Terence Chong
Terence W. Chong, MBBS, MPsychiatry, MBA, FRANZCP, Cert. Old Age Psych, Australia
Director (2021-2025)
Dr Terence Chong is a Psychiatrist Clinician Researcher in the mental health of older adults. He is Senior Research Fellow in Psychiatry of Old Age – a joint appointment between The University of Melbourne and St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne. He also holds clinical appointments as psychiatrist at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, Epworth Healthcare, and Medical and Mind Weight Loss. He has broad clinical experience as a psychiatrist in the public and private sectors, including community, inpatient and residential settings.
Dr Chong received his Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degrees from The University of Melbourne in 2000, and was awarded the Prize in Geriatric Medicine. In 2006, he completed his Master of Psychiatry degree from The University of Melbourne. He completed specialty training in psychiatry at North Western Mental Health, The Royal Melbourne Hospital. In 2014, he was a Dean’s Merit List recipient on graduation from his Master of Business Administration degree from Deakin University. He is an early career researcher, having commenced his PhD with the Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age at The University of Melbourne in December 2017, which is focused on the inter-relationships between dementia risk reduction, physical activity, and anxiety.
Dr Chong’s work has been recognised by a PhD Scholarship from the National Health and Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence (CRE) for Cognitive Health, and the 2019 University of Melbourne Department of Psychiatry Graham Burrows Travelling Scholarship. In 2018, he was awarded Membership of the Melbourne Medical School Academy of Clinical Teachers, and was Course Coordinator of the Master of Psychiatry Course at The University of Melbourne from 2010-2014. His research collaborations include the NHMRC CRE for Cognitive Health, Melbourne Ageing Research Collaboration, and University of Western Australia.
Dr Chong’s clinical and research interests include dementia prevention, anxiety and depression in late life, physical activity and health, including weight management and falls prevention, the use of technology to improve care, clinical trials and qualitative research. In 2021, he was elected a member of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) Faculty of Psychiatry of Old Age Victorian Subcomittee, in 2020, became co-secretary of the former NHMRC National Institute for Dementia Research (NNIDR) Dementia Prevention Special Interest Group, in 2018, was elected The University of Melbourne Academic representative on the Unisuper Consultative Committee, and in 2017, became a member of the Melbourne Ageing Research Collaboration Steering Committee.
