Former Flinders Rep. Greg Hunt has been appointed founding chairman of the Advisory Board of the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, based at Monash University.
Hunt’s appointment was made by the university’s president, Simon McKeon, who said the former federal minister of health and aged care would bring “a wealth of knowledge and experience in international health care policy and research” to the position.
Research by the Turner Institute is dedicated to preventive brain and mental health research, treatment and education.
Hunt, who will retire after the 2022 federal election, said, “I am delighted that Turner has been invited to assist them in strengthening the role of research and the community.
“They are already international leaders, but they have the potential to become one of the world’s leading centers for the prevention and treatment of brain and mental health conditions.
“Turner set a vision focused on applying their research to clinical practice. This approach could make a big difference in the lives of people with mental health challenges.
“Mental health is a long-standing and deeply personal passion. It stems from my family experience growing up where my mother suffered from bipolar disorder.”
Professor Kim Cornish, Director of the Turner Institute, said Hunt’s “deep understanding of the mental health situation in Australia and his passion for empowering communities to thrive have made him a strong candidate for the first chairman of the Advisory Board. I’m making him a good candidate,” he said.
“Greg will lead a group of strategic advisors who bring strong skills and networks to health and medical research, government, industry, philanthropy and hands-on experience.”
An example of the institute’s groundbreaking research, according to Hunt, is the Living Lab study, which followed thousands of residents of Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs for 10 years to help them diagnose mental illness, dementia, and other illnesses. will be monitored and treated for signs of brain conditions in
“At the same time, there is significant room to focus on substantive areas such as suicide prevention, treatment of eating disorders, age-based mental health, and indigenous mental health,” he said.
Hunt said he wants to focus his philanthropic efforts on mental health through the Turner Institute.
“At the moment, we want to focus our philanthropic efforts on a major role in the mental health field,” he said.
“Within its field, Turner has established itself as a unique opportunity to collaborate with universities, researchers, practitioners, and communities of lived experience.”
First Featured in Southern Peninsula News – November 8, 2022
