We are delighted to announce the recipients of the 2025 RANZCP Foundation PhD scholarships. 

Dr Katherine Donovan 

Awarded a 2025 Barnett PhD Scholarship for her research project “Youth group project for adolescents impacted by the March 15 attacks: Weaving our own path”.

Psychological distress is common in adolescence and is often intensified following traumatic events. On 15 March 2019, two mosques in Christchurch were targeted in a terrorist attack, leading to widespread and ongoing impacts across the Muslim community and the wider population of Christchurch and New Zealand. Dr Donovan’s study evaluates an integrated group treatment designed to support wellbeing in teenagers affected by the March 15th shootings. 

The project will assess the feasibility and effectiveness of this group‑based approach by measuring emotional symptoms and functioning at baseline, end of treatment, and follow‑up. It will also explore the acceptability of the intervention among adolescents and their families. In addition, the study will measure levels of parental distress to determine whether supporting adolescents can also positively influence parent wellbeing. Findings will help establish whether this model of care is both feasible and accessible for young people affected by mass‑trauma events. 

Dr Donovan obtained her Fellowship in 2020 and is currently a Senior Lecturer at the University of Otago, balancing academic responsibilities with clinical work and a young family. She is undertaking her PhD studies through the University of Otago under the supervision of Professor Richard Porter.

Dr Sarangan Ketheesan

Awarded the 2025 Foundation Partners PhD Scholarship for his research project “PTSD and Allostatic Load in Military Veterans: Exploring longitudinal outcomes though data linkage”.

This project aims to address a critical gap in understanding the long-term health impacts of chronic trauma among Australian Defence Force veterans, who experience disproportionately high rates of PTSD, substance use disorders, and suicide.

Using an established cohort of 274 Vietnam veterans with biomarker and psychiatric data from Gallipoli Medical Research, the study will link these records to the National Death Index to investigate whether allostatic load – a measure of the physiological burden of chronic stress – predicts premature mortality.

This Australian-first study will provide vital insights into biological predictors of early death in a population heavily affected by combat-related stress, informing early identification of at-risk individuals and guiding evidence-based interventions. The project aligns with national priorities and leverages established collaborations to enhance translation into policy and practice.

Dr Ketheesan obtained his Fellowship in 2025 and is currently a Staff Psychiatrist at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. His academic host institution is the University of Queensland, where he works under the supervision of Professor Jason Connor. 

Dr Laura McMahon

Awarded a 2025 Barnett PhD Scholarship for her research project “Clozapine and myocarditis: Is it the end of the road?”.

Schizophrenia is a major cause of disability, with about one-third of cases being treatment-resistant. Clozapine remains the most effective therapy for treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS), yet its use may be limited by clozapine-associated myocarditis (CAM), which occurs at notably high rates in Australia and New Zealand.

This multi-study project aims to collate qualitative and quantitative data and compare local findings with global evidence. It is hoped the outcomes can inform future evidence-based guidelines designed to enhance diagnostic accuracy, minimise unnecessary treatment discontinuation, and support safe rechallenge or cautious continuation where clinically appropriate—across metropolitan, regional, and rural settings.

Improved access to clozapine for people with TRS has the potential to reduce hospitalisation rates, improve functional recovery, and lower suicidality long term. If validated and implemented, the proposed research outcomes could support clinical advances and patient outcomes in this high-risk population.

Dr McMahon is a psychiatry registrar at Toowoomba Hospital and is undertaking her PhD studies through the University of Queensland under the supervision of Professor Dan Siskind.