FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH IN THE SETTING OF THE JUSTICE SYSTEM
With
Professor Kimberlie Dean, Head of Discipline
UNSW Psychiatry and Mental Health
Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW & Clinical Academic Forensic Psychiatrist
and Research Lead for Forensic Mental Health Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network, Sydney, Australia
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed in Sydney, Australia | May 2025
Prof Kimberlie Dean is Head of the Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health at UNSW. She was appointed to the inaugural Chair in Forensic Mental Health at UNSW in 2011, a joint appointment with Justice Health NSW. She also holds a Clinical Academic appointment as a Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist with Justice Health NSW. She is Academic Program Director for the Masters Forensic Mental Health at UNSW.
Her academic journey commenced with studying medicine at the University of Tasmania and the University of Adelaide. During her medical training, she became intrigued by broader questions concerning mental health, which sparked her interest in epidemiological and population health research.
Prof Dean trained at the Institute of Psychiatry and Maudsley Hospital in London, completing clinical training in Forensic Psychiatry and a PhD in Epidemiological Psychiatry. She returned to Australia over ten years ago to continue her work at UNSW.
Her research interests include understanding links between mental illness and offending behaviour including violence and testing interventions in justice settings/populations. She is currently involved in a range of research projects involving survey methodology, data linkage and intervention evaluation.
At the heart of her research is a commitment to uncovering the truth and enhancing mental health for the most vulnerable community members.
Source: Supplied and adapted
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Digital Biomarkers and AI for Optimal Diagnosis, Treatment, and Decision-Making
Associate Professor Johan Verjans is a clinician-scientist with a strong focus on cross-disciplinary translational research. In his role as Deputy Director at the Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML)—one of the world’s premier machine learning institutes, with over 200 researchers—and as Group Leader of Artificial Intelligence at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), he integrates his expertise in molecular medicine, clinical research, and advanced imaging with machine learning applications. This unique combination enables him to drive the translation of cutting-edge AI research into practical medical applications. He works with global teams from multinationals on AI problems.
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Vaccine effectiveness against infections triggering autoimmune disease
Dr Deborah Burnett is a Scientia Senior Lecturer and Laboratory Head at UNSW, where she leads a multidisciplinary research program spanning mechanistic immunology and translational vaccinology. Her work focuses on understanding how immune responses can protect against challenging infectious threats, including bacterial infections and infections associated with autoimmune disease.
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Corneal and Ocular Surface Immunology and Regeneration
Assoc Professor Holly Chinnery’s career in ocular immunology began with a focus on animal models; however, it has recently transitioned into clinical imaging studies involving human research participants. The ability to visualise the immune system and sensory nerves in the human cornea represents a significant advantage in corneal immunology and neuroimmunology research.
