Dr. Anita Goh
Lead Author & Research Fellow
Dr. Anita Goh is a qualified clinical neuropsychologist who has established both a clinical and academic career. She is a Research Fellow at Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age, The University of Melbourne, and also works as a clinician at the Melbourne Neuropsychiaty Centre , Royal Melbourne Hospital. Dr. Goh is a staff member of the international Huntington’s Study Group (HSG), and a member of Huntington’s Research Group Victoria. Her work in international, multi-centre research has resulted in publications and presentations at national and international forums. She is regularly invited to present her research in the USA, and has a growing international reputation.
She was the Victorian coordinator of the international, multi-site study RESPOND-HD: An Examination of Responses to Potential Discrimination from Individuals At Risk for Huntington Disease, a HSG study sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health, USA. The RESPOND-HD observational trial evaluated issues of potential discrimination as perceived by those persons affected by Huntington disease (HD). Participants were recruited from domestic geographical areas with differing discrimination laws for employment and insurance and from foreign sites where health care systems may be different from those in domestic sites. Results revealed significant discrimination in several domains.
The results of the RESPOND-HD study inspired Dr Goh to further pursue the important topic of genetic discrimination, and she was successful in securing a Legal Services Board grant in order to continue researching discrimination in genetic disorders. This grant enabled the development of this website and the related booklet.
Contact Anita on goha@unimelb.edu.au
Lead Author & Research Fellow
Dr. Anita Goh is a qualified clinical neuropsychologist who has established both a clinical and academic career. She is a Research Fellow at Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age, The University of Melbourne, and also works as a clinician at the Melbourne Neuropsychiaty Centre , Royal Melbourne Hospital. Dr. Goh is a staff member of the international Huntington’s Study Group (HSG), and a member of Huntington’s Research Group Victoria. Her work in international, multi-centre research has resulted in publications and presentations at national and international forums. She is regularly invited to present her research in the USA, and has a growing international reputation.
She was the Victorian coordinator of the international, multi-site study RESPOND-HD: An Examination of Responses to Potential Discrimination from Individuals At Risk for Huntington Disease, a HSG study sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health, USA. The RESPOND-HD observational trial evaluated issues of potential discrimination as perceived by those persons affected by Huntington disease (HD). Participants were recruited from domestic geographical areas with differing discrimination laws for employment and insurance and from foreign sites where health care systems may be different from those in domestic sites. Results revealed significant discrimination in several domains.
The results of the RESPOND-HD study inspired Dr Goh to further pursue the important topic of genetic discrimination, and she was successful in securing a Legal Services Board grant in order to continue researching discrimination in genetic disorders. This grant enabled the development of this website and the related booklet.
Contact Anita on goha@unimelb.edu.au
Professor Edmond Chiu, AM
Professor Edmond Chiu retired from the position of Professor/Director of the Aged Psychiatry Service in December 2004. He is currently a Professorial Fellow of the University of Melbourne and the National Ageing Research Institute (NARI). Since his retirement in December 2004, Professor Chiu has conducted research-related clinical activities of the Academic Unit, which include ongoing upskilling programs for health professionals, international studies in Huntington's disease and psychopharmacological studies.
Professor Chiu founded our Huntington’s Clinic in 1972, and has a long record of clinical work, advocacy, and conducting HD research –leading to an award of Member of the Order of Australia in 1988. He is founding chair of the Huntington Research Group (Victoria), bringing together clinicians and researchers in collaborative research. He is a member of HSG, USA, and was awarded the Marjorie Gurthrie award in 1990 by the Huntington's Disease Society of America for his contributions to the USA HD community.
Contact Ed on e.chiu@unimelb.edu.au
Professor Edmond Chiu retired from the position of Professor/Director of the Aged Psychiatry Service in December 2004. He is currently a Professorial Fellow of the University of Melbourne and the National Ageing Research Institute (NARI). Since his retirement in December 2004, Professor Chiu has conducted research-related clinical activities of the Academic Unit, which include ongoing upskilling programs for health professionals, international studies in Huntington's disease and psychopharmacological studies.
Professor Chiu founded our Huntington’s Clinic in 1972, and has a long record of clinical work, advocacy, and conducting HD research –leading to an award of Member of the Order of Australia in 1988. He is founding chair of the Huntington Research Group (Victoria), bringing together clinicians and researchers in collaborative research. He is a member of HSG, USA, and was awarded the Marjorie Gurthrie award in 1990 by the Huntington's Disease Society of America for his contributions to the USA HD community.
Contact Ed on e.chiu@unimelb.edu.au
Associate Professor Olga Yastrubetskaya
Olga is the Manager of the Research and Specialist Clinics conducted by the Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age, University of Melbourne. She is an experienced clinician and researcher with many years of experience in implementation research into practice, teaching and knowledge transfer.
Olga is a member of the Huntington’s Study Group (USA), a founding member of the Huntington’s Research Group of Victoria (HRGV) and a Honorary Senior Fellow of the National Ageing Research Institute (NARI).
Since 1993 she has been working on psychopharmacological research and since 2002 on International Huntington’s Disease (HD) research projects. Her focus on knowledge transfer, recruitment and retention has helped to ensure that our site is one of the most successful HD research sites in the world.
Contact Olga on olgay@unimelb.edu.au
Olga is the Manager of the Research and Specialist Clinics conducted by the Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age, University of Melbourne. She is an experienced clinician and researcher with many years of experience in implementation research into practice, teaching and knowledge transfer.
Olga is a member of the Huntington’s Study Group (USA), a founding member of the Huntington’s Research Group of Victoria (HRGV) and a Honorary Senior Fellow of the National Ageing Research Institute (NARI).
Since 1993 she has been working on psychopharmacological research and since 2002 on International Huntington’s Disease (HD) research projects. Her focus on knowledge transfer, recruitment and retention has helped to ensure that our site is one of the most successful HD research sites in the world.
Contact Olga on olgay@unimelb.edu.au
Professor Nicola T Lautenschlager
Nicola Lautenschlager is an academic old age psychiatrist who received her undergraduate and postgraduate training, including an MD in 1994, at the Technical University in Munich, Germany. In 1995 she spent one year as a postdoc fellow at Boston University in the United States. From October 2000 to June 2008 Nicola worked at the University of Western Australia in Perth, Australia where her last position was Professor in Old Age Psychiatry and Deputy Head of School. In July 2008 she took up the position of University of Melbourne Professor & Chair of Old Age Psychiatry at the Department of Psychiatry, where she is also Head of the Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age. Nicola is the Director for the St. Vincent’s Health Aged Psychiatry Service in Melbourne. Her current research focus is early diagnosis of cognitive impairment and intervention trials for older adults to improve mental health outcomes.
Contact Nicola on nicolatl@unimelb.edu.au
Nicola Lautenschlager is an academic old age psychiatrist who received her undergraduate and postgraduate training, including an MD in 1994, at the Technical University in Munich, Germany. In 1995 she spent one year as a postdoc fellow at Boston University in the United States. From October 2000 to June 2008 Nicola worked at the University of Western Australia in Perth, Australia where her last position was Professor in Old Age Psychiatry and Deputy Head of School. In July 2008 she took up the position of University of Melbourne Professor & Chair of Old Age Psychiatry at the Department of Psychiatry, where she is also Head of the Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age. Nicola is the Director for the St. Vincent’s Health Aged Psychiatry Service in Melbourne. Her current research focus is early diagnosis of cognitive impairment and intervention trials for older adults to improve mental health outcomes.
Contact Nicola on nicolatl@unimelb.edu.au
Professor David Ames
David Ames is the director of the National Ageing Research Institute Parkville and University of Melbourne Professor of Ageing and Health. He retains clinical and research links with the Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old age, of which he was previously the Director. David Ames was secretary of the section of old age psychiatry Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 1990-1995, a member of the Board of directors of the International Psychogeriatric Association (IPA) 1995-2010, edited the IPA newsletter IPA Bulletin 1996-2002 and is the current editor of IPA's peer reviewed journal International Psychogeriatrics. He is a member of the medical and scientific advisory panel of Alzheimer's Disease International.
David Ames' main research and clinical interests are detection and managment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and new therapies for AD and the care of the depressed elderly. He has published over 130 papers in peer reviewed journals and edited 15 books. Currently he leads the Australian Imaging Biomarkers and Lifestyle study of Ageing which is a $10M 3 year collaborative study of 1112 subjects. David Ames chairs the University's Board of Studies for the teaching of rehabilitation, aged care, palliative care and psychiatry of old age to medical students and directs the old age psychiatry component of the MMed (Psychiatry)/MPM postgraduate programme.
Contact David on dames@unimelb.edu.au
David Ames is the director of the National Ageing Research Institute Parkville and University of Melbourne Professor of Ageing and Health. He retains clinical and research links with the Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old age, of which he was previously the Director. David Ames was secretary of the section of old age psychiatry Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 1990-1995, a member of the Board of directors of the International Psychogeriatric Association (IPA) 1995-2010, edited the IPA newsletter IPA Bulletin 1996-2002 and is the current editor of IPA's peer reviewed journal International Psychogeriatrics. He is a member of the medical and scientific advisory panel of Alzheimer's Disease International.
David Ames' main research and clinical interests are detection and managment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and new therapies for AD and the care of the depressed elderly. He has published over 130 papers in peer reviewed journals and edited 15 books. Currently he leads the Australian Imaging Biomarkers and Lifestyle study of Ageing which is a $10M 3 year collaborative study of 1112 subjects. David Ames chairs the University's Board of Studies for the teaching of rehabilitation, aged care, palliative care and psychiatry of old age to medical students and directs the old age psychiatry component of the MMed (Psychiatry)/MPM postgraduate programme.
Contact David on dames@unimelb.edu.au
