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Congratualtions to Lisa Richardson on her Fulbright Scholarship

Congratulations to Lisa Richardson, a PhD candidate in clinical psychology, who has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to undertake 12 months of research in the U.S. The prestigious Fulbright Program is the world’s largest educational scholarship program operating between the U.S. and more than 150 countries worldwide. Lisa’s scholarship is one of only 13 such awards made to Australian postgraduate students and one of two awarded in W.A.

Lisa’s research is evaluating the effectiveness of evidence-based cognitive behavioural psychological interventions using videoconferencing technologies to overcome geographical obstacles in remote mental health service delivery. Australia and the U.S. share significant geographical impediments to the provision of adequate mental health service delivery, and rural and regional areas struggle to attract professionals to provide specialist services in their often poorly supported and resourced communities. Telehealth, and specifically telepsychology (the provision of psychological services via videoconferencing links) may be one solution to this lack of equity in underserved regions.

However, the telehealth industry in Australia is embryonic in contrast to the U.S., where research bodies and centres of expertise, industry associations, journals and professional interest groups are established. Lisa will be hosted by either the University of California, Davis or the University of Florida, Gainsville, both of whom have dedicated Research Centres for Telehealth and Telepsychiatry, and will benefit from their expertise and research focus.

This is an exciting opportunity for Lisa and her family who will be leaving for the states early next year.

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