MB BS (Sydney), MD (UNSW), DSc (UNSW) FRACP, FRANZCP, FAHMS, FASSA


,
Health Sciences
2022

Brodaty has made major contributions to policy, services, research and community advocacy for older people. 

As regards policy, he is an advisor and serves on committees for the World Health Organisation, Australian and NSW governments, Australian Institute for Health and Welfare and Australian Commission for Quality and Safety in Health Care on dementia, ageing and mental health services. He was a member of the McKeon Review of Health and Medical Research in Australia and the Living Longer Living Better Aged care reform implementation oversight committee. 

As regards services, he has been a leader in development of psychiatry for older people as a specialty in Australia and internationally, as President of the International Psychogeriatric Association. Brodaty’s research into service improvements include better diagnosis and care in general practice, better post-diagnostic care and better care in residential aged care with a focus on person-centred care.

His research has focussed on dementia and mental health of older people. His widely emulated program to assist family carers of people with dementia reduced carer distress and maintained people living in the community for longer. More recently, the program combined with respite care confirmed delay in nursing home admission, huge potential cost savings which led to a federal budget allocation of million to roll this out nationally. His meta-analysis of carer interventions for behavioural changes in dementia, demonstrated benefits superior to medications. Currently he is a chief investigator on projects to enhance coping skills online to carers in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, Indonesia, Vietnam, Maori New Zealand and Australia.

Brodaty’s research on care for changed behaviours in dementia has demonstrated benefit of person centred care and how to reduce antipsychotic use. He has developed national and NSW guidelines for how clinicians and families can best help people with changed behaviours. He leads an European Union/NHMRC 5-country study to improve post diagnostic care online with a planning tool codesigned with people with dementia and carers. This will be made available through WHO to developing countries. 

His studies of population cohorts have advanced understanding of social and environmental contributions to dementia and demonstrated the importance of social health to maintaining cognitive health. He has a focus on preventing cognitive ageing through modifying lifestyle risk factors. He led the world’s largest randomised trial of lifestyle online interventions; this has demonstrated benefits on preventing cognitive decline. 

For over 40 years, Henry Brodaty has been an advocate for older people and against the stigma of ageing and dementia through his involvement with Dementia Australia, Alzheimer’s Disease International, mainstream media and frequent public talks.

Scientia Professor, Ageing and Mental Health, UNSW Sydney

Co-Director, Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CheBA), UNSW Sydney

Honorary Medical Officer, Older People’s Mental Health Service, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, NSW

1978   Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists College (RANZCP) Medallion. Awarded by the RANZCP to the best candidate in Australasia in 1977 examinations.

1980    Organon Junior Research Award. Awarded by the RANZCP for the best research contribution by a psychiatrist less than 35 years of age.

1987    (Inaugural) Ian Simpson Award. Awarded by the RANZCP for the most outstanding contribution to clinical psychiatry in Australasia as assessed through service to patients and the community.

1989    Bayer AG Research Award, International Psychogeriatric Association, equal second prize for best research paper submitted.

1994    Alumni Award, University of New South Wales for services to the community.

1995    Paul Harris Fellow, nominated by Rotary (Sydney) awarded by the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International, for services to the community.

2000    Officer of the Order of Australia, awarded by the Australian Government "For services to the health and well-being of older people in the community as a leader in dementia care through the Alzheimer's Association, both nationally and internationally, and to medicine through contributions to the specialty of old age psychiatry and academic and research knowledge in psychogeriatrics".

2002    Rotary Club of Sydney Vocational Service Award. Awarded for work in the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease.

2002    Novartis Oration, awarded by the Australasian Society for Psychiatric Research 

2003    Organon Senior Research Award. Awarded by the RANZCP. 

2009    Distinguished Service to the Field of Psychogeriatrics Award. Awarded by International Psychogeriatric Association (IPA).

2011    UNSW Dean of Medicine’s Award for Community Engagement. 

2013    Alzheimer’s Australia Lifetime Award “For a lifetime of leadership, clinical excellence and research dedicated to improving the quality of life and care of people living with dementia”.

2014    UNSW Faculty of Medicine Dean’s Award “For outstanding contribution to research and teaching in the faculty of medicine”.

2016   The Ryman Prize, an annual NZ0,000 award for the world’s best discovery, development, advance or achievement that enhances quality of life for older people. 

1. BRODATY H, Arasaratnam C. Meta-analysis of nonpharmacological interventions for neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia. American J Psychiatry, 2012;169:946-53. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2012.11101529

2. Penninkilampi R… BRODATY H Association between social engagement, loneliness and risk of dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Alzheimers Dis. 2018;66:1619-33. DOI: 10.3233/JAD-180439 

3. Chen X, O’Leary F, BRODATY H. Dietary patterns and cognitive health in older adults: a systematic review. J Alzheimers Dis. 2019;67:583-619. DOI: 10.3233/JAD-180468

4. Numbers K, BRODATY H. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with dementia. Nature Reviews Neurology 2021;17:69-70. doi: 10.1038/s41582-020-00450-z. 

5. Samtani S….. BRODATY H. A global collaborative population-based cohort study to examine relationships between social connectedness and cognition. The Lancet Health Longevity_2022 (In Press)