Dr Gayathri Venkatesan

After qualifying as a Doctor from India, I trained in General Adult Psychiatry in UK within the Northern deanery with specialisation in Neuropsychiatry. I was awarded Membership of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in January 2011 and completed Post Graduate Certificate of Advancing Practice in Autism, November 2013.

I have been working as a Consultant from January 2015. I work in the Regional Neuropsychiatry service at Walkergate Park, Newcastle treating patients with cognitive, emotional and behavioural difficulties following brain injury.

My main interests are mild brain injury related cognitive and psychological problems. I work in Neurobehavioral Neurorehabilitation inpatient service providing care for patients following brain injury. I provide outpatient service for assessment and management of cognitive and mental health problems in patients with acquired brain injury. I treat patients with a range of neuropsychiatric conditions such as acquired brain injury following trauma, infection, stroke, encephalitis, sub arachnoid haemorrhage, tics and neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. I am also involved in psychiatric assessment of patients undergoing DBS surgery. My interests are in assessment and management of behavioural changes due to altered neural circuits and cognitive dysfunction with movement disorders after brain injury. I provide second opinion and advice on complex Neuropsychiatric presentations.

I am an executive member of the Neuropsychiatry faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists. As Regional Specialty Representative (RSR) for Neuropsychiatry, I am involved in recruitment of Neuropsychiatrists.

In my role as Associate Medical Director of Neuro and specialist services within our trust, I promote care of patients by ensuring delivery of safe and efficient patient centred care.

I am involved in various research projects including STOP – D study which is a multicentre study on antidepressants following head injury.

I am committed to teaching medical students and support them in their elective placements. I organise joint teaching sessions with Neurology and deliver teaching sessions regularly at various forums. I am involved in undergraduate and post graduate teaching. I am a member of the International Neuropsychiatry association and presented in international forums.