Research leaders

Professor Patrick McGorry AO

Professor Patrick McGorry is the Executive Director of Orygen, Professor of Youth Mental Health at The University of Melbourne, and a Director of the Board of the National Youth Mental Health Foundation (headspace). His work has played a critical role in the development of safe, effective treatments and innovative research into the needs of young people with emerging mental disorders, notably psychotic and severe mood disorders. He has also played a major part in the transformational reform of mental health services to better serve the needs of vulnerable young people.

Professor Mario Alvarez-Jimenez

Professor Mario Alvarez-Jimenez is a Senior Research Fellow at Orygen and Chief of Orygen Digital. Mario has pioneered the use of online social media to foster long-term recovery in youth mental health.

Professor Paul Amminger

Paul Amminger is a Professorial Research Fellow at Orygen and also Professor of Youth Mental Health at the Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne. His research spans traditional high-risk research in schizophrenia to cutting-edge intervention studies in the onset phase of psychosis and affective disorders.

Professor Andrew Chanen

Professor Andrew Chanen is Chief of Clinical Practice. Andrew’s research, clinical and training interests lie in prevention and early intervention for severe mental disorders, principally personality disorders, along with mood and psychotic disorders.

Professor Sue Cotton

Professor Sue Cotton is the Head, Health Services and Outcomes Research.

Professor Eóin Killackey

Professor Eóin Killackey is Chief of Research and Knowledge Translation and and Head of the functional recovery research program at Orygen. He has worked as a clinical psychologist in adolescent and adult public mental health settings and in private practice.

Professor Barnaby Nelson

Barnaby Nelson is a clinical psychologist and researcher. He leads the Ultra-high Risk for Psychosis Research program and works clinically at one Orygen's headspace centres. His work focuses on identification strategies, prediction of outcome and treatments for young people who are at ultra-high risk for psychosis.

Professor Rosemary Purcell

Professor Rosemary Purcell is Chief of Knowledge Translation at Orygen. She is also the Deputy Head of Department of the Centre for Youth Mental Health at the University of Melbourne and a registered psychologist.

Professor Jo Robinson

Professor Jo Robinson leads Orygen’s suite of research programs around suicide prevention. Her work focuses on improving our knowledge about the best approaches to reduce suicide risk among young people. This includes developing programs, testing novel approaches that specifically target at-risk youth, and translating the research evidence into practice and policy.

Professor Lianne Schmaal

Professor Lianne Schmaal is Head of the Mood and Anxiety Disorders program at Orygen. Her research focuses on understanding why people develop depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts and behaviours.

Our Leaders