Harris is a physician-scientist, entrepreneur, and strategic advisor who pioneered the brain economy transition, recognised as a $26 trillion economic opportunity. The brain economy strategy has now inspired the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute (MHI) to convene a Brain Economy Action Forum.
Harris is a senior fellow for brain health and society at Rice University's Office of Innovation, leads Neuro-Policy at the Baker Institute and is an adjunct with Rice's Neuro Engineering Initiative and Psychological Sciences. He is a visiting senior fellow at the Wharton Neuroscience Initiative, a senior advisor with McKinsey and Company, advisor at MD Anderson's Cancer Neuroscience Program.
Eyre is an alumnus of the Forbes 30 Under 30 and the Fulbright Scholar program. He has garnered recognition with the prestigious EB1A Green Card, an honor typically reserved for Nobel and Pulitzer prize winners.
He has authored over 200 papers and chapters in journals such as Nature Medicine, The Lancet Neurology, Neuron, World Psychiatry, The Brookings Institution, OECD Press, and was the lead editor of the book 'Convergence Brain Health' (Oxford Press).
Harris will be joining remotely via video for keynote presentation.
Burcin Ikiz, PhD, is a neuroscientist and global health leader with over two decades of experience in brain disorders and mental health. Her work examines how climate change and ecological crises influence brain health across the lifespan, with a focus on translating scientific insights into global health policy and community resilience strategies.
She is the founder of EcoNeuro, a research initiative that explores the intersection of neuroscience and the environment, and the chair of the International Neuro Climate Working Group, a global network comprising over 200 scientists, clinicians, and public health experts. The group was recently recognised by the World Economic Forum as one of the top global initiatives addressing climate change and mental health.
Ikiz advises the World Health Organisation and the Council on Foreign Relations on climate and health and serves on the scientific advisory boards of several international organisations, including the Climate Mental Health Network (U.S.), the Climate Cares Centre (UK), and the Climate Clinic (Turkey). She is also a member of the scientific committee of the Yaoundé Declaration on African Leadership in Brain Diplomacy.
A frequent speaker on international platforms, including TEDx, the United Nations General Assembly, WHO conferences, and COP climate summits, Ikiz is also a regular contributor to Psychology Today, Undark Magazine, and Think Global Health.
Her work has been featured in The Guardian, Bloomberg, and public radio networks across Australia and Canada. She holds a B.S. in Biomedical Computation from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in Neurobiology from Columbia University.
Ben is a Work Futurist at JLL. With an eclectic background spanning Education, Entertainment, Technology and Design has led Ben to be best described as a “expert generalist”; he specialises in not specialising.In his current role, Ben leads JLL's Global Cognitive Experience Design practice; incorporating Consulting and Co-Innovation Practices focussed on scientific design.
He also leads JLL’s Global Work Futures Strategy Lab, investigating the impact of emerging technologies in augmenting and automating various parts of the real estate value chain.
Associate Professor Jo-An Occhipinti is an esteemed epidemiologist and systems scientist whose pioneering work has established her as a leader in addressing public health and social policy issues and safeguarding the future of work amidst complex global challenges that threaten the Mental Wealth of nations.
As an NHMRC Principal Research Fellow, she holds the roles of Co-Director of the Mental Wealth Initiative and Head of Systems Modelling & Simulation at the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre, where her thought leadership, development of new metrics, application of advanced analytic methods, and commitment to community participation intersect to benefit science and society.
A/Professor Occhipinti’s research transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries by integrating mental health, economic, and social frameworks and metrics to guide transition to wellbeing-orientated economies that foster social cohesion, resilience, and inclusive prosperity. Over the last 10 years, A/Professor Occhipinti has spearheaded the development of more than 40 complex systems models aiding decision makers nationally and internationally to make strategic investments to address challenges such as youth suicide, mental health system strengthening, alcohol related harms, tobacco control, childhood overweight and obesity, chronic disease prevention, child protection, and homelessness.
With publications in elite journals such as Nature, Nature Mental Health, Science, The Lancet, Lancet Psychiatry, BMCMedicine, and the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, A/Professor Occhipinti is acknowledged as a prominent voice in her discipline with invited addresses given at the United Nations General Assembly Science Summit and the NationalPress Club of Australia. In her most recent research, A/Professor Occhipinti has identified the potential recessionary pressures of generative AI, and calls for governments, unions, and civic organizations to work collaboratively to shape anew social contract; one that augments rather than replaces labour, upholds work justice and human rights, while fostering economic productivity and business innovation.
As the Managing Director of Computer Simulation & AdvancedResearch Technologies (CSART), and through active participation on various advisory boards and councils, A/Professor Occhipinti fosters an international alliance of academics, business leaders, economists, and change makers, working to shape inclusive and coherent health, economic, and social policy across borders. This role exemplifies her commitment to science diplomacy, fostering multi-national cooperation, knowledge mobilization and capacity building to tackle complex and systemic global challenges.
Andrea Christie-David is the Director of Mental Health at BUPA where she is leading the launch of its first mental health clinics under the Mindplace brand.
Andrea is an accomplished lawyer and company director whose entrepreneurial drive led her to transition from the humanitarian sector to founding an innovative model of early childhood education and disability support. In 2021, her business was acquired by G8 Education, the largest ASX-listed early childhood provider. As part of G8’s executive leadership team, Andrea championed a customer and employee focused approach, which led to the establishment of an allied health team that delivered therapy across diverse early childhood settings.
This initiative not only addressed children’s developmental needs but also empowered educators through on the job training, significantly improving outcomes for children.
For the past nine years Andrea also served as a non-executive director of Relationships Australia NSW. In this role, she helped shape the strategic direction and governance of one of the country’s largest providers of trauma-informed family counselling, mediation, and domestic violence support services.
Since exiting her business, Andrea has been consulting for health and education startups, leveraging data Andrea is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has been recognised for her leadership and impact across sectors.
In 2013, she was named ‘Woman Lawyer of the Year in a Community Organisation’ and was later a finalist in the 2019 Women’s Agenda Leadership Awards in the Emerging Entrepreneur category.
Jack Manning-Bancroft is Founder and CEO of AIME and IMAGI-NATION and Author of Hoodie Economics.
Founding AIME in 2005 to alleviate inequity Jack has led a 20 year movement to establish a global network across 52+ countries to centre imagination, mentoring and custodianship for all of humankind and solve the systemic challenges we've inherited to create a healthier life for all species on earth.
Awards include being the youngest person in Australian history to receive an Honorary Doctorate from the University of South Australia, being awarded a Human Rights Medal and receiving an Honorary Fellowship from the University of Western Sydney.
He is currently an Honorary Fellow at Deakin University with the Indigenous Knowledge Systems Lab.
Jan Owen AM Hon DLitt is an entrepreneur, thought leader and author committed to achieving purposeful, courageous and imaginative social change.
An expert in education and modern work, social innovation, health and wellbeing, Jan's superpower is unlocking new thinking and connections between people, disciplines, sectors and domains. She is the Founder & Principal of AdaptabilityQ which provides strategy, systems change and leadership support to CEO’s across a diverse range of clients in Australia and globally and Founder of Be Well Health and Longevity.
Jan is the Chair of the Future Council; co-Chair / Founder of Learning Creates Australia whose mission is to support the reimagining of secondary school education; co-Convenor, Foyer Foundation’s FoyerInvest Consortium to address youth homelessness, education and employment for young people; Chair, Cool.org Australia’s first edtech platform creating comprehensive teaching resources for educators here and globally on sustainability, equity, and social justice issues.
She is the Patron of Good Design Australiia, Childrens' Ground and a recipient of numerous leadership awards and fellowships.
Dr Aiden M. A. Thornton is a complexity leadership expert, management consultant, psychometrics entrepreneur, and street epistemologist.
As a complexity leadership expert, Aiden holds an interdisciplinary PhD in leadership, complexity, and cognition and serves as the Inaugural Menzies Senior Research Fellow in Leadership and Complexity at the Australian National University’s School of Cybernetics. He is part of the ANU Complexity Leadership Lab and his work spans the theory, measurement, research, education, and practice of complexity leadership. He applies principles of cybernetics, systems thinking, and complexity science to making sense of leadership and its development.
As a management consultant, Aiden has over 25 years of international experience across Australia, Asia, and Europe, working with top-tier consulting firms and blue-chip organisations. He has led large-scale and multi-million-dollar programs, and currently runs his own consulting company that specialises in leadership development, change management, organisational culture, and organisational design.
As an entrepreneur, Aiden is establishing a psychometrics company that offers an innovative suite of instruments that measure different aspects of leadership. His mission is to introduce more rigorous and sophisticated measurement approaches to the science and practice of leadership development.
As a street epistemologist, Aiden is deeply engaged in creating conditions in which diverse social groups can participate in discussions about controversial socio-political issues. His work in street epistemology focuses on enquiring into what people believe, why they hold those beliefs, and their underlying epistemologies.
Aiden is an active political centrist, an enthusiastic member of Heterodox Academy, and is deeply committed to classical libertarianism. Aiden brings a unique blend of intellectual intensity, pragmatism, and wicked humour to his work.
Dr. Diana Zhang is a multi-award-winning scientist, STEM ambassador, and professional musician. She is the Founder & CEO of Preview Health, an Australian startup that is unlocking precision medicine using AI-powered “molecular fingerprints”.
Diana completed her PhD at UNSW Sydney where she investigated the use of machine learning and analytical approaches to improve disease diagnosis. As a Fulbright Scholar, Diana collaborated with Boston University to develop an artificial intelligence tool that can detect Parkinson’s disease from blood analysis with up to 96% accuracy.
In 2022, Diana was one of six young Australians invited to present their research at the 71st Lindau Nobel Laureate meeting in Germany. She has co-authored over a dozen peer-reviewed publications in leading scientific and music psychology journals including Nature Medicine, ACS Central Science, and Psychology of Music.
In 2023, Diana received the AmCham Ambassador’s Award from Ambassador Caroline Kennedy for her dedication to scientific research, STEM advocacy, and public outreach. She is a 2023 NSW Young Woman of the Year Finalist and her work has appeared in over 100 media outlets worldwide including the Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, SBS, Channel 10, ABC, SkyNews, and The Conversation.
She is currently a Board Member of the Australian Fulbright Alumni Association and was a previous Board Director of Science & Technology Australia, the nation’s peak body in science and technology.
Katy is both a futurist and a ‘now’ist.
Her focus is on developing the capability to lead systems change to deliver our preferred futures.
She is also passionate about shaping the way we design work for the future and, through DISCO (Disruptive Consulting) and her directorships, supports the change makers, people and culture leads, strategy and Org Development teams and C-Suite to build transformation plans to shift their organisations towards workforces ready for future conditions.
She works directly to help measure flourishing in organisations, backed up with the skills, capability and strategies to then actively transition the organisation to a more flourishing one.
She is an Independent Non-Executive Director in the Private Health, Aged Care and Leadership Sectors.
A passionate advocate for design as a tool for social and ecological change, Dr Bree Trevena is an urban designer, strategist and researcher. She currently leads Arup's foresight and futures work for Australasia, where she spends her time working with designers, planners and engineers to explore the impacts of emerging change and how this is shifting the ways we design, make and experience our built environments.
She has exhibited during the Venice Architecture Biennale and is an industry advisor for RMITs Master of Design Futures.
Previously, Bree held roles with the Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation (MAP Co), Creative Victoria and Left Bank Co working with government, architects, designers and artists to help shape more just, creative and sustainable public spaces, precincts and places.
Bonnie Shaw is Professor of Practice in the School of Design & Social Context at RMIT University where she leads a program of research focused on the cognitive and behavioural impacts of chronic stress. The Brain Health Futures Summit is a convening of leading practitioners that Bonnie has connected with through her research. The program tells a story about the growing challenges of chronic stress, its impacts on the brain, the body, the workplace and community, and explores some of innovative ways that we might step up to these challenges with purpose.
Bonnie is also the Chief Innovator in Residence at the Municipal Association of Victoria where she leads the MAVlab - and innovation lab serving all 79 councils in Victoria.
Bonnie has worked at the forefront of advanced technology development and innovation, strategic change management and community engagement with Federal, State and Local government agencies, Banks, leading brands, community non-profits and start-ups. In her role as the Smart City Practice Lead at the City of Melbourne, Bonnie helped to establish and lead Australia’s first (and multi-award winning) Smart Cities team.
Bonnie has held adjunct professor roles at both Georgetown University (Washington DC), Melbourne Business School (Melbourne VIC). She was a finalist in the prestigious Australian and New Zealand Women in AI Awards, was awarded a Relativity Award for AI Leadership, and is a trained Human Potential Coach, bringing data driven bio-hacking approaches to stress management and performance enhancement.
Bonnie is the convenor of the Brain Health Futures Summit and will act as host and guide throughout the day, weaving the threads of connection between this diverse group of leaders.
Nichola Krey is a seasoned leader in strategy and operations, known for driving impact in some of the world’s most complex and high-stakes environments.
With a deep commitment to people and organisational integrity, she has held senior leadership roles across the globe, including Country Director positions in Palestine, Vanuatu, and Aceh, Indonesia.
As Humanitarian Director for Save the Children, Nichola led large-scale emergency responses across Asia, the Middle East, and the Pacific. She later served as Regional Program Director for the Norwegian Refugee Council, overseeing humanitarian and resilience programs across Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Libya, Palestine, and Iraq.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Nichola brought her expertise to government, contributing to Victoria’s response. She now serves as the Victorian State Director for Australian Red Cross, where she also leads the organisation’s National Resilience and Recovery portfolio—championing community-led preparedness, recovery, and systems change.
Michael Hogan is the Executive Convenor of the Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership, a joint initiative of ARACY and Qld leaders and organisations.
Michael has over 40 years’ experience in public purpose work in the government and non-government sectors.
Michael was Director-General of the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services from November 2013 to December 2017, and the Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women from December 2017 to February 2020.
Michael is:
- an Industry Fellow at the Queensland Brain Institute at UQ
- an Adjunct Professor at QUT
- on the Board of Directors of the Torres Indigenous Health Corporation,
- the Board of Directors of Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service, and
- Vice-President of the Council of the Queensland Library Foundation.
Distinguished Professor Barbora de Courten OAM is a globally recognised leader in translational research, health innovation, and chronic disease prevention, with a strong emphasis on Value-Based Health Care (VBHC).
With an exemplary track record, over 249 publications, an H-index of 76, and more than 72,200 citations, she has made major contributions across the translational research continuum, from mechanistic studies to clinical trials and public health policy. In 2024, she was honoured with both the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) and an Honorary Fellowship of the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine.
Barbora serves as Distinguished Professor at RMIT University, where applies design thinking, co-creation methodologies and value-based models to deliver impactful, patient-centred solutions, moving beyond tokenistic engagement of stakeholders towards genuine participation in healthcare transformation. Her work is anchored in the Quintuple Aim, enhancing outcomes, equity, patient and clinician experience, and cost-effectiveness.
Her leadership in interdisciplinary teams, spanning health, design, computing, engineering, and business, has been pivotal in developing patient-centred solutions that are not only effective but scalable and sustainable. She has secured over $12 million in research funding, including major grants from the National Heart Foundation, HCF Research Foundation, and Digital Health CRC, with over $1.2M in the past two years targeting integrated, digitally-enabled, VBHC innovations.Barbora’s international experience includes senior roles in Australia, the USA, and Europe, with previous appointments at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Monash University, Baker IDI, and the University of Copenhagen, Steno Diabetes Centre.
In addition to RMIT, she holds an adjunct Professorship of Medicine at Monash University and University of Queensland. She is also a Specialist Physician at Monash Health working in Departments of General Medicine and Diabetes & Vascular Medicine. Her work has been cited in seven global policy documents including by the WHO, World Bank, and NIH, and she has served on national committees such as the NHMRC, Diabetes Australia Research Trust, and the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.
She holds a PhD in epidemiology, MPH, NIH clinical trials training, and an Executive MBA, enabling her to bring together clinical, scientific, and commercial acumen. She mentors startups through the MedTech Actuator and Cica labs, advising on VBHC-aligned innovation and commercialisation. Barbora has delivered >500 presentations, supervised over 100 PhD students and clinician-researchers, and received 20 national and international awards.
Her vision is to create integrated, evidence-based solutions for chronic disease prevention and management, guided by VBHC principles. She champions holistic approaches that address not only individual health but also system-wide transformation, redefining success in healthcare around value. Her ultimate goal is for her research to inform treatment guidelines, reduce morbidity and healthcare costs, and reshape healthcare to be proactive, human-centred, and sustainable.
Dr. Christos Papadimitriou is a visionary CEO, serial entrepreneur, and award-winning neuroscientist driving advancements in regenerative medicine and pharmaceutical innovation.
As the CEO and Managing Director of Tessara Therapeutics, he spearheaded the development and commercialisation of RealBrain® technology, a groundbreaking human-mimetic 3D brain tissue that transforms drug discovery and therapeutic applications.
A global leader in life sciences, Christos has held key research roles at prestigious institutions, including Johns Hopkins Medical School, ETH Zurich, and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases.
With an exceptional ability to blend science with business acumen, Christos has successfully secured significant financial backing through diverse sources, including institutional investors, government initiatives, and private markets, propelling Tessara's emergence as a leading deep-tech company.
Christos’ numerous accolades, such as the Young Achiever Award, reflect his relentless pursuit of excellence. His leadership and global collaborations continue to shape the future of healthcare and drug development with ingenuity and purpose
Katherine Meagher is a design practitioner and the Director & Co-founder of Critical Turn.
Her specialty is research activation for behaviour change: translating validated findings on sleep, circadian rhythm, nutrition, habits and team dynamics into tailored information and products for 24/7 and crisis response teams.
Katherine and her team have supported irregular-hours workers across healthcare and frontline services, cyber security, trucking, government and big tech to prioritise measurable behaviour change to lower fatigue risk, improve resilience and influence higher retention through optimised scheduling and micro-habits that stick.
In Australia, more than four million people regularly work at night. Shift design must align with human biology.
With a background in marketing and communication, Katherine builds engaging products that turn knowledge into behaviour and improve real-time decision quality.
Her through-line is simple: make high performance at night humane, practical and sustainable so people in critical roles can thrive, not just survive.
Keir Paterson is CEO of Neighbourhood Houses Victoria, the peak body for the 400+ neighbourhood houses and community centres in the state.
He was previously general manager of the mental health not for profit SuperFriend and has held management and board positions in mental health and public health.
Keir is an active volunteer in his local community and has experienced the mental health benefits of community connection firsthand.
Dr Donna Wheatley is a nationally recognised workspace and education expert. She utilises her skills in strategy, concept design, and stakeholder engagement to deliver world class spaces over a variety of sectors.
Donna draws upon her innovative and logical thinking, as well as her PhD background to apply research and data to drive the strategy. Donna has played a significant role nationally and abroad, delivering designs and strategies for major education institutions.
Donna will discuss two recent Gray Puksand projects that represent different ways wellbeing can be supported through workplace design.
The design of the Medibank offices draws on connections to country and a range of spatial preferences for neurodivergent people.
The design of the Perpetual offices focuses on teaming and understanding how social dynamics in the workplace supports mental wellbeing.
Donna will share practical ideas that organisations can consider in creating positive and healthy workplace environments.
Ika Trijsburg draws on diverse sector expertise to address complex challenges to democracy.
She leads the Disinformation in the City project across five Australian universities, and was lead author of the world first Disinformation in the City Response Playbook in 2024.
Ika is Director of Urban Analytics at the ANU Institute for Infrastructure in Society in the Crawford School for Public Policy and Head of Democracy and Diplomacy at Municipal Association of Victoria.
She also holds positions with the German Marshall Fund of the United States and the Initiative for Peacebuilding at the University of Melbourne.
She has provided guidance on disinformation response to key actors globally including cities, national governments, international networks and UN agencies.
Jo Buick is the Founder and Director of Collective Being, a health-promotion charity working at the intersection of care, mental health, and systems change.
Through Collective Being’s group programs, Jo and her team share trauma-informed, body-based skills that help people in carceral and clinical settings calm their nervous systems, lower stress, and feel safer and more at ease in their bodies and minds.
The organisation also trains frontline, education, and care sector workers to use these tools, strengthening their capacity to cope with stress and integrate this approach into everyday mental health and community care.
With over 17 years in the social justice sector, Jo’s career has spanned education, housing, out-of-home care, youth mental health, and refugee rights.
She holds Master’s degrees in Teaching and Education, and has trained extensively in mental health, mindfulness, somatics, and trauma-informed practice—disciplines that shape Collective Being’s grounded and accessible approach to dismantling the structural barriers that disrupt wellbeing.
We're always on the look out for terrific practitioners, health professionals, founders, policy makers, researchers, designers, engineers, artists, community leaders etc who are working and creating at the intersection of neuroscience, innovation, built environment, community health, technology, resilience, leadership and wellbeing to support better brian health outcomes for people, workplaces and communities.
Please get in touch if you (or someone you know) would be a great participant or collaborator for this event in the future.
