Meet icare Brain Injury Psychiatry Fellow Dr Kiran Lele

Dr Lele’s interest in psychiatry can be traced back to his high school days where he studied one unit of psychology. He was intellectually stimulated by the topic and his teacher which lead him to pursue this interest and complete a Bachelor of Science (Psychology) at the University of Sydney and Medicine at the University of Queensland.

While seeing patients during a psychiatry rotation in medical school, Dr Lele became more aware of the treatments in psychiatry to treat people with chronic conditions. His interest in this area was piqued because of the opportunities to make a dramatic change in patients’ lives through treatment.

Dr Lele had been working in neuropsychiatry in the Hunter New England Health District, an area which has limited public mental health services that can support people with brain injuries in the area. With the goal to extend his experience and knowledge in the area of brain injury psychiatry, he was inspired to apply for the icare Brain Injury Psychiatry Fellowship.

By completing the icare Brain Injury Psychiatry Fellowship Dr Lele hopes to expand his expertise in the area thus increasing confidence in treating patients who often fall through the cracks of the health care system. With demand for psychiatrists to have specialist experience, this will position him as an expert to service patients with neuropsychiatry conditions, such as brain injury. 

In a typical week, Dr Lele sees patients through a consultation service working alongside medical staff from disciplines in neurology, medical procedures and the brain injury unit. He also sees outpatients in a community setting where he completes patient assessments. Education and learning also play a significant part to increase understanding in how to manage the care and treatment of patients. 

"The icare Brain Injury Psychiatry Fellowship puts me in a unique position where I can focus on learning about brain injury. It’s great to be working alongside Dr Jodi Cartoon who brings a wealth of expertise to the program which benefits my learning," said Dr Lele.

Dr Lele plans to continue training as a psychiatrist to work in a range of speciality areas including brain injury.