Monash University and the University of Warwick have begun to take advantage of their unique alliance with the visit to Melbourne this week of Warwick Medical School's (WMS) Professor Swaran Singh.

Swaran, who heads up the Division of Mental Health and Wellbeing at WMS, will meet with Monash researchers to discuss collaborative opportunities, before presenting at a free public forum at the Monash Alfred Psychiatry research centre on Friday. Professor Singh's arrival in Melbourne this week is the first collaborative research visit to Monash from a Warwick academic since an alliance was established between the institutions in early 2012.

Professor Jayashri Kulkarni, from the Monash Alfred Psychiatry research centre, said Professor Singh and his team of psychiatry researchers would find ‘kindred spirits’ in researchers at the centre. “Professor Singh and I share a mutual approach for schizophrenia, conducting broad, integrative clinical research into this complex disease," Professor Kulkarni said.

Professor Singh said he looked forward to discussing opportunities for collaboration as part of the Monash-Warwick alliance: “I was pleased to learn that some of the work of the Monash Alfred Psychiatry research centre similarly focused on schizophrenia and psychotic disorders.

“By collaborating with Monash University, we are approaching this field of research from a new aspect and together our complementary strengths may yield significant outcomes.”

Professor Singh will also present data from recent studies into the high rates of schizophrenia and psychotic disorders in ethnic minority groups in the UK. The public forum, Biological Psychiatry Research at Warwick University - a Collaboration with Monash Alfred Psychiatry research centre will be held on Friday 25 May at AMREP Lecture Theatre, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne.

For further information contact Kate Cox, Communications Manager, Warwick Medical School on +44 (0)2476 574255/150483, m: +44(0)7920 531221 or kate.cox@warwick.ac.uk or contact the press team at Monash.