Barbara Dicker Oration 2022 - The Development of Novel Therapies

The 2022 Barbara Dicker Oration augmented the work of the Barbara Dicker Brain Sciences Foundation, and its mission to contribute to the wellbeing of individuals and communities by supporting research in the areas of dementia, depression and other brain sciences.

This year we were delighted to welcome guest speaker Professor Michael Berk, an internationally recognised leader in mental health and the understanding and treatment of psychiatric disorders, to discuss his research on the Development of Novel Therapies.

Taking us from science lab bench to patient bedside, Professor Berk presented his innovative approach to developing novel therapies for some of the world’s most challenging mental health disorders. By using medications that were initially used for other disorders or identifying potential candidate medicines using stem cells and biomarkers, his team are finding new ways to inform clinical care for bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and a range of other mental health conditions.