DECODE Summit 2020

Dr. Gordon received his MD/PhD degree at the University of California, San Francisco and completed his Psychiatry residency and research fellowship at Columbia University. He joined the Columbia faculty in 2004 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry where he conducted research, taught residents, and maintained a general psychiatry practice. In September of 2016, he became the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health. Dr. Gordon’s research focuses on the analysis of neural activity in mice carrying mutations of relevance to psychiatric disease. His lab studies genetic models of these diseases from an integrative neuroscience perspective, focused on understanding how a given disease mutation leads to a behavioral phenotype across multiple levels of analysis. To this end, he employs a range of systems neuroscience techniques, including in vivo anesthetized and awake behaving recordings and optogenetics, which is the use of light to control neural activity. His work has direct relevance to schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, and depression. Dr. Gordon’s work has been recognized by several prestigious awards, including The Brain and Behavior Research Foundation – NARSAD Young Investigator Award, the Rising Star Award from the International Mental Health Research Organization, the A.E. Bennett Research Award from the Society of Biological Psychiatry, and the Daniel H. Efron Research Award from the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology.

Arianna Huffington is the founder and CEO of Thrive Global, the founder of The Huffington Post, and the author of 15 books ,including, most recently, Thrive and The Sleep Revolution. In 2016, she launched Thrive Global, a leading behavior change tech company with the mission of changing the way we work and live by ending the collective delusion that burnout is the price we must pay for success. She has been named to Time Magazine's list of the world’s 100 most influential people and the Forbes Most Powerful Women list. Originally from Greece, she moved to England when she was 16 and graduated from Cambridge University with an M.A. in economics. At 21, she became president of the famed debating society, the Cambridge Union. She serves on numerous boards, including Onex and The B Team. Her last two books, Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder and The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night At A Time, both became instant international bestsellers.

Kay M. Tye is a Professor and Wylie Vale Chair of the Systems Neuroscience Laboratory at the Salk Institute for Biological Sciences, and an adjunct faculty member at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Her research program is focused on understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying social and emotional processes at the circuit, cellular and synaptic levels, particularly those relevant to psychiatric disease. Professor Tye was born in Ithaca, New York on July 27, 1981 and graduated from Ithaca High School in 1999. Her professional training began at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where she graduated with a major in Brain and Cognitive Sciences in 2003. After taking a year off to travel, she earned her PhD at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in 2008, and trained as a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University from 2009-2011. She then became an Assistant Professor at MIT in 2012, and was promoted to Associate Professor with Tenure in 2018. She then moved her laboratory to the Salk Institute in 2019. Professor Tye has been recognized with a number of prestigious research awards including the NIH Director's New Innovator Award, the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the Society for Neuroscience Young Investigator Award, Technology Review's Top 35 Innovators under 35, and the NIH Director's Pioneer Award. She has also been recognized with a number of awards for mentoring at the undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral level. Further, she is committed to outreach, promoting diversity and inclusion in science.

Kerry J. Ressler, MD, PhD, is the James and Patricia Poitras Chair in Psychiatry, and Chief of the Division of Depression and Anxiety Disorders at McLean Hospital, affiliate of the Harvard Medical School. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in molecular biology from M.I.T., and his M.D./Ph.D. from Harvard Medical School. In 1992 at Harvard, he was the first student of Dr. Linda Buck (Nobel Prize, 2004), helping to identify the molecular organization of the olfactory receptor system, and he has spent his career using molecular tools to understand systems neuroscience approaches to emotion and behavior. Prior to moving to McLean in 2015, he spent 18 years at Emory University and Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, where he founded the Grady Trauma Project, a study focused on understanding the Psychology, Biology, and Trauma-Related factors contributing to intergenerational cycles of trauma exposure and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Substance Abuse and Violence in over 13,000 participants from urban Atlanta. He continues to be active in this work as a visiting professor at Emory and through national leadership roles in understanding the biology and genetics of PTSD through large multisite consortia. Dr. Ressler is a previous Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and a current member of the National Academy of Medicine. He was also the 2017 President of the US Society for Biological Psychiatry, and has served on the Councils for the Society of Biological Psychiatry, the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, and the NIMH Intramural Program. His work focuses on translational research bridging molecular neurobiology in animal models with human genetic and epigenetic research on emotion, particularly fear and anxiety disorders. He has published over 400 manuscripts ranging from genetic basic molecular mechanisms of fear processing to understanding how emotion is encoded in the brain across animal models and human patients.

Dr. Sachin Patel is the James G. Blakemore Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, and Pharmacology and Director of the Division of General Psychiatry at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. His laboratory is focused on elucidating neurobiological mechanisms of central stress responses relevant to trauma and stress-related psychiatric disorders. His research group is specifically interested in the role of endogenous cannabinoids as modulators of stress responsivity and has active research projects in areas of endocannabinoid synaptic biology, preclinical endocannabinoid-based therapeutics development, and investigation of circuit-level mechanisms by which endocannabinoids modulate stress-related bio-behavioral phenotypes in rodent models. By integrating data derived from multiple levels ranging from synaptic biology to neural circuit analysis, his laboratory hopes understand how endocannabinoid signaling interact with hard-wired neural circuits to sculpt complex behavior and ultimately gain novel insights into the pathophysiology of, and novel treatment approaches for, stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders.

Leanne Williams, Ph.D. is a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine. She is the founding director of the Stanford Center for Precision Mental Health and Wellness and of the Stanford PanLab for Precision Psychiatry and Translational Neuroscience, Associate Chair of Translational Neuroscience in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Director of Education and Precision Medicine at the Mountain View, California VA Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center. Prior to joining the Stanford community, Dr. Williams was the founding chair of Cognitive Neuropsychiatry and directed the Brain Dynamics Center at Sydney Medical School. Her PhD was completed with a British Council Scholarship for study at Oxford University.Dr. Williams' Center and translational programs integrate advanced neuroimaging, technology and digital innovation to transform the way we detect mental disorders, tailor interventions and promote wellness. She has developed the first taxonomy for depression and anxiety that quantifies brain circuits for diagnostic precision and prediction. Dr. Williams' research programs are supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health, spanning priority Research Domain Criteria, Human Connectome and Science of Behavior Change initiatives. She has contributed over 318 scientific papers to the field.

Dr. Ekaterina Malievskaia is Chief Innovation Officer and Co-founder of COMPASS Pathways plc. She leads innovation at COMPASS. Ekaterina received her medical degree from St Petersburg Medical Academy in St Petersburg, Russia, and then moved to the US where she completed her Internal Medicine residency training. She worked in private practice, academic medicine and public health for more than 15 years in the greater New York area. She was a Clinical Instructor of Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, as well as a Research Professor at City University of New York.After moving to London in 2011, Ekaterina worked in global health and medical philanthropy, focusing on improving outcomes in maternal and child health. She founded COMPASS Pathways with her husband George Goldsmith in 2016, having experienced at first-hand the challenges in accessing evidence-based and effective mental health care for a family member.

Husseini K. Manji, MD, FRCPC is Global Head, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Science for Minds. He previously was Global Therapeutic Head for Neuroscience at Janssen R&D, LLC, a J&J pharmaceutical company. Before joining J&J, Dr. Manji was Chief of the Laboratory of Molecular Pathophysiology at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Director of the NIH Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, the largest program of its kind in the world. Dr. Manji’s research has helped to conceptualize neuropsychiatric disorders as genetically influenced disorders of synapses and circuits and has prompted the investigation of novel therapeutics for refractory patients. His work led to the FDA, Canada and EC approval of the first novel antidepressant mechanism in decades, SPRAVATO® (esketamine) nasal spray for adults with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder. Dr. Manji has received numerous prestigious awards, is Visiting Professor at Duke University, Honorary Fellow at Oxford University, member of the World Dementia Council, member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Stanley Center at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and member of the World Economic Forum, Global Futures Council.

Kafui Dzirasa completed a PhD in Neurobiology at Duke University. His research interests focus on understanding how changes in the brain produce neurological and mental illness, and his graduate work has led to several distinctions including: the Somjen Award for Most Outstanding Dissertation Thesis, the Ruth K. Broad Biomedical Research Fellowship, the UNCF·Merck Graduate Science Research Fellowship, and the Wakeman Fellowship. Kafui obtained an MD from the Duke University School of Medicine in 2009, and he completed residency training in General Psychiatry in 2016. Kafui received the Charles Johnson Leadership Award in 2007, and he was recognized as one of Ebony magazine’s 30 Young Leaders of the Future in February 2008. He has also been awarded the International Mental Health Research Organization Rising Star Award, the Sydney Baer Prize for Schizophrenia Research, and his laboratory was featured on CBS 60 Minutes in 2011. In 2016, he was awarded the inaugural Duke Medical Alumni Emerging Leader Award and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers: The Nation’s highest award for scientists and engineers in the early stages of their independent research careers. In 2017, he was recognized as 40 under 40 in Health by the National Minority Quality Forum, and the Engineering Alumni of the Year from UMBC. He was induced into the American Society for Clinical Investigation in 2019. Kafui has served as an Associate Scientific Advisor for the journal Science Translational Medicine, a member of the Congressional-mandated Next Generation Research Initiative, the Editorial Advisory Board for TEDMED, and on the NIH Director’s guiding committee for the BRAIN Initiative. He currently serves on the NIH Director’s NExTRAC Advisory committee and Brain Initiative Multi-council working group. Kafui is an Associate Professor at Duke University with appointments in the Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Neurobiology, Biomedical Engineering, and Neurosurgery. His ultimate goal is to combine his research, medical training, and community experience to improve outcomes for diverse communities suffering from Neurological and Psychiatric illness.

As President of One Mind, Brandon Staglin channels his deep experience in communications, advocacy, and personal schizophrenia recovery to drive brain health research programs to heal lives. Brandon also serves on advisory councils for the World Economic Forum, the National Institute of Mental Health, the California Mental Health Services Authority’s Help@Hand Program, Mindstrong Health, and Stanford University’s Prodrome and Early Psychosis Program Network, and is a member of The Stability Network. He earned a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration and Interprofessional Leadership from UCSF in September 2018, and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Engineering Sciences and Anthropology from Dartmouth College in 1993. Among Brandon’s recent work, he has successfully advocated for the growth of data-driven, networked, continuously improving prevention and early intervention services for youth facing serious psychiatric illness. He has originated One Mind’s ASPIRe program, which aims to dramatically increase both quality treatment access and recovery rates for such individuals through expanding and improving early care. His work was instrumental in the passage of California laws AB 1315 and SB 1004, providing funding and accountability for such services statewide. Brandon has received numerous awards for his brain health advocacy, including the Schizophrenia International Research Society President’s Award, the Lifetime Achievement VOICE Award from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Clifford W. Beers Award from Mental Health America, the Shattering Stigma—Realizing Recovery Award from the Schizophrenia and Related Disorders Alliance of America, and the Clifford W. Beers Centennial Service Award from the Clifford W. Beers Clinic. Brandon’s lived experience with recovery from schizophrenia makes him grateful to be living in health and happy every day he can contribute to the health of others.

Co-Director and editor Erik Ewers has worked with documentary filmmaker Ken Burns for more than 27 years on almost all of his single and multi-episodic films, including Baseball, Jazz, Mark Twain, The War, Prohibition, The Roosevelts, and his recent critically acclaimed miniseries, Vietnam. He currently serves as Ken’s senior editor on his upcoming Country Music miniseries, and as co-director and editor of Ewers Brothers—which has become one of the “go-to” production companies that co-creates Ken's documentary films. Erik has been nominated for more than 7 personal and program Emmy Awards, and consequently has won 1 editing Emmy Award and 3 program Emmys. Additionally, he has also earned 2 prestigious ACE Eddie Award nominations and 1 ACE win for “Best Edited Documentary of 2015." By working in many other professional film roles, Erik is extremely knowledgeable and capable in all aspects of film—having served as music producer, writer, director, film producer, picture editor, sound effects, music and dialogue editor.

Co-Director and cinematographer Christopher Loren Ewers' career behind the camera has spanned over 20 years. He studied cinematography at Boston University, photojournalism at the New England School of Photography and has traveled the world exploring the human experience through the lens. His eclectic work includes a variety of subjects, formats and collaborators. From renown documentarian Ken Burns and Florentine Films to national networks like NBC and PBS. From Fortune 500 brands like Apple, Coca-Cola, Vineyard Vines and IBM to nonprofit organizations like the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Clinton Global Initiative. However, it's the unique mix of both film and journalism backgrounds that puts documentary filmmaking at the center of his work. He and Erik are currently directing a 2-part, feature length documentary series about our nation’s mental health crisis. Their first film, The Mayo Clinic: Faith, Hope, Science was broadcast on PBS in 2018. Both films are executive produced by Ken Burns.

Jewel is a singer-songwriter, actress, and 2x New York Times Best selling author. As a lived experience mental health expert she is passionate about democratizing wellness. Through her career Jewel has earned 26 Music Award nominations, including The Grammy's, American Music Awards, MTV Awards, VH1 Awards, Billboard Music Awards, and Country Music Awards, winning 8 times. Jewel’s Inspiring Children Foundation has spent two decades helping at-risk youth struggling with anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation with mindfulness and meditation, trauma treatment, DBT, group therapy, entrepreneurship, mentoring, project-driven learning and athletics (tennis).Jewel’s Wellness Experience Mental Health and Music Festival, and her World Mental Health Day Summit and concert, brings many of these tools to the masses for free, in a fun and inspirational way.

Dr. Thomas R. Insel is the President and co-founder of Mindstrong. A psychiatrist and neuroscientist, Dr. Insel served as Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) from 2002-2015. Most recently he led the Mental Health Team at Verily. Dr. Insel is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and has received numerous national and international awards including honorary degrees in the U.S. and Europe.

Kunal Ghosh is founder and CEO of Inscopix, Inc., a Mountain View, California-based startup developing a platform for mapping brain circuits. Kunal founded Inscopix out of a research project at Stanford University that resulted in the invention of a miniature, integrated microscope for in vivo brain imaging. The invention is the centerpiece of Inscopix's core brain circuit mapping products which today have already advanced fundamental knowledge of the brain circuits underpinning brain function and behavior. Inscopix's platform also has the potential of shaping the future of neuro-therapeutic discovery, enabling the development of entirely new in vivo circuit-based assays for diseases such as Parkinson's, epilepsy, and depression. Kunal is a passionate advocate of the role of business as a force for good in society, and especially the role of entrepreneurial ventures in catalyzing a technology-fueled revolution in brain science and mental health. He is a frequent speaker on these themes at scientific meetings, industry conferences, and top Business schools, and serves on the World Economic Forum's Council on Neurotechnologies and Brain Science. Kunal holds a BSE in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, a BS from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and an MS and PhD in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.