Biography
Professor Christos Pantelis is Foundation Professor of Neuropsychiatry and Scientific Director of the Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre at The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health. He is also Director of the Adult Mental Health Rehabilitation Unit at Sunshine Hospital. He holds honorary Principal Research Fellow positions at the Howard Florey Institute and the Centre for Neuroscience. He heads a team of researchers that have been undertaking neuroimaging and neuropsychological work in schizophrenia and psychosis, and other psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders over the last 15 years in Australia. His work has focused on brain structural and functional changes during the transition to psychosis. He has published over 270 papers and chapters, including papers in high-profile international psychiatry, neurology, radiology and medical journals. He published one of the first books on the neuropsychology of schizophrenia, a recently published book on 'Olfaction and the Brain' and a forthcoming book on 'Neuropsychology of Mental Illness'.
He is co-Chief Investigator on a $7.4 million NHMRC Program Grant, which commenced in 2005 and focuses on the neurobiology of emerging severe mental illness during late brain development. This grant was refunded for a further 5 years commencing from 2009 (>$10 million). He has won a number of national and international awards for his work in schizophrenia.
Prof Pantelis? clinical work has focussed on chronic schizophrenia and severe mental disorders. He developed an active rehabilitation program since his return to Australia, managing patients with the most severe and disabling forms of illness. Together with an interdisciplinary team he developed a comprehensive model of care for the management of severe mental disorders, in the context of community developments in Victoria. He has been dedicated to producing the best outcomes for those most disadvantaged by severe mental disorders. He has led the way in developing optimal psychopharmacological treatment for patients. He has undertaken novel approaches to treatment and developed early screening for medical complications of newer antipsychotic medications, including cardiac monitoring. He continues to train younger psychiatrists in the care of chronic illnesses.
He is currently a Board Member Board Member of the NSW Schizophrenia Research Institute (since 2004) and past Board Member of the Mental Illness Fellowship of Victoria (2004-2008), and member of the Scientific Advisory Council of Neurosciences Victoria (since 2006). He is also a member of various national and international advisory boards and committees on cognition in psychosis, neuroimaging in psychiatry, and drug treatments in schizophrenia. He is on the Editorial Boards of Australian & NZ Journal of Psychiatry, Journal of Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, International Review of Psychiatry, Acta Neuropsychiatrica, Early Intervention in Psychiatry, Schizophrenia Research, Schizophrenia Bulletin and Psychiatriki.
Research Expertise and International Linkages
Research Expertise
| Research Interest |
Key Words |
Country of Expertise |
| Neurobiology of schizophrenia, psychotic disorders and other severe mental disorders |
early psychosis; neurodevelopment; brain maturation; structural imaging; neuropsychology |
Australia |
International Linkages
| Country |
Establishment |
Collaboration |
| United Kingdom |
Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine
|
Research |
| United States |
University of California - Los Angeles
|
Research, Technical Assistance/Training |
| United States |
Harvard University
|
Exchange, Research, Technical Assistance/Training |
| United Kingdom |
University of Cambridge
|
Exchange, Research, Technical Assistance/Training |
| United Kingdom |
Imperial College London
|
Research |
| Singapore |
Institute of Mental Health
|
Exchange, Research, Teaching, Technical Assistance/Training |
| Greece |
University of Athens
|
Exchange, Research, Technical Assistance/Training |
| Spain |
University of Barcelona
|
Exchange, Research, Technical Assistance/Training |
| Japan |
University of Toyama
|
Exchange, Research, Technical Assistance/Training |
| United States |
University of Pittsburgh
|
Exchange, Research, Technical Assistance/Training |
| United States |
Washington University in St Louis
|
Research, Technical Assistance/Training |
Qualifications, Honours, Fellowships and Other
Awards
Qualifications
| Title |
Institution |
Date Awarded |
Abbreviation |
| Doctor of Medicine |
University of Melbourne |
01-Jan-2005 |
|
| Bachelor of Science |
Institution not known |
01-Jan-1979 |
|
| Bachelor of Medicine |
Institution not known |
01-Jan-1979 |
|
Memberships
| Membership Type |
Membership Body |
Description |
Start Date |
End Date |
| Member |
Royal College of Psychology |
Member |
10-Aug-2004 |
|
Government Research Classifications
Research Fields, Courses and Discipline Classifications
Socio-Economic Objective Classifications
Grants and Contracts
Research Grants, Contracts and Consultancies awarded to the University of Melbourne as the administering institution (since 2003) as recorded in Themis Agreements.
Grants
| Title |
Role |
Funding Source |
Scheme |
Award Date |
| Longitudinal brain changes in first-episode psychosis: A 10 year follow-up MRI study |
Chief Investigator |
NHMRC |
Project Grants |
01/01/2004 |
| EMERGING SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS IN YOUNG PEOPLE |
Chief Investigator |
NHMRC |
Program Grants |
01/01/2005 |
| MAPPING GENETIC INFLUENCES IN BRAIN CONNECTIVITY |
Principal Supervisor |
THE IAN POTTER FOUNDATION |
Project Grants |
04/04/2007 |
| A BRAIN IMAGING STUDY OF THE PAIN PARADOX IN DEPRESSION |
Chief Investigator |
PERPETUAL TRUSTEES AUST LTD |
Clive & Vera Ramaciotti Establishment Grant |
10/10/2007 |
| EMERGING MENTAL DISORDERS IN YOUNG PEOPLE: USING CLINICAL STAGING FOR PREDICTION, PREVENTION AND EARLY INTERVENTION |
Chief Investigator |
NHMRC |
Program Grants |
01/01/2009 |
| RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP - PROF CHRISTOS PANTELIS
|
Chief Investigator |
NHMRC |
Research Fellowship |
29/10/2009 |
Contracts
| Title |
Role |
Funding Source |
Award Date |
| MANAGING NEUROCOGNITIVE DEFICITS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA |
Chief Investigator |
ELI LILLY AUST PTY LTD |
02/06/2004 |
| MELBOURNE NEUROPSYCHIATRY CENTRE AGREEMENT |
Chief Investigator |
MELBOURNE HEALTH |
01/07/2004 |
Additional Grant and Contract Information
Prof Pantelis has attracted > $30 million in principal and collaborative research funding (since 1998), including:
o 2 NHMRC Program Grants (2005-2013);
o 12 NHMRC Project Grants
o NHMRC Enabling Grant (ID: 386500) supported by further funding from The Pratt Foundation (2006-2010)
o Astra Zeneca Pharmaceuticals Grant for study of Bipolar Disorder (2007-2010)
o Victorian Neurotrauma Initiative(2006)
o Stanley Research Centre Grant for study of Schizophrenia (2003-2005)
o establishment funding for Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre (2000-2009)
Publications
Publications produced at the University of Melbourne and reported in the Annual Publications Collection and 'Research Report' since 2001. The Themis Publications module, released in November 2006, allows additional publications from previous institutions and publications from past years to be entered.
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