MENTAL WELLBEING IN RURAL AND REGIONAL COMMUNITIES DEALING WITH ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES LIKE FIRE, FLOODS AND DROUGHT
With
Suzie Cosh, Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology,
The University of New England, New South Wales, Australia
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia | June 2025
Associate Professor Suzie Cosh is a psychologist and clinical researcher. Her work focuses on the intersection of climate change and mental health and she currently leads a body of work that focuses on supporting small rural communities to recover from and prepare for extreme weather events such as bushfires, floods and droughts.
In 2024, she received $6 million in funding from the Australian Government’s Medical Research Futures Fund and the National Health and Medical Research Council to trial novel interventions to protect mental health and wellbeing in diverse rural Australian communities.
In particular, she currently leads the Equip project, a multisite trial developing psychological disaster preparedness and community resilience. Having completed a Masters and PhD in Clinical Psychology, her work combines clinical experiences and insights into intervention-based research to support mental health. She completed postdoctoral research fellowships in Germany and France, before returning to Australia and establishing a program of research that aims to better understand the impacts of climate change on mental health, and how to best support mental health into the future as climate change and its impacts escalate.
She holds memberships on international societies, actively furthering the connection of science and clinical practice. Her work is based on a strong commitment to ensure that the best evidence guides and is translated into clinical practice and helps to protect and promote the mental health of individual and communities.
Source: Supplied
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8003-3704
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Indigenous Australian health and ear disease
Professor Kelvin Kong feels incredibly fortunate to lead a fulfilling life surrounded by his loved ones. With a demonstrated history of service in the health industry, he brings a wealth of expertise across various sectors including clinical research, medical education, surgery, paediatrics, health policy, and Indigenous education. Kelvin started his university, residing at New College in 1992, which brings him fond memories. Graduating from medicine from the University of NSW, Kelvin continued his studies and became a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) and Australian Society of Otolaryngology, head & neck Society (ASOHNS).
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New treatments for patients with mental illness
Associate Professor Bernadette Fitzgibbon is a neuroscientist with several decades of experience in researching, developing, and translating novel therapies for mental health and chronic pain conditions. This includes the application and optimisation of brain stimulation and psychedelic therapies, overseeing large multi-site intervention trials, both within Australia and abroad. Through her work, she has developed meaningful collaborations with consumers, volunteers, policy makers, and services providers, ensuring that the outcomes of her work contribute towards real-world clinical impact.
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Liver cancer biomarkers, risk prediction & progression
Dr. Rodrigo Carlessi is an expert in Cancer Genomics and Molecular Biology, with an extensive track record in liver cancer research. He leads the Cancer Genomics Group within the Liver Disease and Regeneration Laboratory at the Curtin Medical Research Institute. He has an impressive publication record, with 43 manuscripts that have collectively garnered over 2,680 citations. His research leverages cutting-edge genomics and transcriptomics technologies, as well as long-read DNA sequencing, to explore mechanisms, identify biomarkers, and develop therapeutic targets in liver disease and cancer.
