Ian is CEO of spunout, Ireland’s youth information and support platform and Adjunct Associate Professor at UCD School of Psychology. He a member of the National Implementation Monitoring Committee of Ireland’s national mental health policy, and was a member of the Irish Government’s National Taskforce on Youth Mental Health. Ian is a former President of the National Youth Council of Ireland and holds an advanced diploma in juvenile justice from the King’s Inn, along with a US State Department professional fellowship in youth justice from Boston College.

Dr. Agyapong, Professor of Psychiatry and Global Mental Health at Dalhousie University, heads the Psychiatry Department and serves as Clinical Chief for Psychiatry at Nova Scotia Health Authority’s Central Zone. He’s a Clinical Professor at University of Alberta, where he previously directed the Division of Community Psychiatry and served as Clinical Section Chief for Community Mental Health. Additionally, he chairs the Global Psychological eHealth Foundation.

Dr. Agyapong holds two Doctorate degrees from the University of Dublin Trinity College and has received multiple Fellowships. With over 150 publications and 65 presentations globally, his research focuses on innovative mental health care. His e-mental health interventions, including text messages, have reached over 100,000 subscribers, supported by over $8 million in research grants. He’s won various awards, including recognition from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and his Text4Mood program has been acknowledged by the Mental Health Innovations Network.

Paulus drives ReachOut Australia’s transformation and program of dynamic digital service personalisation. As Product Lead, he led development of ReachOut’s innovative new PeerChat peer support product which saw us win recognition as the Not-for-profit Tech Innovator of the Year in 2023. With a focus on learning and growth, he eagerly seeks insights from industry peers to enhance his leadership in balancing product management, team coaching, and future innovations.

Alisa Simon brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in health-care access and non-profit management to her role as Executive Vice President, E-mental Health Transformation and Chief Youth Officer at Kids Help Phone. As a champion of innovation, Alisa is integral to the organization’s development of virtual health solutions for youth. Using comprehensive data and research, Alisa drives improvements in e-mental health services and strategies that respond to evolving technologies and the changing needs of young people. Under Alisa’s leadership, Kids Help Phone has evolved from a phone-based helpline to a comprehensive solution that fully integrates a growing number of access points, programs and resources. In her role, Alisa oversees Kids Help Phone’s 24/7 clinical services as well as the organization’s knowledge translation, quality assurance and equity programs.

Alisa holds a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013 and was named the Digital Health Canada 2021 Digital Health Executive of the Year. Alisa volunteers on many national boards and committees.

Sandy has been a social worker for more than 35 years with the privilege of practicing social work in the Northwest Territories for the past 29 years. Her career has included medical social work, children’s mental health, NGO crisis work, suicide prevention, mental health systems development, and social work education.

Her current job is Territorial Manager, Mental Health and Community Wellness, for the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority. In 2023, Sandy was part of planning and implementing responses for multiple wildfire evacuations in the NWT and brings experience with virtual mental health resources from both a management and personal perspective.

Nelson joined Canadian Red Cross (CRC) in January 2019 and holds the role of Director (interim) Mental Health & Psychosocial Support Service since December 2023.

Previously to joining CRC, Nelson held a range of leadership roles in the field of emergency management and community health services with the Australian Red Cross and Search for Common Grounds (Australia and Timor-Leste). Nelson has also contributed to peacebuilding endeavors in South-East Asia during the earlier stages of his professional journey. Engaging in consultancy work for various not-for-profit organizations, he focused on empowering youth-at risk through impactful peacebuilding projects.

Nelson has a M.A. in Business, M.A. in Peacebuilding & Conflict Resolution and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and is currently completing his green belt Lean Six Sigma certification. Residing with his partner, two children and a lovable puppy on the unceded and ancestral lands of the Anishinaabe Algonquin nation (also known as Ottawa-Gatineau).

Bob Gold is a leading behavioral technologist with over 20 years of expertise in applied research and development within the behavioral and cognitive sciences. He specializes in crafting clinical care plans and digital therapeutics that seamlessly integrate psycho-social factors and personal determinants, particularly focusing on chronic and complex population health management, with a strong emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Bob’s primary focus is on transforming clinical care plans and medication therapies into behaviorally-driven digital therapy programs, aiming to establish sustainable population health business models. His methods mitigate adverse events such as unnecessary emergency department visits and readmissions while harnessing valuable electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs), yielding tangible improvements in patient satisfaction and adherence, especially within complex health conditions and difficult patient health journeys.

In addition to his professional endeavors, Bob has a rich background, including founding and leading three prior companies, each leaving a significant mark in its respective industry. Furthermore, his personal interests and accomplishments, such as winning TV Emmy Awards with his entertainment company, preserving farmland in New Jersey, and simplifying financial data for better consumer understanding, reflect his multifaceted talents and commitment to making a positive impact in various spheres of life.

Kristofer Vernmark holds a MSc and PhD in psychology. He is currently doing research at Linköping University on the dissemination and implementation of internet-based treatment for refugees and migrants. Kristofer has worked for almost two decades as a psychologist, manager, consultant, and researcher in digital psychology and digital mental health, and has had a leading role in making internet-based treatment available in the Swedish health care system.

His PhD-thesis investigated different digital treatment modalities and the role of alliance in internet-based treatment. Kristofer is the founder of the network for Digital Psychologists in Sweden and was awarded the 2022 eMHIC award for Leadership excellence in eMental health implementation. He is also the co-chairman of the Global network for mental health, a board member of the Swedish psychology association and the creator of the global acceleration program Build for Earth aimed at helping innovative sustainability solutions become reality.

Louise has a master’s degree in psychology from University of Copenhagen (UCPH), Institute of Psychology, and a PhD and DMSc degree from Department of Clinical Medicine, UCPH. She has a clinical specialization in adult psychiatry and psychotherapy and has been working as a clinical psychologist in in- and outpatient facilities in Denmark.

She is an associate professor at Department of Psychology UCPH, and head of VIRTU Research Group that has the overarching research focus on utilizing new technologies, primarily virtual reality, in advancing the assessment and treatment of mental health disorders. She is PI/co-PI on 8 ongoing large-scale clinical trials evaluating virtual reality-based interventions in mental health disorders comprising psychosis, anxiety, eating disorders, and autism.

Marie Paldam Folker is Director of the Centre for Digital Psychiatry, Mental Health Services in the Region of Southern Denmark.  Marie is an expert digital mental health innovator and practitioner and has worked in the digital healthcare field for over 15 years specialising in digital mental health. Originally trained as an anthropologist, Marie is passionate about making a difference to people with mental illness and involving people with lived experience to inform and shape the development of digital mental health services.

At the Centre for Digital Psychiatry Marie is responsible for the development and implementation of digital mental health interventions with regional and national uptake. Her role is to identify and facilitate strategic partnerships at regional, national and international levels to ensure that digital mental health services are developed and deployed in a way that maximises benefits for end-users – both patients, relatives and mental health care providers.

Dr. Bhat is a staff psychiatrist at St. Michael’s Hospital and at the University Health Network. He envisioned and developed the Interventional Psychiatry Program at St. Michael’s Hospital, an interdisciplinary program which offers emerging interventions for neuropsychiatric disorders.

He is the founding lead for the multi-institutional Digital Interventions & Intelligence Group (DiiG), leads the Health Care AI/Analytics pillar within the Institute for Biomedical Science, Engineering & Technology, is a member within Faculties of Medicine & Biomedical Engineering, and within the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Science and Technology at the University of Toronto.

Maria graduated in Psychology at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1998. She also holds a PhD in Health Sciences from Barceló University; Specialist in Health and Social Security Systems from ISALUD University and International Diploma in Mental Health, Legislation and Human Rights from the Indian Law Society (in collaboration and support of the World Health Organization). In 2023 she graduated from the Women Leaders in Digital Health Programme (Universidad del Bosque-Colombia). She has experience as a clinical psychologist, undergraduate and postgraduate university lecturer, as well as in coordination and implementation of training and research processes in the field of mental health, public health and digital health.

She currently works at the National Directorate of Digital Health of the Ministry of Health of Argentina and is coordinator (Co chair) of the commission of digital mental health in RECAINSA. She has developed activities in the field of Education and Public Health, as well as consultancies in United Nations Agencies such as the Pan American Health Organization and UNDP.

Professor Hickie is a Professor of Psychiatry and the Co-Director of Health and Policy, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney. He has led major public health and health services developments in Australia, particularly focusing on early intervention for young people with depression, suicidal thoughts and behaviours and complex mood disorders.

He is active in the development through codesign, implementation and continuous evaluation of new health information and personal monitoring technologies to drive highly-personalized and measurement-based care.

Sue has worked to de-stigmatise mental health for almost 30years in the UK, New Zealand, and globally. She set up the Time to Change campaign in England in 2007 that has led to a “sea change” in public attitudes and reductions in discrimination in England but has worked on shifting stigma since joining Mind (the UK’s largest mental health NGO) in 1995. She co-founded the Global Anti Stigma Alliance twelve years ago to share strategies, tools and facilitate mutual learning to build capacity in many regions and contexts. She then founded Time to Change Global in 2018 working with partners and people with lived experience in Africa and India to tackle mental health stigma across a range of cultures and contexts.

She now advises international bodies, Governments, NGOs, funders, and networks of people with lived experience on social change programmes aimed at improving public attitudes, reducing discrimination, and empowering people with lived experience to lead change. She runs an independent consultancy called ‘Changing Minds Globally’ and is currently working on stigma projects in Kenya, the Caribbean, Lithuania and across Europe as well as supporting the development of global mental health leadership and workplace packages. Sue was one of the sub Authors of The Lancet Commission on ending stigma and discrimination in mental health – The Lancet published on World Mental Health Day 2022. She was awarded an OBE for services to mental health in 2016.

For inquiries, contact Sue via email at suebaker@changingmindsglobally.com or visit her website at www.changingmindsglobally.com. For updates, follow her on LinkedIn (@SueBakerOBE) or Twitter (@suebakerTTC).

AnnMarie Churchill, President of Stepped Care Solutions and Research Fellow at Memorial University, has over 30 years of direct clinical practice, with a PhD in experimental psychology, post-doctoral certification in anxiety and trauma treatment, and master’s in clinical social work. Since the inception of Wellness Together Canada, AnnMarie has been leading Stepped Care Solutions in the development and delivery of this first national digital mental health service funded by the Government of Canada for all people across Canada.

At Stepped Care Solutions, AnnMarie continues to lead on-going development of the Stepped Care 2.0 model and numerous implementations in jurisdictions and organizations across Canada. AnnMarie is a registered social worker in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and co-author of Person-Centered Diagnosis and Treatment in Mental Health: A model for empowering clients (Ladd & Churchill, 2012) and has personal and professional interest in resilience development and post traumatic growth.

Dr Alan Woodward has worked in mental health, crisis support and suicide prevention for more than 20 years. 

He is an expert on crisis lines and community crisis support services. He established the Lifeline Research Foundation. His personal research interests have been on the experiences of those who call crisis lines.

Dr Woodward is an advocate for policy development for suicide prevention. He is the Policy Director for Lifeline International. He is the Chair of the Advisory Board to the Australian National Suicide Prevention Office. He served as a Commissioner with the National Mental Health Commission and as an elected Board Director with Suicide Prevention Australia. 

Dr Woodward holds a PhD from the University of Melbourne, a Masters Degree in Social Science and Policy (UNSW), a Business Degree in Public Administration (CSU) and a Diploma in Arts/Communication. He is a Fellow of the Australian Evaluation Society. In 2022 he received the National Mental Health Prize and in 2021 received a LIFE Award for Leadership in Suicide Prevention.

Dr. Tasdik is a medical doctor, a PhD Researcher (Digital Mental Health) at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, and a Research Scientist at Moner Bondhu [Friends of Mind] in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Dr. Tasdik co-designed a set of digital mental health interventions for vulnerable communities in Bangladesh as his PhD project at Monash University, Australia, as a FIT Scholar. He holds notable accolades, including the Chancellor’s Award from the President of Bangladesh for academic excellence in his Masters in Public Health course, a Commonwealth Scholarship for his MSc in Global Mental Health from London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine & King’s College London, Vice-Chancellor’s Gold medal and Summa cum laude from American International University-Bangladesh, and global recognitions such as the New Voices in Global Health Award from the World Health Summit, Berlin, the Lancet Prize from the Lancet Psychiatry & University of Oxford, UK, and the Fukuoka Student Award from the World Social Science Forum, Japan.

Tasdik’s expertise includes managing large-scale clinical trials, formative research, mixed-method research, and medical leadership. He significantly contributed to the development of Bangladesh’s National Mental Health Strategic Plan 2020-2030. With a postgraduate diploma in Disaster Management, he authored the action toolkit for community engagement during public health emergencies like COVID-19. As Chair of the Trainee Advisory Committee of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health, he played a crucial role. Currently, Tasdik serves as an Assistant Professor at the State University of Bangladesh and as a Research Scientist at Moner Bondhu [Friends of Mind, one of the leading mental health organizations in Bangladesh]. He recently completed an Honorary Research Associate position at the University of Liverpool and joined the faculty at the Life Sciences Entrepreneurship Academy hosted by ESMT, Berlin, in 2022.

Michel, who joined the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) in 2015, brought a wealth of management experience and a unique mix of expertise in performance management, stakeholder relations, finance, accounting, and communications. As the former Vice President of Organizational Performance and Public Affairs at MHCC, he played a crucial role in shaping the organization’s new 10-year strategic plan, Answering the Call.

Driven by his commitment to the principle of mental health for all, Michel advocates for equitable access to recovery-oriented, evidence-based, culturally adapted mental health care. Prior to his role at the Commission, he had a diverse career in management consulting and public affairs, holding positions such as CIO of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, Press Secretary to the Premier of Ontario, and president of independent firms.

A lifelong learner, Michel holds an Executive MBA from the Université du Québec in Montréal, a CPA, CMA designation (Chartered Professional Accountant/Certified Management Accountant), a graduate diploma in financial accounting and management accounting from the Université du Québec in Outaouais, and a Bachelor of Arts (History) from Laurentian University.

Nicholas leads multiple MHCC portfolios aimed at ensuring that those living in Canada have access to equitable, culturally safe, appropriate, stigma free, and recovery-oriented mental health services and supports — when, where, and how they choose. 

He is also part of the eMHIC (eMental Health International Collaborative) Global Leadership Council and a member of Health Canada’s Digital Health Equity working group. In 2022, Nicholas received eMHIC’s Lifetime Achievement Award for e-mental health development, implementation, and forward-thinking leadership. Prior to joining the MHCC in 2011, he was the Senior Advisor or Knowledge Transfer and Communications at the Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance of Canada. 

Nicholas holds bachelor degrees in Political Science and Communication Studies from the University of Windsor, a Master of Business Administration from the Australian Institute of Business, and a Certified Health Executive designation from the Canadian College of Health Leaders.

Dr. Jill Murphy, PhD, is the Executive Director of the APEC Digital Hub for Mental Health and is a Research Associate in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Her expertise is in global mental health and implementation science research with a focus on leveraging digital mental health technologies to improve access and equity to mental health prevention, promotion and care. Her research has explored the integration of depression care into primary care and community-based settings, workplace mental health, and best practices to promote effective and equitable collaboration in mental health research. She is particularly interested in the meaningful engagement of people with lived experience of mental health conditions in research and in policy engagement to promote mental health systems strengthening. Her work primarily focuses on the Asia Pacific region, and she is currently an investigator on studies seeking to improve access to and uptake of evidence-based digital mental health interventions among adults and youth in China and Vietnam.