Speakers
Our speakers bring together internationally recognised expertise and invaluable lived experience to provide a comprehensive perspective on depression. The programme features leading clinicians, researchers, advocates, and people with lived experience who are shaping the future of mental health care across the globe. Through inspiring presentations, practical insights, and open discussions, they will share the latest evidence, personal stories, and innovative approaches to understanding, treating, and living with depression, creating a unique opportunity to learn directly from some of the field’s most respected voices.
Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hegerl
PRESIDENT EAAD
Prof. Ulrich Hegerl is a leading expert on depression and suicide prevention. He was the Director of the Psychiatry Clinic in Leipzig until 2019 and held the Senckenberg Distinguished Professorship at Goethe University Frankfurt from 2019 to 2024. He has over 30 years’ experience in mental health research and has published over 700 scientific papers. Prof. Ulrich Hegerl is a leading expert on depression and suicide prevention. He was the Director of the Psychiatry Clinic in Leipzig until 2019.
Petr Winkler, PhD
SCIENTIFIC LEAD & TEAM COORDINATOR
Petr Winkler, PhD, is Scientific Lead of the European Alliance Against Depression (EAAD). Previously, he served as Director of the National Institute of Mental Health in the Czech Republic and as Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Public Mental Health Research and Service Development. His work focuses on research and implementation in the fields of public mental health, suicide prevention, and mental health system reform, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe. He is Senior Editor of Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health.