Our Speakers
Keynote Speaker
Harvard University
Invited Speakers
QIMR Berghofer Institute
Australia
Swinburne University of Technology
Australia
Te Kupenga Hauora Māori
New Zealand
University of Otago
Black Dog Institute
New Zealand
Dr Andrew Nierenberg
Mass General - Harvard
Dr Brittany Mitchell
QIMR Berghorf Institute - Australia
Dr. Brittany Mitchell is a psychiatric
geneticist and NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow based at QIMR Berghofer Medical
Research Institute in Brisbane, Australia. She is an emerging leader in
psychiatric genomics with a focus on the genetic architecture and heterogeneity
of mental health disorders. She holds a leadership role within the
international Psychiatric Genomics Consortium and has contributed to
large-scale genome-wide association studies, including major meta-analyses of
major depressive disorder, anxiety and bipolar disorder published in leading
journals. Her research leverages genetics to quantify disease risk, unravel the
complex heterogeneity within psychiatric disorders, and explore whether genetics
can help understand differential treatment response.
Professor Greg Mitchell
Swinburne University - Australia
Professor Greg Murray, PhD is Director of Mood Disorder Research and Practise at Swinburne University of Technology. He conducts biopsychosocial research into bipolar disorders, circadian rhythms, and personality: he is ranked in the top 1% of researchers in each of these fields and recognised as a world expert (top 0.1%) in mood disorders. Dr Murray is a registered Clinical Psychologist and an elected Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society. His > 250 journal articles are cited > 1000 times a year and he has been a Chief Investigator on > $31 million in national and international competitive research funding. He currently leads a Wellcome Trust funded multi-national project investigating sleep and circadian disruption as a predictor of relapse in bipolar disorder, and the Australian arm of a UC Berkeley led project investigating ‘failure to power down’ in bipolar disorder. As an author of DSM-5-TR (2022), Dr Murray introduced chronobiological vulnerability as an associated feature of bipolar I disorder. His public-facing article on the psychology of sleep disturbance has been read more than 1.3 million times. Dr Murray also has a long list of career blunders, disappointments and rejections (available on request).
Professor Sarah-Jane Paine
Te Kupenga Hauora Māori - New Zealand
Professor Suzanne Pitama
New Zealand
Suzanne is the Head of Faculty, University of Otago Faculty of Medicine. Suz is a registered psychologist and a member of the New Zealand Psychological Society. Suz has been involved in Māori health research and health professional education for over 20 years. Her work has included the development of an Indigenous Health model of health, and research in mental health, cardiovascular health and medical education. Suzanne has received a number of awards including the Prime Minister’s Supreme Award for tertiary teaching excellence and both the Indigenous Leadership Award and Lifetime award from the Leaders in Indigenous Medical Education (LIME). Suzanne was awarded the Joan Metge Medal for her research in Indigenous medical education, and the Dame Marie Clay Award for contributions to educational and developmental psychology.
Dr Clinton Schultz
Black Dog Institute – Australia
Associate Professor Clinton Schultz is a Gamilaraay man, father of three, and registered psychologist with more than 15 years’ experience in social and emotional wellbeing. He has a keen interest in lore, culture, planetary health, and holistic wellness, particularly the wellbeing of workers in health and community services. Clinton obtained his PhD from the Griffith University School of Medicine, titled Winanga-li-gu (Higher order listening), Guwaa-li-gu (Higher order speaking), Maruma-li-gu (Higher order healing): Factors of holistic wellbeing for members of the Aboriginal health and community workforce. Clinton received the award for academic excellence in a thesis from Griffith University for this work, previously been awarded IAHA Allied Health Professional of the year (2019), and Griffith University Indigenous Alumni of the year (2018). He is the Director of First Nations Strategy at the Black Dog Institute and a Senior Researcher with UNSW.
Dr Annie Southern
Australia
Dr Annie Southern is a lived experience leader in the fields of mental health and trauma-informed practice in Aotearoa/New Zealand. She was educated at Oxford University and has a PhD in Health Science from the University of Canterbury looking at women’s mental health and careers. With a strong background in community development, she founded and co-ordinated the first mental health recovery college in Aotearoa/New Zealand for adults and was involved in the establishment of a youth recovery college and two intentional recovery communities. Annie has been involved in the establishment of peer supporter worker teams in emergency departments in both Ōtautahi/Christchurch and Ōtepoti/Dunedin and is known for her work on multiplicity, neurodiversity, trauma, and peer support. She is particularly passionate about transforming mental health environments through co-design, elevating the lived experience voice, interdisciplinary collaboration and holistic approaches to wellbeing.
Annie has held roles in tertiary education, workforce development, and NGO leadership, and has contributed to numerous sector-wide projects to embed peer values and trauma-informed support into policy and practice. She regularly facilitates workshops and presentations across Aotearoa/New Zealand, supporting individuals and organisations to engage in reflective, healing-centred, and culturally responsive ways of working. She is a guest lecturer for Otago Medical School’s Department of Psychological Medicine and for Auckland University of Technology (AUT) and has been involved in lived experience research at the University of Canterbury and is currently a member of AUT’s Lived Experience Research Group. She is an Intentional Peer Support national trainer, Hearing Voices that are Distressing trainer and a professional member of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation and works as Practice Manager at Step Ahead in Canterbury Aotearoa/New Zealand.
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