High-profile graduate visits mental health centre

Successful international businesswoman Therese Rein said she was looking forward to meeting staff and researchers from the Centre for Mental Health Research (CMHR) when she visited the centre last Thursday.

Ms Rein was welcomed by CMHR Director, Professor Helen Christensen, before taking a tour through the facilities and meeting with key research groups to discuss a number of projects.

“We invited Ms Rein on to campus because we thought that there were many synergies between her professional background and the work she is doing and what we are doing here in the centre,” Professor Christensen said.

“She has worked very hard in disability and employment and we wanted to give her an opportunity to see first hand what we do here at the centre and how it could relate to her work.”

Ms Rein, who received an honours degree in psychology from ANU, said that she was delighted to have been invited to tour the centre and meet its researchers.

“Of course, I was really looking forward to coming here the first time around … but we had to cancel because someone caught the swine flu,” Ms Rein said.

“I’m really looking forward to meeting you all and learning more about the centre and the work you’re doing here.”

The tour started with a briefing by Margaret Reid, Chair and members of the Australian Foundation for Mental Health Research (AFFIRM), an organisation that helps to raise money for the centre.

Ms Rein held additional briefings with members of the consumer research unit and the psychiatric epidemiology and social issues unit. She also viewed short presentations about CMHR online mental health programs, the PATH Through Life Project, using brain imaging to investigate cognitive ageing, dementia and mental health and healthy ageing.

Karen Maxwell and Trish Jacomb from the PATH Through Life Project both said that it was a great opportunity to have Ms Rein visit the centre.

“Its good for somebody in Mr Rein’s position to take an interest and actually see, first hand, what we’re doing here,” Ms Maxwell said.

Ms Jacomb agreed, saying: “It’s really important for researchers to get their message out there into the public domain. Having Ms Rein here is a positive step towards achieving that.”