Psychology and Ageing

Committee Information

Below are details of the current committee and vacancies. The APS is always on the look out for members who are interested in joining a Member Group committee, to help support and promote members, the profession, and the APS. For more information about joining a Member Groups committee, click here.

Have questions? Please feel free to contact committee members via PsyCommunity direct message here or reach out to APS Member Groups via [email protected].

 

Convener

Assoc Prof Carly Johnco
Dr Carly Johnco is a Clinical Psychologist and Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Emotional Health and Department of Psychology, Macquarie University. She is also the Deputy Director of the Centre for Ageing, Cognition and Wellbeing at Macquarie University. Her research is focused on understanding mechanisms that underpin the development and treatment of anxiety and related disorders in childhood and older age.

Secretary

Dr Monica Cations
Monica Cations is a clinical psychologist and epidemiologist who conducts translational research and clinical practice with older adults and people living with dementia. Her research focusses on improving the quality and safety of aged care, particularly for those with mental health needs and for young people with dementia. Monica is a Senior Research Fellow in the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work at Flinders University, and Senior Clinical Psychologist in SA Health

Treasurer

Dr Tanya Davison
Tanya Davison is a Clinical Psychologist and research leader with extensive experience in research in the health and academic sectors. She implements applied, translational research that demonstrates a sustainable impact on health and aged care policy and practice, with a particular interest in late-life depression and anxiety. Tanya is currently Director of Research Discovery at Silver Chain, leading a program of research to inform the future of health and aged care in the home. She holds adjunct professorial appointments at Federation University, Swinburne University of Technology and Monash University.

Committee Member

Prof Sunil Bhar
Sunil Bhar is a Professor of Clinical Psychology at Swinburne University of Technology. He is director of the Wellbeing Clinic for Older Adults – Swinburne University’s mental health counselling clinic for older people living in residential aged care homes. He leads an active research lab focusing on the emotional wellbeing of older adults. His research focusses on the application of reminiscence and cognitive-behavioural therapies for older people living with depression, anxiety or dementia. Professor Bhar has maintained a clinical practice for over 25 years.

Committee Member

Dr Colleen Doyle
Colleen Doyle PhD (Univ Adel) is a research psychologist with expertise in dementia, aged care services, depression and anxiety. She is a senior principal research fellow at the National Ageing Research Institute, honorary professor at Swinburne University and conducts private consulting in evaluation of health services.

Committee Member

Dr Yvonne Wells
Yvonne Wells is Professor of Aged Care Research and heads the Lincoln Centre for Research on Ageing at La Trobe University. Her professional background is clinical psychology. She conducts applied research on topics relevant to healthy ageing and services and supports for older people and has led training of AN-ACC Assessors for the Department of Health. She supervises several higher degree students on a diverse range of topics and currently serves on the editorial committee for the Australasian Journal on Ageing, where she coordinates the annual Book Award.

Committee Member

Dr Johanna Saltis

Committee Member

Dr Leander Mitchell
Dr Leander Mitchell (DPsych, PhD, UQ) is a Clinical Neuropsychologist and Clinical Psychologist based in Brisbane. Her area of focus is older adults. Primarily on the career path of lecturer and researcher, Leander also sees clients within both clinical and assessment contexts. Leander also volunteers for committee roles within both the APS Clinical College of Neuropsychologists and the APS Psychology and Ageing Interest Group, as well as the national APS.

Committee Member

Ms Annaliese Blair

Committee Member

Dr Louise Horstmanshof
Louise joined the APS as a student in 1993, and has been a full member for over 20 years. She works as a psychologist engaged in a variety of roles, mostly as academic and researcher.
Louise has served as a committee member of the North Coast Branch for over 10 years and is a member of the Psychology and Ageing Interest Group of NSW.
Her research interests and publications cover a range of topics that include the Management of loneliness in Aged Care Residents, Deaf people communicating via SMS, Hearing loss and its impact on residents in long term care facilities, Older adults who move into independent living units, and the evaluation of a regional Dementia Health Literacy Project. She is a reviewer for several national and international peer reviewed journals.

Louise is on the steering committee of the Ballina Dementia Friendly Alliance, serves on the Regional Executive of the North Coast UPA and is Director of Postgraduate Education, School of Health & Human Sciences at SCU.

Committee Member

Ms Stephanie Perin
Stephanie Perin is a Clinical Psychologist working clinically in aged mental health, and a research clinician at the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health at Monash University. Her research interests include: older adults' mental health, dementia risk reduction, understanding the clinical and psychological markers of Alzheimer's disease, and using technology to improve equity of access to psychological services for older adults.

Student Representative

Ms Amanda Salmon