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APIO Conference
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Australasian Psychiatrists of Indian Origin

Join APIO
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We are deeply grateful to Dr Raj Maheshwari for his extensive help and support in establishing APIO. May he RIP.

Greetings and Welcome

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About APIO

A Warm Welcome from APIO

We are delighted to welcome you to the Australasian Psychiatrists of Indian Origin (APIO). Since 2018, our mission has been to connect, support, and empower psychiatrists and mental health professionals of Indian origin across Australia and New Zealand. Through networking, mentoring, advocacy, research, and educational events, we aim to build a vibrant community that uplifts and inspires its members.

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About APIO

Who are we?

Our organization started in December 2018, inspired by the vision of Professors Gin Malhi and Nagesh Pai. Our membership has now spread across all states of Australia and to New Zealand. As we have evolved, so have our goals, with APIO now providing networking opportunities, as well as mentoring, support, advocacy and research partners for our members. We aim to engage psychiatrists, registrars (training and non-training), SIMGs – really anyone that considers themselves a career professional in psychiatry and identifies as being of Indian origin.

APIO usually organizes 1-2 gatherings every year in metropolitan cities. These are often social events or educational meetings with esteemed invited presenters. We have also presented sessions at the RANZCP Congress.

  • In May 2025, we organised the first APIO Conference in the Gold Coast, which was CPD endorsed by the RANZCP and extremely well received.
  • In June 2020, APIO became an incorporated non-profit organization. We have a constitution and an elected executive with the AGM held every year.
  • In between meetings, we stay connected on social platforms, mainly through our Binational and 6 state based WhatsApp groups, as well as on Facebook.
About APIO

Our vision

APIO aims to connect psychiatrists and registrars of Indian origin across Australia and New Zealand. A dedicated professional community designed to strengthen collaboration, learning, and wellbeing among psychiatrists. Our organisation provides a platform where members can connect with colleagues, share clinical experiences, and access mutual support in a confidential and collegial environment.

Through regular meetings, discussion forums, and mentorship opportunities, we help psychiatrists build meaningful professional relationships and reduce the sense of isolation often experienced in mental-health practice in our adopted country. We offer educational events, workshops, and case-based learning sessions to promote continuous professional development. In between meetings, we stay connected on social platforms, mainly through our Binational and six state-based WhatsApp groups, as well as on Facebook.

In addition, we aim to foster a culture of wellbeing by creating safe spaces for members to discuss challenges, reflect on their practice, and develop resilience. Ultimately, the aim is to empower psychiatrists at all career stages by providing a supportive network that enhances professional fulfilment, personal growth, and high-quality patient care. We look forward to your support through membership so we can continue building a strong association that benefits us all.
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Our Initiatives

At APIO, our initiatives are designed to foster professional growth, cultural exchange, and impactful contributions to the field of psychiatry.

Mentorship & Career

We connect early-career psychiatrists with experienced professionals. Through guidance, support, and skill-building, our mentorship program fosters growth and confidence.

Research & Academic Collaboration

We encourage collaborative studies on global and cultural psychiatry. Our members publish, present, and partner with institutions to advance research and knowledge sharing.

Empowering minds, connecting cultures

At APIO, our initiatives are designed to foster professional growth, cultural exchange, and impactful contributions to the field of psychiatry.

Meet the Community

Our Executive Committee

APIO is a not-for-profit membership organisation that has an elected executive committee as below.
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Dr. Khushboo Baheti (NSW)

President

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Dr Raju Lakshmana (VIC)

Vice President

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Dr Namrata Shetty (NSW)

Treasurer

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Dr Vidya Narayan (VIC)

Secretary

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Dr Shilpa Gaikaiwari (NSW)

Shweta Sharma

Dr Shweta Sharma (QLD)

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Dr Sandeep Naik (QLD)

Pravin

Dr Pravin Dullur (NSW)

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Dr Prachi Brahmbhatt (NSW)

Become a Member

Whether you’re practicing in Australasia or a diaspora psychiatrist abroad, we welcome your voice and presence in our shared journey.

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Dr Khushboo Baheti is a Fellow of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) and holds a Fellowship Certificate in Psychiatry of Old Age. She was awarded with the ASMOF NSW Doctors in Training 2017 best registrar of the year award. Passionate about education, Dr Baheti actively engages in teaching and mentoring registrars and medical students. She holds the position of Conjoint Lecturer in psychiatry at UNSW and l acting SCOT position at Nepean Hospital reflecting her commitment to sharing knowledge and fostering the growth of future professionals. Currently serving as a Visiting Medical Officer in the old age psychiatric unit at Nepean and Braeside Hospital. In her free time, she loves watching hindi shows and listen to music.

Vidya

Vidya is a general adult psychiatrist who fellowed here in 2023, after initially coming in as a SIMG. She has worked in multiple services and settings public and a bit of private work, both in Australia and overseas. She is currently doing locum work travelling across Australia and absorbing useful learning points from different cultures. Vidya is passionate about psychiatry, particularly advocacy related work and is interested in the area of prevention, more specifically addressing special populations (women, children and older adults). She is very much an Indian at heart who is comfortable mingling with people from varied backgrounds and is also multilingual, coming from a mixed lineage. She has been secretary of APIO 2023- currently
Her special interests include cooking, patchwork quilting, gardening and more recently singing and dancing. She would one day love to join theatre and take these creative interests to a very different level.

Shweta Sharma

Dr Shweta Sharma (MBBS, MRCPsych, MFMH, RANZCP, Cert Forensic Psych) is a General Adult and Forensic Psychiatrist, based in Gold Coast. She is the Medical Director of Gold Coast Secure Mental Health Rehabilitation Unit (GC SMHRU). She completed MBBS at AMU, India before moving to the United Kingdom where she received basic training in psychiatry and attained MRCPsych. She moved to Sydney, Australia in 2012 where she worked with Justice Health NSW and became a fellow in General Adult and Forensic Psychiatry. She also completed Masters in Forensic Mental Health from UNSW. She moved to QLD in 2022. With over 19 years of experience in Psychiatry across the UK and Australia, she has been a proud member of APIO from the beginning.

Pravin

Pravin is a child psychiatrist based in Sydney and has been the treasurer of APIO previously. He has worked as a consultant psychiatrist since 2005 and has extensive experience across numerous settings including clients in rural/ remote areas, refugees and different cultural backgrounds. He has a particular interest in management of media related problems such as gaming disorder. He is a conjoint Associate Professor with Western Sydney University . He is a passionate advocate for the Indian community in Australia. In his free time, he is a chess enthusiast and is a self-confessed nerd and has appeared on TV shows including Letters and Numbers and Mastermind

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Prachi Brahmbhatt is the immediate past President of APIO and a general adult psychiatrist in NSW. She is passionate about the provision of consistent high quality psychiatric care for people with major mental illness and as such has dedicated her life to public mental health services and effecting change for their improvement. Prachi is also engaged in multiple College committees relating to training and assessment and is always happy to provide mentoring in these realms. Prachi is originally from Gujarat and while living in Australia, her heart still roams the streets of Baroda. While she loves all things Indian, she is especially misses the food and festivals.