Associate Professor John Allan is the current President of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP). His term as President began in May 2019 and will conclude in May 2021.

Associate Professor Allan gained his Fellowship of the RANZCP in 1987 after completing his medical training in Queensland and his psychiatry training in South Australia. Since then he has also completed a PhD at the University of Queensland.

Associate Professor Allan is the Executive Director of Mental Health Alcohol and other Drugs Branch in Queensland Health. He has previously been Chief Psychiatrist in both Queensland and New South Wales. He spent twenty years working in North Queensland where he developed a wide range of new mental health services. He is highly experienced in government policy, mental health legislation and service development.
His clinical interests include the mental health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and comprehensive care for those with serious mental illness. His current research and policy interests focus on mental health reform, reduction in restrictive practices, human rights, recovery oriented practice, and smoking reduction strategies.

Associate Professor Allan has been heavily involved in psychiatry training for many years as supervisor, teacher, examiner, assessor and mentor for trainees, SIMGs and other psychiatrists. He has been on numerous college committees including the Board of Education and Committee for Exams. As Chair of the Specialist International Medical Graduates Education Committee he led the group that substantially reformed the pathways to Fellowship for SIMGs, and was Chair of the OSCE subcommittee, which introduced the first College OSCEs.

Associate Professor Allan initially joined the Board in May 2015 as a Casual Board Director for a 12-month term and was elected to the Board for a two-year term in 2016. Associate Professor Allan assumed the role of President Elect from May 2017 – May 2019, during which time he chaired the Members Advisory Council and Audit Committee.