Professor Paul Croarkin is Director of the Mayo Clinic Depression Center with the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology at the Mayo Clinic, USA. He is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and neuroscientist with a research program focused on adapting and innovating brain stimulation interventions for young people.

Dr Croarkin’s research has been funded by the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression, the National Institutes of Health, and Industry partnerships. His findings have been published in numerous prestigious journals such as American Journal of Psychiatry, JAMA Psychiatry, and Neuropsychopharmacology. Dr Croarkin has mentored many students and residents, for which he has been recognised with several honours. He was awarded the 2017 National Institute of Mental Health Biobehavioral Research Award for Innovative New Scientists (NIMH BRAINS). He is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.

Dr Croarkin was invited as a Raine Visiting Professor by Dr Jennifer Rodger from The Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science. The aim of his visit was to foster ongoing clinical and translational collaboration focused on healthy youth neurodevelopment and novel, brain-based interventions for child and adolescent neuropsychiatric disorders. During his visit, Dr Croarkin presented research seminars at the University of Western Australia, Telethon Kids Institute, and Fiona Stanley Hospital, including a lecture titled “Recent innovations and developments in neuromodulation for child and adolescent psychiatric disorders” for the Raine Visiting Professor Lecture Series. Dr Croarkin was also a guest speaker at a student and early career researcher discussion forum at the Perron Institute to share information about science careers and pathways in the United States. Furthermore, he consulted with local clinicians at Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital to assist with the development of innovative clinical neuromodulation treatments.

Dr Croarkin’s visit has resulted in a number of collaborative initiatives, including submission of a co-authored scientific publication, a shared grant application, and two further research projects in development, one
with industry. Additionally, Dr Croarkin has extended an invitation for a WA PhD student to present at the prestigious Conference of the American College of Neuro-Psychopharmacologists, as well as to visit the laboratories and clinics at the Mayo Clinic and University of Minnesota in the USA.

Pictured: Ms Leanne Jiang, Ms Abbey Ford, Professor Paul Croarkin, Associate Professor Jennifer Rodger.