Ian Hickie

Brief description

Professor Ian Hickie is Co-Director, Health and Policy at The University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre. He is an NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellow (2013-2017 and 2018-22), having previously been one of the inaugural NHMRC Australian Fellows (2008-12). He was an inaugural Commissioner on Australia’s National Mental Health Commission (2012-18) overseeing enhanced accountability for mental health reform and suicide prevention. He is an internationally renowned researcher in clinical psychiatry, with particular reference to medical aspects of common mood disorders, depression and bipolar disorder in young people, early intervention, use of new and emerging technologies and suicide prevention. In his role with the National Mental Health Commission, and his independent research, health system and advocacy roles, Professor Hickie has been at the forefront of the move to have mental health and suicide prevention integrated with other aspects of health care (notably chronic disease and ambulatory care management).

Disclosure of external interests

• Co-Director, Health and Policy at Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney
• Commissioner in Australia’s new National Mental Health Commission(2012-18)
• Member of the Medical Advisory Panel for Medibank Private (2014-17)
• Board Member of Psychosis Australia Trust
• Leads an investigator-initiated study of the effects of agomelatine on circadian parameters (supported in part by Servier)
• Board member of headspace: the national youth mental health foundation (ended 2102)
• Professor Hickie has led projects for health professionals and the community supported by governmental, community agency and pharmaceutical industry partners (Wyeth, Eli Lily, Servier, Pfizer, AstraZeneca) for the identification and management of depression and anxiety.
• Professor Hickie has received honoraria for presentations of his own work at educational seminars supported by a number of non-government organisations and the pharmaceutical industry (including Servier, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Eli Lilly).
• Chief Scientific Advisor to, and an equity shareholder in, Innowell. Innowell has been formed by the University of Sydney and PwC to deliver the $30m Australian Government-funded ‘Project Synergy’. Project Synergy is a three year program for the transformation of mental health services through the use of innovative technologies

In 2003, Professor Hickie was appointed as the inaugural executive director of the flagship Brain and Mind Centre (formally BMRI) at The University of Sydney. Since then he has overseen its development as a major hub in translational neuroscience and clinical psychiatry and was appointed as the Co-Director, Health and Policy in 2015.Prior to this, in October 2000 he was appointed as the inaugural CEO of beyondblue: the Australian national depression initiative and from 2003-06 served as its Clinical Advisor. In 2006, Professor Hickie received the Australian Honours Award of Member (AM) in the General Division; for services to medicine in the development of key national mental health initiatives and general practice services in both the public and non-government sectors. From 2006 he was a founding member of Headspace: the National Youth Mental Health Foundation. In 2007, Professor Hickie was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. From 2007-12, Professor Hickie was one of the first round of NHMRC Australian Research Fellows, recognising excellence in Australian Medical Research. From 2008-2010, he was appointed to the Federal Health Minister’s National Advisory Council on Mental Health and then in 2010 to 2011, the Federal Ministers Mental Health Expert Advisory Group. In 2015 he became a fellow of the new Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. From 2012, Professor Hickie was appointed as one of Australia's first National Mental Health Commissioners and was reappointed to a second term in that role in 2014, to oversee enhanced accountability for mental health reform in Australia.Professor Hickie’s research, clinical and health services development work focus on neurobiological and clinical aspects of the major mood disorders. Additionally his work supports expansion of population-based mental health research, enhanced primary and secondary care mental health services (particularly focused on evidence-based early interventions for young people with anxiety and mood disorders and development of international mental health strategies

Full description

View the full record at The University of Sydney