This episode gives you a brief overview of the vision and goals for the Australasian Psychiatry journal in discussion with its new editorial team, hosted by Jeffrey Looi, Samantha Loi, Sharon Reutens and Tarun Bastiampillai.  They discuss the importance of promoting academia and scholarly projects, encouraging debate, and exploring policy and international perspectives. They also highlight the significance of psychiatry in the context of social sciences and the need for civilized discourse in the journal, empowered by a fair review process. They encourage listeners to contribute papers to the journal, and to especially use the expanded range of article types.

A/Prof Jeffrey Looi, MBBS Syd, MD ANU, DMedSc Melb, FRANZCP, AFRACMA, is a clinical academic neuropsychiatrist, in private and public practice, and Head of the Academic Unit of Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine at the Australian National University Medical School. Jeffrey leads the Australian, United States, Scandinavian-Spanish Imaging Exchange (AUSSIE) and the Consortium of Australian-Academic Psychiatrists for Independent Policy and Research Analysis (CAPIPRA). He has received multiple research and leadership awards including: a Fulbright Scholarship and Australian-Davos-Connection Future Summit Leadership Award. He is a co-author on more than 310 peer-reviewed papers, involving UCLA, Karolinska Institute and University of Melbourne. He is Editor-in-Chief of Australasian Psychiatry 

A/Prof Samantha Loi is an old age psychiatrist and neuropsychiatrist working at the Royal Melbourne Hospital Neuropsychiatry Centre and Department of Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne.  She works clinically with people with young-onset neurocognitive disorders including Huntington’s disease and has 100 peer reviewed publications and grant funding in the area of young-onset dementia, ageing and mental health of older adults. Sam is immediate Past Chairs of the Young-Onset Dementia Special Interest Group and the Victorian Faculty of Psychiatry of Old Age. She is a Deputy Editor of Australasian Psychiatry. 

Dr Sharon Reutens, MBBS, FRANZCP is a psychiatrist in private practice and a Scientia PhD scholar at UNSW. She is trained in neuropsychiatry and old age psychiatry, focussing on forensic psychiatry in older people. She is a Deputy Editor of Australasian Psychiatry.

Prof Tarun Bastiampillai, MBBS Adl, BMedSc, FRANZCP, is a consultant psychiatrist with academic affiliations at Flinders University and Monash University. He has served in several leadership roles including South Australian Executive Director of Mental Health strategy (2015-2017). He received the RANZCP Margaret Tobin Award in 2020 for his contributions to administrative psychiatry. He has published over 300 peer reviewed manuscripts. He is a Deputy Editor of Australasian Psychiatry.

Topic suggestion:
If you have a topic suggestion or would like to participate in a future episode of Psych Matters, we’d love to hear from you.
Please contact us by email at: psychmatters.feedback@ranzcp.org

Disclaimer:
This podcast is provided to you for information purposes only and to provide a broad public understanding of various mental health topics. The podcast may represent the views of the author and not necessarily the views of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists ('RANZCP'). The podcast is not to be relied upon as medical advice, or as a substitute for medical advice, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship and should not be a substitute for individual clinical judgement. By accessing The RANZCP's podcasts you also agree to the full terms and conditions of the RANZCP's Website. Expert mental health information and finding a psychiatrist in Australia or New Zealand is available on the RANZCP’s Your Health In Mind Website.