Sunil Bhar

Prof Sunil Bhar is a Professor of Psychology at Swinburne University of Technology. He is a clinical psychologist with expertise in the application of psychological treatments to older adults. He is the director of the Swinburne Wellbeing Clinic for Older Adults, a counselling and support service for aged care residents, families of residents and residential care staff. Since 2005, he has led research on the outcomes and mechanisms of psychological treatments for older adults. His research program adopts a comprehensive approach to the development and delivery of effective and sustainable interventions to promote wellbeing in later life. He has extensive experience in behavioural research in depression, suicide and anxiety in older adults. He has won over $12M in research funding to investigate the effectiveness, accessibility and acceptability of psychological treatments for older adults. His research and contribution to practice have been recognised through several awards. In 2014, he was awarded the Alastair Heron Prize for excellence in ageing research and practice by the Australian Psychology Society. In 2015, he was awarded a citation for outstanding contribution to student learning in geropsychology by the Office of Learning and Teaching. In 2018, he won the Swinburne Dean’s award for research, and in 2019, he won Swinburne’s research impact award. Alongside his research and teaching activities, Professor Bhar has maintained a clinical practice for 30 years.