Researcher biography

Professor Whiteford is Director of the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research. His research interests are in psychiatric epidemiology and burden of disease measurement, mental health policy and service reform.

Professor Whiteford trained in medicine, psychiatry and health policy at the University of Queensland, Stanford University and the Australian National University. He has held senior clinical and administrative positions, including those of Director of Mental Health in the Queensland and Federal governments in Australia. He worked for ten years on the design and implementation of Australia's Mental Health Strategy and was Chairman of the Working Group which oversaw this initiative. He was appointed to the first mental health position in the World Bank in Washington DC with the task of developing the Bank's capacity to respond to the rising global burden of mental, neurological, and substance use disorders. He has worked as a consultant to national governments, the Commonwealth and State governments in Australia, the World Bank, and the World Health Organisation.