Practice updates, community activities, events and announcements from our team.
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March Ahead symposium at the RANZCP Congress 2026, Melbourne
The March Ahead psychiatric team organised another well-received symposium at the RANZCP Congress 2026 in Melbourne (3 to 7 May 2026).
Building on our 2025 Gold Coast Congress session, "When the Alpha is Broken", this year's symposium, "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly: Military Trauma, Neurobiology, Cultural Competency, and the Complex Landscape of Veteran Mental Health", brought together academic scholars, clinicians, neuropsychiatrists, psychiatrists and veterans with lived experience.
Key themes: Professor Ben Wadham on moral injury, institutional betrayal and identity wounds; Dr Edwin Elcock on the lived experience of military service, resilience, belonging and stigma; Dr Omer Shareef on sleep disorders, traumatic brain injury, cognition and rehabilitation; Dr Alexis Badger on gender-specific psychiatric challenges among female veterans; Professor Harry McConnell on the neuropsychiatric dimensions of moral injury; and A/Prof Charana Perera on psychiatrists' understanding of veteran mental health, cultural competency and training gaps.
The major takeaway: effective veteran mental health care requires more than clinical expertise alone. It requires cultural understanding, evidence-based knowledge, ongoing professional education and recognition of the unique biopsychosocial realities veterans experience. Thank you to all presenters, collaborators and the highly engaged audience.
We are planning a relocation to Hub68, Redland City's integrated healthcare precinct at 58-68 Delancey Street, Ormiston.
What this means for you: the same trusted team in an enhanced environment, easier referrals and collaboration with other clinicians in the precinct, expanded service opportunities, and clear communication through a smooth transition. Telehealth appointments continue Australia-wide as normal.
Symposium accepted for RANZCP Congress 2026 for the second consecutive year
The March Ahead psychiatric team's abstract for a Combined Symposium at the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) Congress 2026, Melbourne, has been accepted.
Symposium title: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Military trauma, neurobiology, cultural competency, and the complex landscape of veteran mental health. Presentation type: combined symposium (90 minutes).
This is the second consecutive year the team has been accepted to present at the RANZCP Congress in military and veteran psychiatry. In 2025 the team presented "When the Alpha is Broken" at the Gold Coast Congress.
Presenting authors: Professor Ben Wadham (PhD, Sociology), Dr Edwin Elcock (veteran psychiatrist), Dr Omer Shareef (neuropsychiatrist), Dr Ashlea White (addiction and adult psychiatrist), Professor Harry McConnell (neuropsychiatrist) and A/Prof Charana Perera (general psychiatrist). We particularly appreciate the academic affiliation of Flinders University and the continued collaboration with Professor Ben Wadham (Open Door).
March Ahead was proud to serve again as a consecutive Silver Sponsor at the Legacy Gala Dinner on 15 November 2025. It was a sparkling evening, raising an outstanding $401,837 in support of Legacy's work with the veteran community.
Special thanks to our wonderful March Ahead team for representing the organisation with commitment and enthusiasm, and to our valued guests and corporate partners who attended in strong numbers.
GP Educational Dinner Forum: veteran mental health, ADHD, addiction and lifestyle
March Ahead hosted an educational GP Dinner Forum at Fiction Bar and Restaurant, Cleveland, exploring key topics in modern psychiatry: veteran mental health and PTSD, adult ADHD, addiction, chronic pain, and the role of lifestyle, diet and technology in psychiatric wellbeing.
Presentations and round-table discussions were led by A/Prof Charana Perera (PTSD and veteran-related topics), Dr Saibal Guha (adults with ADHD), Dr Aneal Jamal (mental health, lifestyle and technology), Dr Navid Amiribadi (how a pain specialist can help your patients) and Dr Ashlea White (drug and alcohol issues). Proudly hosted with Servier, Redlands Speciality Suites and Marsai Clinic.
Joint GP education event with Pine Rivers Private Hospital
March Ahead was proud to jointly host an academic session with Pine Rivers Private Hospital at Komo, Redcliffe, on 21 October 2025, focusing on common mental health conditions among veterans, including the management of PTSD, depressive and anxiety disorders, and traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Associate Professor Charana Perera, Founder and Lead Psychiatrist at March Ahead, presented on contemporary approaches to veteran mental health and neurorehabilitation, including emerging technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, social robotics, brain-computer interfaces and gamification. Special thanks to Pine Rivers Private Hospital for co-hosting and supporting this academic exchange.
A/Prof Charana Perera presents in the Open Door Seminar Series
Dr Charana Perera, Consultant Psychiatrist and Associate Professor, presented "Yet Another Battle: Reflections on Veterans' Pre-Assessment Distress" as part of the Open Door Seminar Series (Flinders University), a free online event.
Drawing on experience providing psychiatric assessments for many veterans, the session explored how military culture, trauma and stigma affect the mental health of veterans and Defence personnel, and why trauma-informed, culturally competent care is needed.
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