The Alice Barber Public Lecture

Join us at the 2026 the Alice Barber Public Lecture, presented in collaboration between the Department of Psychiatry and the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences.

This year marks the 31st Alice Barber Lecture, held annually at the University of Melbourne in honour of Dr. Alice Barber, a pioneer in psychotherapy and a medical graduate of the university in 1906.

Alice Barber Public Lecture, presented by Professor Lucia Valmaggia

Professor Lucia Valmaggia is Head of the Orygen Digital XR Innovation Lab and Professor of Clinical Psychology in Youth Mental Health at the Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne. She spent 20 years at King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, combining research with clinical practice as a Consultant Clinical Psychologist within the NHS. She is a Fellow of the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies and a recipient of the British Psychological Society's President's Award for Distinguished Contribution. She is internationally recognised as one of the world's leading experts in virtual reality for mental health.

For any questions regarding this event, please contact: [email protected]

Please note: This is an in-person only event and will not be recorded.

Register now to secure your place. Limited availability.

Info: Virtual reality (VR) is opening up new possibilities in mental health research and care. It can help clinicians assess symptoms in real time, safely recreate situations that people find difficult, and provide opportunities to practise skills that can support everyday functioning.
In this lecture, Professor Lucia Valmaggia draws on more than two decades of research to explore how immersive technology is changing what is possible in mental health care. She will discuss how VR is being used to assess and treat mental ill health, as well as to support people’s resilience and wellbeing.
Alongside its promise, Professor Valmaggia will explore the challenges of bringing VR from the laboratory into everyday clinical practice, including questions of access, evidence and ethics. Drawing on her experience in VR mental health research, she will consider what the future of immersive technology might mean for the way we understand, prevent and treat mental ill health.

Event venue & nearby stays

The Copland Theatre, The Spot, PAR-110-B1-B01, 162 Barkeley Street, Melbourne, Australia

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