ALPS is returning in 2027!

Join us on 18-19 March 2027 at Deakin Downtown, Melbourne for the next Australian Lifestyle Psychiatry Symposium.

View the ALPS 2027 event page here

You are currently viewing the ALPS 2026 website.

ALPS Research Priorities Communique
Following the symposium, we published a communique outlining the research priorities identified through ALPS and the next steps for advancing lifestyle psychiatry research in Australia. The communique provides a concise summary of the discussions, priority-setting process, and the shared agenda that emerged from the meeting.
Read the ALPS Research Priorities Communique here

The Australian Lifestyle Psychiatry Symposium (ALPS) was established to provide a coordinated national platform for researchers to align efforts and define strategic priorities for lifestyle psychiatry research in Australia. We were delighted to host this inaugural event, which brought together leading and emerging researchers to shape a shared research agenda and catalyse collaboration across the field.

The symposium provided a valuable opportunity for senior academics, early-career researchers, and graduate students to connect with colleagues, exchange knowledge, and contribute to the future direction of lifestyle psychiatry research in Australia.

Program Highlights

• Development of a national consensus statement on research priorities
• Presentation sessions designed to build collaborations and seed future projects
• Interactive panels and workshops focused on translating ideas into funded, impactful research
• A social networking event on the first day to connect colleagues, supported by the newly formed LifePsych Society

Keynote Speaker

Our keynote speaker, Professor Adrienne O’Neil (Food & Mood Centre, Deakin University), is a leading expert in lifestyle psychiatry. She has conducted three of the seminal trials in the field to date, co-chaired the development of international clinical guidelines, led a global consortium with the Global Burden of Disease team, and generated $34 million in research income. The title of her presentation was Understanding the harms and benefits of lifestyle psychiatry: lessons from three clinical trials.

Plenary Speaker

Our plenary speaker, Professor Alexandra (Alex) Parker, Executive Director of the Institute for Health and Sport at Victoria University, leads a multidisciplinary research group advancing physical activity research to optimise mental wellbeing and help prevent and treat mental illness. She has attracted more than $16 million in research funding as a Chief Investigator, has an h-index of 47, more than 13,000 citations, and over 150 publications, and is also a practising clinical psychologist specialising in youth mental health. The title of her presentation was Integrating physical activity into psychological treatment: Learnings from clinical trials and studies with young clients and clinicians.

Key Information

Dates: Thursday 19 March 2026, 12:30 pm to 5:00 pm, and Friday 20 March 2026, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Location: Deakin Downtown Corporate Centre, Level 12, Tower 2, 727 Collins Street, Melbourne
Registration: $70
Registration included full access to the two-day program, catering, and the afternoon networking event.

Pre-Symposium Satellite Event: No mental health without oral health: a research priority-setting consensus building workshop
(Thursday 19 March 2026, 9:30 am to 11:30 am)

Supported by Oral Health Victoria, the Institute for Health Transformation (IHT) Partnership Funding Grant helped support consumers to attend the inaugural Mental Health and Oral Health Symposium 2025 in Naarm (Melbourne). That symposium set the scene for why oral health should be considered an integral part of mental healthcare, particularly for young people experiencing mental ill-health. Approximately 20 participants attended the event, half of whom were consumers, including those working in the mental health field, alongside dental practitioners. Preliminary discussion at the symposium indicated that high-priority research areas included trauma-informed training for dental practitioners, non-clinical approaches to oral healthcare support, and addressing inequities in access to oral healthcare. Consumers also indicated a critical need to better understand the population, particularly young people accessing mental health supports, and to clarify where oral health best fits within integrated service delivery models.

The 2026 workshop, supported by Deakin University, built on those earlier discussions to clarify research priority areas and tools or interventions to improve the oral health of people with mental ill-health. It brought together a wide range of participants, including mental health practitioners, policy makers, consumers, carers and family members, and dental practitioners. A small number of bursaries were made available for consumers and carers to attend the two-hour workshop.

Abstract Submissions

Abstract submissions are now closed.

ECR Travel Awards (supported by the LifePsych Society)

The ALPS Travel Grants were designed to support domestic travel for Early Career Researchers (ECRs) to attend the inaugural ALPS. Proudly supported by the LifePsych Society, these grants were open to ECRs located in Australia who were either currently enrolled in a PhD program or had completed their PhD within the past five years.

Travel grant submissions are now closed.

Organising Committee

Associate Professor Wolfgang Marx (Deakin University) (Chair)
Rebecca Orr (Deakin University)
Dr Urska Arnautovska (University of Queensland)
Dr Justin Chapman (Griffith University)
Dr Samantha Dawson (Deakin University)
Dr Ruben Fernandez-Rodriguez (Deakin University)
Associate Professor Alyssa Milton (University of Sydney)
Professor Simon Rosenbaum (University of New South Wales)
Dr Scott Teasdale (University of New South Wales)
Dr Mike Trott (University of Queensland)

For questions about the event, please email alps@deakin.edu.au.