Each year the College presents a variety of awards and grants to acknowledge outstanding achievements and contributions to psychiatry, the community, and the College.

We are pleased to announce many of the deserving winners of this year’s awards and look forward to recognising them at our 2026 College Ceremony and Gala Dinner taking place at Congress.

We’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.

The College Medal of Honour – Professor Helen Herrman

The College Medal of Honour was established in 1987 and is the RANZCP's highest and most prestigious award. This lifetime achievement award recognises the most distinguished and meritorious service, from an individual Fellow, linked to advancing the psychiatric profession and the mental health of our Australian and/or New Zealand communities.

Professor Helen Herrman has been awarded the College Medal of Honour for her significant research and collaborative work in Australia and internationally in areas such as women's mental health, social psychiatry and advocacy.

The College Citation – Associate Professor Loyola McLean

The College Citation was established in 1986 and is one of the RANZCP’s major awards. The award recognises special service to the RANZCP. This lifetime achievement award is for a member of the RANZCP or a non-member outside the RANZCP who has made significant contribution to the RANZCP and its core purposes and objectives. 

A College Citation is given by nomination only, and currently no more than two may be granted in a given year.

Associate Professor Loyola McLean has been awarded the College Citation in recognition of her teaching, training and involvement in many aspects of the work of the College, in New South Wales, nationally and with international reach.

The Ian Simpson Award – Dr Deborah Wilson and Professor Brett McDermott

The Ian Simpson Award was established in 1976 to honour Dr Ian Simpson (SA), who was a foundation member of the RANZCP and who became President in 1966. The award acknowledges the most outstanding contributions to clinical psychiatry through service to patients and the community.

This year there are two worthy recipients. 

Dr Deborah Wilson receives the Ian Simpson Award for her incredible innovative clinical service work over many decades.  

Professor Brett McDermott receives the Ian Simpson Award for his significant service initiatives and extensive contribution over the decades.  

The Margaret Tobin Award – Professor Megan Galbally

The Margaret Tobin Award was established in 2003, as a tribute to the memory of Dr Margaret Tobin who was tragically killed on 14 October 2002. Dr Tobin was passionate about high quality mental health services – the kind of services which have, at their centre, people with mental illness and their families. The Award is designed to honour special achievement in leadership and management in psychiatry. The recipient is invited to deliver a keynote presentation within the RANZCP Annual Congress program. 

Professor Megan Galbally has been awarded the Margaret Tobin Award in recognition of her wide ranging and unique influence in administrative psychiatry across Australia particularly in gender equity and perinatal mental health.

The Mark Sheldon Prize – Dr Lawrence Dadd

The Mark Sheldon Prize was established in 2000 by the family, friends and colleagues of the late Dr Mark Sheldon, a pioneer psychiatrist who until his death in 1998 strove to provide psychiatric services to remote Aboriginal communities. Dr Mark Sheldon was devoted to the welfare of Indigenous people in remote communities and was interested in original research to further their welfare. The prize named in his honour recognises noteworthy contributions (which might include service provision or research) to Indigenous mental health in either Australia or New Zealand.

Dr Lawrence Dadd has been awarded the Mark Sheldon Prize for his devotion of more than two decades of service toward improving the mental health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

The RANZCP Award for Excellence in Trainee Supervision and Clinical Education – Dr Daniel Riordan

The RANZCP Award for Excellence in Trainee Supervision and Clinical Education is an annual prize awarded to a Fellow or Affiliate for excellence in trainee supervision and/or clinical education.

The award aims to recognise positive impacts not only on individual trainees, but also across wider cohorts. Recipients will be expected to have made a significant contribution to the positive learning trajectory for trainees and have made a broad impact over a period of time.

The selection panel strongly commended Dr Riordans extensive development of resources for trainees and his impact at an individual, local, state and national level.

The Pirika Taonga – Professor Hinemoa Elder

The Pirika Taonga is in memory of Poiti Arama-karaka Pirika, the RANZCP’s Kaumātua from 2008 to 2017. It recognises noteworthy contributions in Māori mental health and addiction in Aotearoa New Zealand. The award may be given to a Māori member of the RANZCP (Fellow, Affiliate or trainee), or a member of the Māori community, who has contributed to increasing Māori relationships across the New Zealand mental health sector including noteworthy contributions (which may include service provision, leadership, research) in Māori mental health and addictions in Aotearoa New Zealand. The individual’s commitment to Te Reo Māori me onā tikanga in practice is one of the noteworthy principles underpinning the award. 

Professor Hinemoa Elder has been awarded the Pirika Taonga in recognition of her outstanding contribution as one of Aotearoa’s most influential Māori psychiatrists, shaping child and adolescent mental health care through a distinctly Māori worldview.

Her influence spans research, clinical practice, public education, and national leadership—making her one of the most significant figures in contemporary Māori mental health.

The RANZCP Senior Research Award – Professor Alison Yung

The RANZCP Senior Research Award was established in 1978 to recognise excellence in research in psychiatry. The Award is presented to the applicant or nominee who has made the most significant contribution to psychiatric research over the preceding ten years. 

Professor Alison Yung has been awarded the RANZCP Senior Research Award for her significant impact over more than a decade and the impactful, transformative and translational research she has produced over this time.

The RANZCP Early Career Psychiatrist Award – Dr Michael Connors

The RANZCP Early Career Psychiatrist Award was established in 1979 to encourage and promote research in psychiatry in Australia and New Zealand. The Award is presented to the trainee, or Fellow or Affiliate (within seven years of obtaining their primary specialist psychiatry qualification) who has contributed the most significant paper published in the past two years. The recipient receives a sum of A$10,000 for furthering their research and is invited to make a presentation within the RANZCP annual Congress program.

Dr Michael Connors has been awarded the RANZCP Early Career Psychiatrist Award for his review article concerning suicide and self-harm in older people published in Nature Reviews Psychology, a high-impact journal focusing on reviews and perspectives. 

The Lived Experience Australia Award for Best Practice in Consumer and Carer Inclusion – Dr Brian Wu

The Lived Experience Australia Award for Best Practice in Consumer and Carer Inclusion is awarded for the best reflection submitted by a psychiatry trainee who has completed all five Collaboration, Communication and Cooperation between Health Professionals (CCCHP) online modules in Learnit.

Dr Brian Wu has been awarded the Lived Experience Australia Award for Best Practice in Consumer and Carer Inclusion. The selection panel agreed that Dr Wu captured the “heart” of the modules, drawing on a strong example from their practice where they applied what they learned. Dr Wu’s willingness to view the person’s whole journey with empathy and a need to understand would have had life changing impacts for the person and for all their patients in the future.

The Addiction Psychiatry Prize – Dr Raminder Samra

The Addiction Psychiatry Prize is an annual prize awarded to a Trainee, or a Fellow who has achieved the Certificate of Advanced Training in Addiction Psychiatry within 12 months prior to the application deadline. The prize is an incentive award of the College, designed to encourage achievements and excellence in addiction psychiatry.

Dr Raminder Samra has been awarded the Addiction Psychiatry award for their scholarly project acknowledging limitations of the study given the cohort chosen, while also providing meaningful contribution to the knowledge base.

The Medlicott Award – Dr Edjoni Blackledge

The Medlicott Award was made possible by the Medlicott Family and was established in 1999 in honour of Professor Emeritus Reginald Medlicott. Professor Medlicott was the inaugural president of the RANZCP following its incorporation in 1963 and was a leading forensic psychiatrist in New Zealand. The Award is designed to encourage achievements and excellence in research in forensic psychiatry

The selection panel thought Dr Blackledge’s article ‘Uncovering the Gaps: Violence Risk Assessment Tools and Their Validity Among Australian First Nations Adults with Mental Disorders’ was an excellent article identifying the important gap in forensic mental health work in Australia.

The Faculty of Psychotherapy Essay Prize – Dr James Blomberg

The Faculty of Psychotherapy Essay Prize is an annual prize awarded to an RANZCP psychiatry trainee or recent Fellow on a psychotherapy topic that fosters learning and reflection on important psychotherapy concepts.

Dr James Blomberg has been awarded the Faculty of Psychotherapy Essay Prize. The selection panel thought their essay on ‘AI Psychotherapy: Rethinking Connection’ was an excellent, reflective piece about a very topical issue. 

The Rural Research Award – Dr James Blomberg

The RANZCP Rural Research Award is an annual prize awarded to a Trainee or Fellow who has recently obtained Fellowship within the 12 months prior to the application deadline. The prize is an incentive award of the College, designed to encourage research achievements and excellence in rural psychiatry.

Dr James Blomberg has been awarded the Rural Research Award. The selection panel thought their submission addresses a highly relevant workforce and training bottleneck in rural psychiatry through a systematic review examining the safety of remote supervision models.

The Section of Youth Mental Health Excellence Award – Professor Andrew Chanen

The Section of Youth Mental Health Excellence Award is presented to a RANZCP psychiatry trainee or psychiatrist for outstanding contributions to the advancement of Youth Mental Health within Australia or Aotearoa New Zealand (via clinical, research, service delivery or health promotion activities).

Professor Andrew Chanen has been awarded the Section of Youth Mental Health Excellence Award for his impressive commitment, passion and focus on youth population.

The Connell Werry Prize – Dr Nicole Tregoning

The Connell Werry Prize is awarded to an Advanced Trainee in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry for the most outstanding paper or poster presented at the Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry conference.

The prize honours Professor John Werry and Associate Professor Helen Connell, who were pioneers in the field of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in New Zealand and Australia. 

Dr Nicole Tregoning's presentation on ‘CSF positive, seronegative NMDA encephalitis: Pooled analysis based on cases through systematic Review’ impressed the judges and secured her the award during the 2025 conference.

The Faculty of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Advanced Trainee Prize – Dr Cara Salehi

The Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Advanced Trainee Abstract Prize is awarded for the best oral or rapid fire presentation made at the Faculty of Consultation–Liaison Psychiatry scientific meeting by a RANZCP Associate member undertaking advanced training in consultation–liaison psychiatry.

Dr Cara Salehi's presentation on ‘An exploration of a local palliative care psychiatry service in the Western Sydney and Nepean Blue Mountains health districts’ impressed the judges and secured her the award during the 2025 conference.

The Faculty of Psychiatry of Old Age Basic Psychiatric Trainee Prize – Dr Ashna Khalid

This Psychiatry of Old Age Trainee Prize recognises originality, scientific merit and contribution to the knowledge base of psychiatry of old age by a psychiatry trainee.

The prize is open to basic psychiatry trainees; that is, a Stage 1 or 2 Trainee under the Competency Based Fellowship program. 

Dr Ashna Khalid has been awarded the Faculty of Psychiatry of Old Age Basic Psychiatric Trainee Prize. The selection panel thought their paper ‘The prevalence of, and factors associated with, a risk of depression in residential aged care services residents: Findings from the FIRST study’ was a well presented paper and relevant to Old Age Psychiatry day to day clinical practice. 

The Faculty of Psychiatry of Old Age Prize for Best Mental Health Service Improvement – Associate Professor Gary Cheung

The Faculty of Psychiatry of Old Age Prize for the Best Mental Health Service Improvement was established in 2012 to promote excellence in advancing the quality of life in older people with mental illness

The Prize is open to all mental health services, and whilst not having to be within a formal POA service, the improvement must be: 

• Focused upon the needs of people with mental illness who are older. 
• Within a public or private mental health service with accreditation against the national mental health standards, or New Zealand equivalent.

A/Prof. Gary Cheung has been awarded the Faculty of Psychiatry of Old Age Prize for Best Mental Health Service Improvement. The selection panel found A/Prof. Cheung’s project on ‘Cultural Adaptation of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy for Māori with Dementia (CST-Māori)’ to be an important academic and therapeutic development in the field and is likely to be well received by and effective for the target population. 

The Faculty of Psychiatry of Old Age Psychiatric Trainee Prize for Scholarly Project - Dr Mark Bevan

The Psychiatry of Old Age Trainee Prize for Scholarly Project is awarded to a current or recent Advanced Trainee in Psychiatry of Old Age for meritorious research in the field of old age psychiatry. 

Dr Mark Bevan has been awarded the Faculty of Psychiatry of Old Age Psychiatric Trainee Prize for Scholarly Project. The selection panel thought Dr Bevan’s paper ‘Ketamine as an efficacious treatment for older adults with major depressive disorder: A Literature Review’ was well written literature and a good study. 

The John H Lloyd Neuropsychiatry Prize – Dr Thomas Reilly

The John H Lloyd Neuropsychiatry Prize is awarded to an RANZCP trainee or newly qualified Fellow or Affiliate for the best Scholarly Project or equivalent research activity. 

Dr. Lloyd was Director of the Statewide Neuropsychiatric Centre / Unit in Victoria between 1972 and 2001. Dr Lloyd was an esteemed clinician in neuropsychiatry and psychiatry whose opinion was often seen as 'the gold standard'. He was a clinical mentor and teacher for several generations of psychiatry trainees in Victoria. 

Dr Thomas Reilly has been awarded the John H Lloyd Neuropsychiatry Prize. The selection panel felt that Dr Reilly’s paper ‘A whole-brain structural connectivity signature in adult Niemann-Pick disease type C’ was an interesting paper of considerable scientific merit. 

The Howard Cooper Travelling Fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry – Dr Ajay Aditya Aadhi Mani

The Howard Cooper Travelling Fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (“the Award”) is named in honour of the late Dr Howard Cooper, a former Chair of the RANZCP’s Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (FCAP). It is made annually to a visiting overseas trainee psychiatrist or psychiatrist from the Asia-Pacific region who wishes to gain experience in child and adolescent psychiatry in Australia or New Zealand. 

Dr Ajay Aditya Aadhi Mani has been awarded the Howard Cooper Travelling Fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The selection panel felt that Dr Mani would be of most benefit to the fellowship given their clear commitment to improving regional child and adolescent services in their home country.  

The Scholarly Project Award – Dr Eleanor Bott

The Scholarly Project Award was established in 2017. The award is recognition of the most meritorious Scholarly Project for the prior calendar year. The Scholarly Project is a summative assessment of the RANZCP Fellowship Program. It involves original research in an area relevant to psychiatry or mental health and encompasses the ability to critically evaluate academic material; demonstrate knowledge of research methodologies, generate research of peer-review quality and contribute to the development of knowledge in the area of psychiatry or mental health. It includes all types of projects approved and submitted.

The Education Committee awarded Dr Eleanor Bott the Scholarly Project. They felt Dr Bott’s project ‘Mortality trends among patients subject to Community Treatment Orders (CTO) under the Mental Health Act, 2014. A retrospective study in Victoria’ was a useful study which is suitable for publication. They felt the project was a smart design, well executed, well written and engaging and they highlighted that the project posed relevant clinical questions and the data analysis and project discussion was thorough.

Maddison Medallion – Dr Benjamin Vialle

The Maddison Medallion was established in 1968 to recognise and encourage excellence in the study of psychiatry. It is awarded annually to the candidate who has performed most meritoriously throughout the RANZCP Fellowship training and examination process.

The CFE believes Dr Vialle has shown an impressive performance throughout their training program, with results superior to all other candidates.