Dr Virginia McAndrew

Child Psychiatry Consultant

 

Dr Virginia McAndrew is involved in collaborative network-related research with Professor Raphael and Dr Macdonald.

She is a child and adolescent psychiatrist with a research interest in childhood adversity, its prevalence and its implications for mental and physical health. Dr McAndrew is a part time PhD candidate at the ANU School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She’s currently obtaining data about experiences of adversities such as trauma and loss in childhood to better understand the extent of and impact of adversity on child development. This will help to inform strategies and policies that aim to lead to resilience and positive mental health, both in childhood and adult life. 

During a 20-year medical career she has worked in a range of clinical settings as a general practitioner, including an Aboriginal health service and sexual health clinics, before training in psychiatry. Her experience in general practice and psychiatry has led to an interest in the relationship between mental and physical health and the need for practical applications for research.