Getting to know...Professor Jayashri Kulkarni
Profesor Jayashri Kulkarni
Name: Jayashri Kulkarni
Title: Professor
Faculty: Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Campus: Alfred hospital
How long have you worked at Monash? Forever! I was a med student at Monash from 1976-1981, I did my postgrad Masters degree (1984-1989) and then a PhD from 1991-1995. I’ve been on staff (in different roles) from 1987 until now.
Where did you work prior to starting at the University? As per the above, I have shifted hospitals and research centres – but stayed with Monash. I worked at the Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria (1987-1994), the Dandenong Hospital (1994-2002) and The Alfred (2002- current). I am the Director of the Monash Alfred Psychiatry research centre (MAPrc), and Professor of Psychiatry, based at The Alfred.
What do you like best about your role? I conduct psychiatry research and direct Australia’s largest clinical research centre in psychiatry. We have 180-plus staff and students and have set ourselves the goals of developing new treatments, new understanding and new services, for people with mental illnesses. I am very passionate about mental health research being clinically relevant and our work is directly translated in our clinics where we provide cutting-edge treatments for people with schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder and many other conditions. My specialty is women’s mental health and I work in the area of hormone impact on the mental health of women but have broader research in the area of women’s welfare as well. I am working hard to make women’s mental health a national priority, since it is rather neglected at present. I love my role because I get to make a positive difference for people with mental illnesses through clinical research. I am honoured to work with a sensational team of dedicated clinical researchers and students.
Why did you choose your current career path? I always wanted to be a doctor. Many of my extended family are doctors and that probably influenced me. Once I got into medicine, I decided very early on that psychiatry was a fascinating area and the breadth of what is not known attracted me to psychiatry research. For a while, I was very keen on emergency medicine and I did a lot of emergency department work. Eventually I joined the psychiatry training program and have enjoyed my work as a psychiatrist very much. Research combined with clinical practice plus teaching is a very rewarding career.
First job? One of my first jobs was as a bass guitarist in a really bad band. We played one gig, including a truly hideous version of Deep Purple’s ‘Smoke on the Water’ and got booed off stage, thus my career as a rock star ended!
My first professional job was as an intern at Prince Henry’s Hospital (which has since become Monash Medical Centre).
Worst job? Folding socks and packing them in boxes at K- Mart when I was a high school student. It made me decide to study hard and get a professional job in the future.
What project are you currently working on and what does it involve? I am working on 15 clinical trials at present – all new treatment developments in women’s mental health. I am particularly keen to complete new work on women experiencing family violence, women with menopause-related depression, pregnant women who need antipsychotic medication, and developing a new approach for women with complex post-traumatic stress disorder.
What is your favourite place in the world and why? I have many, many favourites. A small town in India (Bijapur) where my family of origin are from is very special because of the wonderful childhood memories I have. Beautiful bayside Melbourne is a favourite because I have grown up and lived in the southern bayside suburbs, near the beach, all my life. I love the Gold Coast because we had great family holidays there when my children were young. I love many, many parts of the world that I have been fortunate to travel to for work or for holidays. My most favourite place in the world is wherever my family is.
What is your favourite place to eat and why? The Isthmus of Kra restaurant in South Melbourne – wonderful Thai food. Been going there since 1990.
What is the best piece of advice you have received? “Live your life to excess in every way - bite off far more than you can chew, chew furiously and try not to gag.” Much to the dismay of some of my colleagues, I think I live according to this piece of advice.
Tell us something about yourself that your colleagues wouldn’t know. I love watching soppy movies and comedies on TV. Not the awful reality TV shows but I really love watching popular TV series. Many assume that I have “highbrow” sophisticated tastes in films (and I do like some well made art-house movies) – but for me, nothing beats chocolate and a good comedy for entertainment.