Spectrum & RANZCP Vic Branch's Annual Jo Beatson Lecture Series - Online

We are delighted to announce that Robert Dudas, Affiliated Assistant Professor at the University of Cambridge and Honorary Associate Professor at the University of East Anglia, will give the Jo Beatson lecture in 2026.

Robert will discuss psychological approaches to autism, borderline personality disorder, and their co-occurrence. The presence of autism can be unrecognised at initial presentation. Even when it is recognised, clinicians tend to be uncertain about how to proceed. This lecture will address that uncertainty. Robert will explore how recent advances in certain modalities that involve working with the patient’s personal values can offer hope to close the important gap between symptom improvement that more conventional treatments can already achieve and living a meaningful and fulfilling life in these conditions and beyond.

We are privileged to have Robert Dudas, internationally known for his work on autism, personality disorder, and values-based practice in psychiatry.

The Jo Beatson Lecture

The Jo Beatson Lecture is held annually in honour of Associate Professor Josephine Beatson’s significant contributions to the field of psychotherapy in Victoria and more broadly across Australia. She is a consultant psychiatrist with many years of experience treating people with personality disorders and complex trauma. She was awarded the Vic Branch of the RANZCP Meritorious Service Award in 2017, the RANZCP citation in 2020, and Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2023.

Who should attend?

Open to clinicians, researchers, managers, and all interested professionals.