Vlasios Brakoulias

Professor Vlasios Brakoulias is a renowned psychiatrist and academic at the University of Sydney's Sydney Medical School, affiliated with Westmead Hospital and the Charles Perkins Centre. He holds the rank of Professor of Psychiatry and has led major mental health initiatives, including a $460 million mental health transformation project as Executive Director of the Western Sydney Local Health District's Mental Health Service (2019-2023). He completed his PhD at the University of Sydney (2012) and Fellowship with the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP), specializing in psychotherapies.

• Education: PhD in Psychiatry (2012, University of Sydney), Fellowship of RANZCP with Advanced Certificate in Psychotherapies (2007).
• Research: Focuses on obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, belief systems in mental illness, and neurophysiological biomarkers. Leads the Nepean OCD Study and developed the Nepean Belief Scale (NBS).
• Awards: 2012 Sydney Medical School Nepean Award, 2018 University of Sydney Distinguished Service Award, and 2020 Quality Award finalist.
• Teaching: Delivers lectures on OCD, anxiety disorders, and CBT to medical students, psychiatrists, and the general public. Emphasizes mental health literacy and psychosocial intervention strategies.
• Projects: Current initiatives include virtual reality exposure therapy for OCD, heart rate/brain wave studies in OCD, and early intervention services for OCD patients.
• Labs/Teams: Collaborates with multidisciplinary teams in the Nepean OCD Study and chairs the WPA section for Health Promotion and Prevention.

His research spans OCD subtypes, delusions, and treatment innovations (e.g., DBS, NAC supplementation). Over 100 peer-reviewed articles and editorial leadership as Editor-in-Chief of Australasian Psychiatry (2014–2024) highlight his academic impact.