Professor Jayashri Kulkarni AM wins 2026 Australian Mental Health Prize

Professor Jayashri Kulkarni AM, Director of HER Centre Australia, has been awarded the 2026 Australian Mental Health Prize in the Professional category, recognising her pioneering contribution to women’s mental health research and treatment.

Professor Jayashri Kulkarni AM, Director of HER Centre Australia, has been awarded the 2026 Australian Mental Health Prize in the Professional category, recognising her outstanding contribution to mental health research and treatment.

Professor Kulkarni is internationally recognised for her pioneering work in women’s mental health, particularly in understanding the role of reproductive hormones in mental illness. Over several decades, her research has helped establish women’s mental health as a distinct and important field of clinical research and has contributed to new approaches to the assessment and treatment of mental illness in women.

Through her leadership of HER Centre Australia at Monash University, Professor Kulkarni continues to advance research, clinical care and education focused on improving mental health outcomes for women across the lifespan.

The Australian Mental Health Prize celebrates Australians who have made outstanding contributions to the promotion of mental health and the prevention and treatment of mental illness.

Professor Kulkarni received the Professional Award as part of the 2026 Australian Mental Health Prize, announced in Sydney on 6 October.

Congratulations to Professor Kulkarni on this outstanding national recognition of her contribution to mental health research and treatment.