Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Professor Paul Fitzgerald is Director of the Epworth Centre for Innovation in Mental Health at the Epworth Clinic / Epworth Health Care in Camberwell and Professor of Psychiatry at Monash University. He is a qualified psychiatrist, has a Masters of Psychological Medicine and research PhD.
Prof Fitzgerald completed his medical degree at Monash University (1991) and subsequently a Masters of Psychological Medicine (1998) whilst completing psychiatric training. He then undertook a Clinical and Research Fellowship at the University of Toronto and The Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. On returning to Melbourne, he worked as a psychiatrist and completed a PhD in transcranial magnetic stimulation in schizophrenia (completed 2003). Since completing this Ph.D., he has developed a substantial research program including a team of over 25 psychiatrists, registrars, postdoctoral researchers, research assistants, research nurses and students.
Professor Fitzgerald runs a substantive research program across both MAPrc and Epworth Clinic utilising brain stimulation and neuroimaging techniques including transcranial magnetic stimulation, functional and structural MRI, EEG and near infrared spectroscopy. The primary focus of this program is on the development of new brain stimulation based treatments for psychiatric disorders. There is a special focus on severe or treatment resistant depression but treatments are also being investigated in other disorders including schizophrenia, obsessive- compulsive disorder, chronic pain, PTSD, Alzheimer’s disease and autism spectrum disorders. Researchers within the team have conducted over 20 clinical trials across these conditions as well as a large number of investigative studies.
Treatments which have been developed or investigated by Professor Fitzgerald include repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), magnetic seizure therapy (MST) and deep brain stimulation (DBS). The program of research includes developing and improving methods of treatment application and the conduct of clinical trials.
In support of the development of new treatments, his research is also focused on the conduct of investigative studies of brain function & dysfunction in these disorders. These studies aim to better characterise brain changes underlying the symptoms of psychiatric disorders to directly improve the application of novel therapies. These studies are aiming to lead to the identification of biological markers or predictors of response to treatment. These studies include the use of technologies such as functional and structural MRI, positron emission tomography, electroencephalography and near infrared spectroscopy.
In addition, he is also looking to develop and improve the devices used in the application of brain stimulation. To this end he has a small team of biomedical engineers and software developers and works in close collaboration with the Monash Instrumentation Facility (of which he chairs the steering committee). He is a named inventor on 4 patents (1 granted, 2 PCT phase, 1 national phase – US/EU/Japan/Australia). He has collaborative grants with several industry partners in Australia and overseas and Monash university is currently licensing IP developed in his research into a startup company.
Professor Fitzgerald has published over 500 papers in a range of peer reviewed journals an been cited over 20,000 times. He has received project grant funding from the NHMRC, ARC as well as a number of US based and local funding organisations including over $15 million in funding in the last five years. He has had continual NHMRC project grant funding since 2001. He has been supported by three consecutive NHMRC Practitioner Fellowship awards and a NHMRC Investigator award (current).
Professor Fitzgerald was an elected board Member of the International Society for Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (ISTS) and was an invited member of the World Federation of Biological Psychiatry Taskforce on Brain Stimulation (2006-2009). He is currently a committee member for the Electroconvulsive Therapy and Neurostimulation Section with The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, and serves on the board of directors for Neurosciences Victoria. He is Psychiatric deputy editor for the journal ‘Brain Stimulation’ and is on the Editorial Boards of ‘Psychiatry Research’ and the ‘Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry’.
He was awarded a National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD) Young Investigator Award in 2003 and 2005 and the Australasian Society for Psychiatric Research Eli Lily Oration in 2012.
Professor Fitzgerald’s research has a strong translational focus. He established the first TMS training program run in Australia and has trained over 500 psychiatrists and nurses in TMS techniques. He has directly helped established over 10 clinical TMS services. He has co-authored multiple clinical practice guidelines and advised or contributed to several Medicare applications for new service funding.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
External positions
Founder and Board member, TMS Clinics Australia
1 Aug 2017 → …
Director, Epworth Foundation (trading as Epworth HealthCare)
1 Feb 2017 → …
Professor of Psychiatry, Epworth Foundation (trading as Epworth HealthCare)
1 Feb 2017 → …
Professor, Director of TMS Program and Research, The Victoria Clinic
1 Jan 2003 → 30 Jan 2017
Research area keywords
- antidepressant
- depression
- prefrontal cortex
- remission
- repetitive transcranial magnetic stimu
- repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation
- rtms
- service developm
- bilateral
- transcranial magnetic stimulation
- treatment resistant
- brain stimulation
- psychiatry
- cognition
- cognitive remediation
- dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
- transcranial direct current stimulation
- w
- schizophrenia
- bipolar disorder
- autism
Network
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A Randomised Controlled Trial of the Theta Burst Stimulation Melbourne Protocol for Alzheimer's Disease (The TRAM Protocol).
Hoy, K., Murphy, O., Fitzgerald, P., Lemke, R., Jamadar, S., Thomas, N., Gurvich, C. & Fitzgibbon, B.
Bionics Institute of Australia
7/03/23 → 7/03/28
Project: Research
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Brain stimulation therapeutics for mental health disorders: from concept to clinical application
1/01/21 → 31/12/25
Project: Research
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A randomised controlled trial of Focal Electrically Administered Seizure Therapy (FEAST) in patients with severe depression
Loo, C. K., Martin, D., Fitzgerald, P., Dokos, S., Hadzi-Pavlovic, D., George, M., Bai, S. & Boonstra, T.
1/01/19 → 31/12/23
Project: Research
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Alterations in EEG functional connectivity in individuals with depression: A systematic review
Miljevic, A., Bailey, N. W., Murphy, O. W., Perera, M. P. N. & Fitzgerald, P. B., 1 May 2023, In: Journal of Affective Disorders. 328, p. 287-302 16 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review Article › Research › peer-review
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Concurrent Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Electroencephalography Measures are Associated with Antidepressant Response from rTMS Treatment for Depression
Bailey, N. W., Hoy, K. E., Sullivan, C. M., Allman, B., Rogasch, N., Daskalakis, Z. J. & Fitzgerald, P. B., Feb 2023, 40 p. medRxiv.Research output: Other contribution › Research
Open Access -
Effects of medial prefrontal transcranial alternating current stimulation on neural activity and connectivity in people with Huntington's disease and neurotypical controls
Davis, M. C., Fitzgerald, P. B., Bailey, N. W., Sullivan, C., Stout, J. C., Hill, A. T. & Hoy, K. E., 15 Jul 2023, In: Brain Research. 1811, 12 p., 148379.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
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Experienced Meditators Show Multifaceted Attention-Related Differences in Neural Activity
Bailey, N. W., Baell, O., Payne, J., Humble, G., Geddes, H., Cahill, I., Hill, A. T., Chung, S. W., Emonson, M., Murphy, O. & Fitzgerald, P. B., 12 Feb 2023, 64 p. bioRxiv.Research output: Other contribution › Research
Open Access -
Functional connectivity analysis of the depression connectome provides potential markers and targets for transcranial magnetic stimulation
Taylor, H., Nicholas, P., Hoy, K., Bailey, N., Tanglay, O., Young, I. M., Dobbin, L., Doyen, S., Sughrue, M. E. & Fitzgerald, P. B., 15 May 2023, In: Journal of Affective Disorders. 329, p. 539-547 9 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Prizes
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Alfred Hospital, Resident & Graduates Prize
Fitzgerald, Paul (Recipient), 1991
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Epworth Healthcare Medical Researcher of the Year 2019
Fitzgerald, Paul (Recipient), 14 Nov 2019
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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RANZCP Senior Research Award
Fitzgerald, Paul (Recipient), Feb 2022
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
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RANZCP Congress 2021
Paul Fitzgerald (Invited speaker) & Ted Cassidy (Invited speaker)
16 May 2021 → 20 May 2021Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
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RANZCP Congress 2021
Paul Fitzgerald (Invited speaker) & Ted Cassidy (Invited speaker)
16 May 2021 → 20 May 2021Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
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Brazilian International Conference on Neurosciences and Rehabilitation
Paul Fitzgerald (Keynote/plenary speaker)
23 Oct 2021Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
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Clinical Brain Stimulation in the time of COVID (Webinar)
Paul Fitzgerald (Member of programme committee)
14 Jul 2020Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to workshop, seminar, course
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Phoenix Australia Centre for Post Traumatic Mental Health
Paul Fitzgerald (Invited speaker)
Sep 2019 → …Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to workshop, seminar, course
Press/Media
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What is repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and how does it actually work?
13/05/21
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Blogs, Podcasts and Social Media › Social Media Article
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Psych Matters - Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) [Podcast]. Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Psychiatrists.
23/04/21
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Blogs, Podcasts and Social Media › Podcasts
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Dosing and psychotropic medication. MindCafe, 59, 15-16
1/04/21
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Blogs, Podcasts and Social Media › Social Media Article
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rTMS Therapy and the dangers of flawed guideline development. An open letter to the RANZCP.
1/03/21
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Blogs, Podcasts and Social Media › Social Media Article
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Do we finally now know how all antidepressants work?
1/03/21
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Blogs, Podcasts and Social Media › Social Media Article