Rate My Professor Lochanie Fonseka

Dr. Lochanie Fonseka serves as an Adjunct Lecturer in the Peninsula Clinical School at Monash University, part of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. She brings over ten years of psychiatric experience from both Australia and New Zealand to her role. Dr. Fonseka obtained her Fellowship in general adult psychiatry from the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) and has completed advanced training in old age psychiatry. In her clinical practice, she holds a position as a general adult psychiatrist at Peninsula Health, where she contributes to mental health services in the region. Additionally, she practices at Mitcham Private Hospital, providing psychiatric care. Her academic biography highlights her dual commitments to clinical practice and teaching as an adjunct senior lecturer at Monash University.

Dr. Fonseka's research specializations include psychotic disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, old age psychiatry, and perinatal mental health, aligning with contributions to Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being. She has co-authored key publications in the field of young-onset dementia. Notable works include 'Incidence of Young Onset Dementia in Waikato, New Zealand: A Population-Based Study' (Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 2022), with co-authors David Wang, Brigid Ryan, Gary Cheung, and Etuini Ma'u; 'Sociodemographic and Clinical Characteristics of 1350 Patients With Young Onset Dementia: A Comparison With Older Patients' (2021); and 'Mortality in dementia is predicted by older age of onset and extrapyramidal signs' (Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 2021). These publications reflect her involvement in epidemiological research on dementia incidence, characteristics, and mortality factors, particularly in younger populations. Her work at Peninsula Clinical School supports translational medicine efforts in mental health and aging-related conditions within the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.