Congratulations to Dr Fiona Wilkes the 2026 ACT Branch Teresa Foce Award winner

The RANZCP ACT Branch is pleased to award Dr Fiona Wilkes the 2026 Teresa Foce Award. In recognition of her outstanding contributions to clinical psychiatry, academic psychiatry and mental health advocacy within the Australian Capital Territory.

Since commencing psychiatry training in Canberra, and now as a Staff Specialist Psychiatrist in older person's mental health and Clinical Lecturer at the Australian National University, Dr Wilkes has consistently demonstrated excellence across the clinical, educational, academic and professional domains. 

Clinically, Dr Wilkes has earned the high respect of colleagues through her compassionate patient care, clinical expertise and commitment to improving mental health services. Following completion of Fellowship and Advanced Training in Psychiatry of Old Age, she has maintained a strong commitment to high-quality and empathic patient care and promotion of evidence-based interventions where possible.

Education and trainee development have been defining features of Dr Wilkes' career. Throughout her training she made substantial contributions to the ACT Regional Training Program, and she now serves as an accredited RANZCP supervisor, ANU Clinical Lecturer, examiner for final-year medical student OSCEs, academic supervisor and research supervisor. Her enthusiasm for teaching, mentoring and supporting trainees reflects qualities for which Dr Teresa Foce was so highly regarded.

Dr Wilkes has also established herself as an outstanding early-career clinical academic. She has completed a PhD, secured competitive research funding, published extensively across clinical psychiatry, neuropsychiatry, medical education and workforce research, and now serves as Deputy Editor of Australasian Psychiatry. Dr Wilkes has an impressive (for her career stage) H-index of 8 reflecting her 27 publications (including systematic reviews and meta-analysis) and their significant citation impact. Her research has translated directly into improved psychiatric education and clinical practice while strengthening the academic profile of psychiatry within the ACT. Dr Wilkes regularly reviews manuscripts submitted to Australasian Psychiatry.

Beyond her clinical and academic work, Dr Wilkes has provided exemplary service to the profession through leadership roles within the Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation and the College and it's national committees, including representation of the Faculty of Psychiatry of Old Age and service on the Congress Scientific Committee. These contributions demonstrate a strong commitment to advancing psychiatry beyond her own clinical responsibilities.

Dr Wilkes embodies the values that the Teresa Foce Award was established to honour: excellence in clinical care, dedication to teaching and trainee welfare, scholarly achievement, professional leadership and generous service to the psychiatric community. Despite being at an early stage of her consultant career, she has already made an exceptional contribution to mental health in the ACT and is richly deserving of this recognition.