Professor Brian Draper

Key Roles:
Conjoint Professor, School of Psychiatry, UNSW
Consultant Psychiatrist, Older Persons Mental Health Service, Eastern Suburbs Mental Health Service, Euroa Centre, Randwick Campus

Honorary Senior Research Fellow Neurosciences Research Australia

Research Interests:
My interests are on clinical aspects of mental health problems in old age. My main focus is dementia including young onset dementia, dementia in acute hospitals (Hospital Dementia Services Project), cognitive and mental disorders in older Aboriginal Australians (Koori Growing Old Well Study, Our MOB), behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia, carer stress and mild cognitive impairment (Sydney Memory and Ageing Study). I collaborate with a range of institutions around Australia including Flinders University, Griffith University, University of Sydney, Macquarie University, and the University of Technology Sydney. My other main area of interest is depression and suicidal behaviour in late life with collaborative work funded by ARC and NHMRC being undertaken with colleagues around Australia and internationally. I am on the research advisory committee for the LifeSpan project of suicide prevention and am an associate investigator on the 'Under the Radar' project both run by the Black Dog Institute. Other current work includes the investigation of self-harm in people with dementia. I have a particular interest in ethical issues of end of life care and am a member of the Palliative Care Clinical Studies Collaborative with research into delirium and depression at the end of life. I have also been undertaking research and clinical collaborations examining drug & alcohol issues in late life including their comorbidity (cognitive disorders, mood disorders, suicidal behaviour). Most recently I have been researching the history of old age mental health and dementia care in Australia 

Broad Research Areas:
Ageing, Evidence Based Medicine, Psychiatry, Medical Education, Clinical Research

Qualifications:
MB BS MD UNSW, FRANZCP

Society Memberships & Professional Activities:
International Psychogeriatric Association; Associate Editor, 'Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior'; Scientific Advisor American Foundation for Suicide Prevention; Member of: WHO Consultation Group on the Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders in Older Adults for ICD-11 revision; Medical and Scientific Advisory Panel Alzheimer's Disease International; International Association for Suicide Prevention; NSW Association of Mental Health; Australian & New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine; Alzheimer's Association, N.S.W.; Honorary Senior Research Fellow Neurosciences Research Australia; Past Chair, Psychogeriatric Care Expert Reference Group, Department of Health & Ageing, Canberra; Past Chair, Faculty of Psychiatry of Old Age, RANZCP; Past Chair IPA BPSD Shared Interest Group; past co-Chair, Expert Advisory Group for Older People’s Drug & Alcohol Project, MHDAO, NSW Ministry of Health.

Specific Research Keywords:
Dementia, Psychogeriatrics, Outcomes Research, Depression, Suicide