2018

Orygen researcher Dr Lianne Schmaal was recently awarded the Society of Mental Health Research’s Rising Star Award. The award is presented to individuals whose work is beginning to make a significant impact on national and international mental health research.

Dr Schmaal, a senior research fellow, aims to understand the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the development and course of depression and suicidal thoughts and behaviours in young people. She leads the two largest neuroimaging consortia on depression and suicidal behaviours worldwide: the ENIGMA Major Depressive Disorder consortium and the ENIGMA Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviours consortium. These consortia pool neuroimaging and clinical data from more than 20,000 people from approximately 50 research institutes in 14 countries worldwide.

Dr Schmaal was presented with her award last month at the Society for Mental Health Research Conference 2018 in Noosa, Queensland.