Professor Julian Norman Trollor

My Expertise

I am recognised nationally and internationally as a research expert in intellectual and developmental disability health and mental health. My research aims to reduce the health inequalities experienced by people with intellectual and developmental disability. The program utilises co-designed and mixed methods approaches to understand gaps in health policy and services, gaps in primary care and prevention, mortality, mental health needs, health service utilisation, costs and effectiveness of care for people with intellectual and developmental disability. I have strong interagency relationships across health and disability sectors nationally, ensuring robust translation of this work in partnership with people with disability.

Keywords

intellectual disability

autism spectrum disorder

Fields of Research (FoR)

Neurosciences, Public Health and Health Services, Mental Health

SEO tags

Specific Population Health (excl. Indigenous Health)

Ability and Disability

Biography

I lead an internationally recognised translational research program that aims to reduce the health inequalities experienced by people with intellectual or developmental disability.

I am a neuropsychiatrist, NHMRC Leadership Fellow, and Director of the National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health at UNSW Sydney. I have previously held UNSW's inaugural Chair of Intellectual Disability Mental Health and was Head of the related Department of Developmental Disability Neuropsychiatry (3DN) within the Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health. I took on my first full time clinical academic position at UNSW in 2009.

The National Centre of Excellence, funded by the Department of Health and Aged Care, works to improve health policy, practice and supports for people with an intellectual or developmental disability. The team leads educational resource development, health promotion, consultancy, advocacy and contributions to policy and legislation.

I work with Commonwealth and State Government Departments to improve health services for people with an intellectual or developmental disability. I sit on multiple Commonwealth and State Government Committees and provide advice to regulatory bodies in my area of expertise. I also develop and deliver courses in health and intellectual disability.

My research program spans health services evaluation, policy analysis, data linkage and clinical neuroscience. I am passionate about inclusive research practices and enjoy rich interdisciplinary collaborations.

My Qualifications

MB BS (Hons 1), FRANZCP, MD

My Awards

2024 - Bob Davis Award, Australian Association of Developmental Disability Medicine (AADDM).

2023 - Global Health Leadership Award in Intellectual and Developmental Health Care from American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry (AADMD).

2019 - Senior Research Award to the Fellow who has made the most significant contribution to psychiatric research in Australia and New Zealand over the last five years from the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP).

My Research Activities

Please refer to the 3DN website for a full list of current and past projects, resources developed from our research, and to learn how to participate in our research.

Selection of current research projects

Developing a model of preventative healthcare for people with intellectual disability

CIA on NH&MRC Partnership Project APP2006240 2022-2027 with CIB Prof Mark Harris, CIC Prof Anne Kavanagh, CID Prof Karen Fisher, CIE Dr Janet Long, CIF Dr Simone Reppermund, CIG Assoc Prof Benjamin Harris-Roxas, CIH Dr Catherine Spooner, CII Dr Anurag Sharma.

Addressing health inequality experience by people with intellectual disability

CI on NH&MRC Investigator Grant APP2009771 2022-2026.

Pioneering co-created patient-reported experience measures for people with intellectual disability to improve health outcomes

CIB on MRFF Consumer-Led Research 2024-2027 with CIA Assoc Prof Reema Harrison (Macquarie University), CIC Assoc Prof Sue Woolfenden, CID Prof Iva Strnadova, CIE Prof Johanna Westbrook, CIF Prof Elizabeth Manias, CIG Assoc Prof Rebecca Mitchell, CIH Prof Angela Dew, CII Dr Thomas Bartindale, CIJ Dr Laurel Mimmo, CIK Dr Virginia Mumford, CIL Dr Tim Badgery-Parker, CIM Assoc Prof Pandora Patterson, CIN Dr Louise Ellis, CIO Dr Bronwyn Newman.

Improving palliative care services for people with an intellectual disability

Lead on Department of Health and Aged Care - National Palliative Care Project 2020-2024 with Prof Meera Agar, Dr Rachael Cvejic, Prof David Currow, Dr Rebecca Strutt, A/Prof Claire Vajdic, A/Prof Richard Chye, Dr Preeyaporn Srasuebkul, Dr Janelle Weise, Dr Simone Reppermund, Tracey Szanto, Janeane Harlum and Prof Irene Tuffrey-Wijne.

Measuring outcomes that matter: conceptualising contribution

CIC on Endeavour Foundation Disability Research Grant 2021-2023 with CIA Dr Samuel Arnold, CIB Prof Keith McVilly, CID Ajd/Prof John Walsh, CIE Prof Gigi Foster.

Understanding health service system needs for people with intellectual disability

CIA on NH&MRC Project Grant APP1123033 2017-2022 with CIB A/Prof Claire Vajdic, CIC Prof Nicholas Lennox, CID A/Prof Rachael Morrin, CIE Dr Simone Reppermund.

Selection of completed research projects

Improving the mental health outcomes of people with intellectual disability

Funded by NH&MRC Partnership Project Grant APP1056128 2014-2019.

My Research Supervision

Areas of supervision

Population health and health outcomes for specific population groups; preventative health care and health promotion for specific populations; equity in health care; accessible health services

Main populations of interest include: people with intellectual disability, other cognitive or developmental disabilities, mental illness and neurological disorders

Correlates and predictors of cognitive decline in late life, including health related variables, neuroimaging markers

Postgraduate Research Completions

Julian Trofimovs, PhD Psychiatry, The Prevalence of Intellectual Disability in Prison and the Impact of Post-Release Support Services on Reincarceration in New South Wales, Australia - a data linkage study, 2023.
Yunhe Huang, PhD Psychiatry, Pathways, predictors, and impact of receiving an autism spectrum diagnosis in Australia, 2022.
Peiwen Liao, PhD Psychiatry, Using linked health and disability data to understand the epilepsy-related health and health service use of people with intellectual disability, 2022.
Xue Li, PhD Psychiatry, Understanding mental health service interactions for individuals with complex support needs, 2021.
Bronwyn Neuman, PhD Psychiatry, Using easy read information about mental health for people with intellectual disability, 2020.
Janelle Weise, PhD Psychiatry, Mental Health services that meet the needs of people with an intellectual disability: a workforce perspective, 2018.
Jane Hwang, PhD Psychiatry, Ageing well as an adult on the autism spectrum in Australia: a mixed-methods investigation, 2018.
Jiyang Jiang, PhD Psychiatry, The relationships of inflammation with brain structures in older individuals as revealed by multimodal magnetic resonance imaging techniques, 2016.
Rachael Birch, PhD Psychiatry, Evidence for specific neurobehavioural signatures in male carriers of the FMR1 premutation, 2015.
Amir Batouli, PhD Psychiatry, Genetic and environmental influences on brain structure and biochemistry in the elderly: data from the older Australian twins study, 2013.
Haobo Zhang, PhD Psychiatry, Grey matter morphological changes in late life using magnetic resonance imaging technique, 2011.