Scientia Professor Valsamma Eapen FRCPsych., FRANZCP., PhD., FAHMS, is Chair of Child Psychiatry, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney and Head of the Clinical Academic Unit of Child Psychiatry at South-Western Sydney Local Health District and Ingham Institute. Eapen is a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Senior Research Leadership Fellow and also leads an NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence – STARS for Kids child and family health research program. Eapen is recognised internationally for her expertise in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and Tourette Syndrome and for her innovative “Watch Me Grow” program, a world-first end-to-end digital developmental surveillance platform. Eapen is President, International Neuropsychiatric Association (INA); Chair, Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, RANZCP; and Board Member, World Psychiatric Association and Executive Committee, International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions. Eapen has authored >500 publications including the book “Where There Is No Child Psychiatrist” and is part of research grants totalling >$40Million. Eapen received the Senior Research Award from the Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatry in 2024 for the most significant psychiatric research contributions by a Fellow and was inducted as Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences in 2025.
