Dr Joe Starke
Joe Starke is a psychiatrist working primarily in consultation and liaison at Box Hill Hospital in Melbourne. He is also a psychedelic psychotherapist and mindfulness meditation teacher, associated with Swinburne and Monash Universities, involved in research trials of psilocybin, MDMA, and 5-MeO-DMT. His clinical interests include the overlap between mental and physical illness, chronic pain, trauma, and anxiety-related disorders, the clinical applications of mindfulness in mental healthcare, and functional and integrative psychiatry. Alongside psychedelic-assisted therapies, his research interests include the effects of chronic stress on health, the role of mindfulness in preventing burnout, and the diagnosis and management of catatonia in general medical settings. He is also involved in health professional wellness, facilitating regular mindfulness sessions and trainings based on the Mindful Practice in Medicine model developed at the University of Rochester in the USA. Before specialising in psychiatry, he worked in emergency, remote site, and expedition medicine, including overwintering in Antarctica and working with MSF in Pakistan. He remains committed to supporting individuals and teams working in challenging settings.
