiatric research in Australia and New Zealand over the preceding five years.
The selection panel were impressed by Professor Kulkarni’s significant contributions and continuation of high-impact development in mental illness, long history of research excellence and international collaborations.
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The RANZCP Senior Research Award – Professor Valsamma Eapen
Established in 1978 to recognise excellence in research in psychiatry in Australia and New Zealand, the RANZCP Senior Research Award is presented to the Fellow or Affiliate who has made the most significant contribution to psychiatric research in Australia and New Zealand over the preceding five years.
The selection panel were impressed by Professor Eapen’s significant early contributions to the understanding of the onset of developmental disorders, long history of research excellence, and continuation of high-impact publication from multiple international collaborations.
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The Mark Sheldon Prize – Mr Tom Brideson
The Mark Sheldon Prize was established by the family, friends and colleagues of the late Dr Mark Sheldon to recognise noteworthy contributions to Indigenous mental health in Australia or New Zealand.
The selection panel strongly commended Mr Brideson for his strong commitment and advocacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait people’s rights and aspiration in the Mental Health sector in Australia.
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The Lived Experience Australia Award for Best Practice in Consumer and Carer Inclusion – Dr Natalie Puchalski
The Lived Experience Australia Award is awarded to the psychiatry trainee who has submitted the best reflection following completion of all five Collaboration, Communication and Cooperation between Health Professionals modules in Learnit. The award recognises best practice in consumer and carer inclusion.
The selection panel felt that Dr Puchalski recognised the importance of consumers and carers as being an equal part of the care team and collaboration towards a formal plan and a collective care plan that can be shared with subsequent providers promoting continuity of care. They also appreciated her recommendations of using peer advocacy and the role of peer advocates/workers and how valuable they are.
Read moreWe’d also like to express our thanks to all those who applied or made a nomination, as well as our gratitude to the members and other experts who volunteered their time and experience in assessing the submissions.
Keep your eye out for more announcements, we can’t wait to share the news of more winners with you.
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