Professor Nadeeka Dissanayaka

Professor Nadeeka Dissanayaka, co-director of the Ageing Mind Initiative, is a global leader in Ageing, Mental Health and Neurodegenerative conditions. She is founder and director the world-class research hub, the Dementia and Neuro Mental Health Research Unit at the University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research (UQCCR). She is also the director of the UQ Dementia-Friendly University Initiative, an initiative that will inform research, raise awareness, reduce stigma and provide a supporting environment for people living with dementia and those impacted by dementia. Led by Professor Dissanayaka, UQ received a formal recognition as the first university globally to become a Dementia-Friendly organisation.

Professor Dissanayaka is the principal investigator of two large MRFF funded research programs focused on improving diagnosis of dementia in Parkinson's disease (PDCogniCare) and technology assisted psychotherapy in dementia (My Anxiety Care). Her other research programs include Mental Health Benchmarking Industry Tool for Residential Aged Care (MHICare), Improving Diagnosis and Treatment of Anxiety in Parkinson’s disease (IDATA-PD), Uncovering a Therapeutic Marker to Reduce the Risk of Dementia in Parkinson's disease (TRIP), and Digital Delirium Hub.

Professor Dissanayaka’s work has led to the development of new tools to improve diagnosis, screening and benchmarking of mental health conditions in the community, health services and aged care. She is the developer of a new Parkinson’s disease-specific anxiety inventory (PDSAI), co-developer of the MHICare tool, and co-investigator of a suit of digital tools developed to support delirium management. She has recently developed guidelines to improve diagnosis of dementia in Parkinson’s disease including guidelines for use of standardised neuropsychological tools and telehealth delivery. Professor Dissanayaka is co-author of several new psychotherapy manuals including cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness therapy. Her work extends to technology (e.g. telehealth, virtual reality, digital platforms) assisted psychotherapy interventions. Novel psychotherapy interventions are tested and implemented world-wide. Her work has also developed research integrated training programs to support postgraduate clinical trainees, clinicians and aged care workforce. Her research has translated into licencing and commercialisation.

Prof Dissanayaka is the chair of the Research Committee at UQCCR, and founder and former chair of the UQCCR Consumer and Community Involvement in Research Committee. She is also a member of the Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences faculty research committee.

Fostering leadership in early to mid- career dementia researchers, Professor Dissanayaka is a strategic advisor (and former co-chair) to the Australian Dementia Network (ADNeT) early to mid- career researcher (EMCR) Accelerator Group. She often appears in media communicating her work. She has received several awards in recognition of her contributions.