We are honored to introduce our distinguished speakers who have significantly contributed to the mental health field through their research, advocacy and practice. By sharing their knowledge and insightful perspectives it can hopefully foster more meaningful conversations around mental health which can inspire the implementation of actionable strategies and development of better frameworks for mental healthcare in the Maldives.
Prof. Patrick McGorry
Professor of Youth Mental Health & Psychiatrist
Pat is a psychiatrist known world-wide for his development and scaling up of early intervention and youth mental health services and for mental health innovation, advocacy and reform. He is Professor of Youth Mental Health at the University of Melbourne, and founding editor of the journal Early Intervention in Psychiatry.
He led the advocacy which resulted in the establishment by the Australian Government in 2005 of the National Youth Mental Health Foundation, which in 2006 became Headspace and he remains a founding board member of that organisation. He has played a key advocacy and advisory role to government and health system reform in Australia and in many parts of the world. He chaired the Expert Advisory Committee of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System.
He has published over 1000 publications, with 51,822 citations and a “h” index of 119 (Scopus).
Prof. G. Gururaj
Senior Professor, Department of Epidemiology
Centre for Public Health
WHO Collaborating Centre for Injury Prevention and Safety promotion
National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences
Prof..G..Gururaj superannuated as Director of NIMHANS and as Senior Professor in the - Department of Epidemiology, Centre for Public Health, WHO Collaborating Centre for Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion in Bangalore, India . He was the Chairman of the Karnataka Health Vision Group, constituted by the Dept. of Health and Medical Education, Government of Karnataka in 2020 - 2022.
His major areas of interest in the areas of Health systems strengthening, mental health, suicide prevention, injury prevention and safety promotion, road safety, noncommunicable diseases and other areas. His major areas of expertise include epidemiological and public health research, developing surveillance and information
systems, promoting institutional mechanisms, capacity strengthening and training, advocacy, facilitating legislation, monitoring and evaluation as well as strengthening policies and programmes.
He has completed more than 70 funded and non-funded research projects in different areas and published nearly 150 research articles in international and national journals, and several monographs, manuals, reports, policy briefs and advocacy materials are to his credit. He has presented scientific papers in national / international meetings in diverse areas and has served as a consultant/ adviser / resource person to many national and international organisations like WHO, World Bank, UNICEF, DFID, and other agencies as well as to Ministries of Health in India and many countries.
Dr. Seetha S
Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Seetha is a Senior Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Supervisor to graduate level mental health practitioners, Trainer to para-counsellors and Author, living in Singapore. She received her academic and clinical training in the United States of America: University of California, at Berkeley, Illinois School of Professional Psychology, Chicago Campus, Primary Children’s Medical Centre, Salt Lake City, Utah, University of Illinois Department of Paediatrics, at Chicago, and community mental health facilities and schools in California and Illinois.
Dr. Seetha has had 29 years of involvement in the management and treatment of children,adolescents, families subjected to severely challenging life experiences, i.e. sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, severe trauma, etc., resulting in longer-term psychological, emotional, and relational conditions. Within this scope of interest, she has led crisis management efforts, developed programs, engaged in child and adult advocacy work, advised lawmakers and trained professional and para-service providers. She has provided services and volunteered in the United States of America, Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India, Japan, and Nigeria.
Stemming from her clinical experience, Dr. Seetha authored Did You Hear That? Help for Children Who Hear Voices, a heavily illustrated, reader-friendly treatment guide for mental health service providers. This book, simultaneously, serves as a supportive tool to children who hear voices and see things that others do not see and is used as an informational guide by concerned parents/educators/allied health professionals/law-related professionals. Currently available in English, French and Portuguese and available in 6 additional languages, in the near future.
Dr. Shaystah Dean
Clinical Psychologist
Dr Shaystah Dean is a Clinical Psychologist and Research Fellow based in Wellington, NewZealand. She qualified as a clinical psychologist from The University of Canterbury in 2011, and later obtained her PhD from the University of Otago Wellington School of Medicine. She offers consultancy, professional supervision, and clinical services in private practice. With a background in general and adolescent mental health, she has research interests in adolescent mental health, trauma-informed and integrated psychological intervention, and Islamic Psychology. Shaystah is registered with the New Zealand Psychologists Board under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003, and is a member of both the NZ College of Clinical Psychologists and the NZ Psychological Society.
Juana Katzer
Social Worker and Psychotherapist
Juana Katzer is a Papua New Guinean woman of Tolai and Kuot descent. Her ancestors are also German and Chinese She is a Social Worker and Psychotherapist currently working as a Senior Cultural Consultant/Senior Mental Health Clinician at Evolve Therapeutic Services, Children’s Health Queensland, Australia. Juana has focussed her career on child protection issues, with a particular interest in child and adolescent mental health, sexual and domestic violence. Juana has provided social work and psychotherapeutic services to individuals, families, and communities in Aboriginal and multicultural communities in Australia and international context. Juana holds a Bachelors degrees in Psychology and Social Work, Graduate Certificates in Grief, Loss and Trauma Counselling and International Development and a Masters of Social Work. Juana is a current Doctor of Social Work candidate and is training to be a Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist.