Monash Memo - 11 July 2001

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New unit established in aged psychiatry

Monash's Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences used a $20,000 grant from the Department of Human Services to establish a new academic unit in aged psychiatry last month.

The unit links the faculty with the Peter James Centre in Forest Hill, a centre providing hospital and community care to aged people in Melbourne's central and outer eastern suburbs.

It will form a part of the Monash Ageing Research Centre (MonARC) and also of the university's Department of Psychological Medicine.

According to Professor Daniel O'Connor from MonARC, the unit's main focus will be research into aged mental health.

"Our link with the Peter James Centre will facilitate research into Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia and new treatments for behavioural disorders in people with dementia," he said.

In addition to research initiatives, the unit will also provide study and research opportunities for undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Professor O'Connor said the new unit builds on the establishment of MonARC last year by academics from the Department of Medicine and from the Department of Psychological Medicine.

"Monash's investment in aged care teaching and research has been growing rapidly and MonARC was created to provide a forum for this work," he said.