OUR DISTINGUISHED PATRONS
PROFESSOR MICHAEL BERK
Professor Michael Berk is currently a NHMRC L3 research Fellow and is Alfred Deakin Chair of Psychiatry at Deakin University and Barwon Health, where he heads the Institute for Innovation in Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT). He also is an Honorary Professorial Research fellow in the Department of Psychiatry, the Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health and Orygen Youth Health at Melbourne University, as well as in the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Monash University. He has published over 1400 papers and is listed by Thompson Reuters ISI as highly cited (2015-2023). He has been awarded over $144M in grant funding. His major interests are in the discovery and implementation of novel therapies.
DR. LESLEY BERK
Dr. Lesley Berk, PhD, School of Medicine, is an Alfred Deakin Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Deakin University. Dr. Berk has worked extensively in the area of bipolar disorder as a psychologist and a researcher. She is passionate about research that involves active collaboration with people who live with bipolar disorder and those in their support networks. She has contributed to journal articles, book chapters, and books on psychosocial topics such as the treatment alliance, adherence to treatment, psychoeducation, diagnosis, and psychosocial interventions. She has developed guidelines for caregivers of people with bipolar disorder, which have been translated into booklets in other languages and form the basis of a website for caregivers (www.bipolarcaregivers.org). Lesley leads the team involved in developing and evaluating DepressionASSIST a website specifically for family members, partners, and friends of adults with major depressive disorder (https://depressionassist.org/). Dr. Berk co-wrote ‘Living With Bipolar’, a guide to understanding and managing the disorder.