ISBD Officers | ISBD Staff

Term: 2005-7
Professor of Psychiatry
Michael Smith Foundation Senior Scholar
The University of British Columbia
UBC Hospital
2255 Wesbrook Mall
Vancouver, BC
V6T 2A1
CANADA

Term: 2005-7
Swanston Centre
PO Box 281
Geelong
Victoria 3220
AUSTRALIA

Valentim Gentil, MD, PhD

Robert Belmaker, MD

Term: 2003-6
Beer Sheva Mental Health Center
ISRAEL

Borris Birmaher, MD, PhD

Giovanni B. Cassano, MD

Francesc Colom, PhD

Judith Jaeger, PhD, MPA

Peter Joyce, MG, ChB, PhD

William Lawson, MD, PhD

Janusz Rybakowski, MD

Amarendra Singh, MD

Term: 2003-6
ARGENTINA

Executive Director

Board of Councilors Statements of Intent

Mark Frye, MD: It is an honor to be nominated to serve on the ISBD Board of Councilors. As a clinical researcher, teacher, and advocate for patients with bipolar disorder, my career goal is to conduct clinically relevant research. My research has currently focused on alcohol abuse, co-morbidity, new drug development, and the use of MR spectroscopy to study drug mechanism of action. I would very much welcome the opportunity to contribute to the goals of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders and would focus on developing an international consortium in multi-site collaborative work, rapid communication of scientific reports, and increasing the visibility of our work and the global impact of bipolar disorder.

John Tiller, MD: John Tiller is a Lifetime Member of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders. He is chair of the Education Committee and is a member of the Governance Committee of ISBD. He is the Foundation Chairman of the Australasian Society for Bipolar Disorders which has just been established to advance the cause of bipolar disorders, particularly in Australia and New Zealand, and is affiliated with ISBD. This affiliation will advance the position of ISBD in the Australasian region. He is a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne, Melbourne Australia, where he is head of the Professorial Unit at Albert Road Clinic. That is an 80 bed private psychiatric hospital owned by Ramsay Healthcare, and in addition to offering inpatient and outpatient facilities, is a centre for undergraduate and postgraduate medical, nursing and psychology teaching.

John Tiller has been active in supporting ISBD and its international affiliates. He has a long history of conducting research on affective disorders, and in fostering community support organisations. He is currently chair of the editorial committee of the independent drug bulletin "Australian Prescriber" and is a director of the independent, not-for-profit organisation "Therapeutic Guidelines.

I-Shin Shiah, MD, PhD: It is my honor to be nominated for the International Society for Bipolar Disorders' Board of Councilors. If elected, I will work towards increasing the roles of Asian countries, including Taiwan, in the ISBD.

I completed my PhD in Neuroscience Graduate Program of the University of British Columbia, Canada in 1999. My thesis is focused on the serotonin and GABA function in bipolar disorder and in the mechanisms of action of mood stabilizers including divalproex sodium. During my study, I have published a number of first-author papers in top rank journals in the field of bipolar psychopharmacology, neuroimaging and neuroendocrinology. After I finished my PhD degree, I returned to Taiwan and devoted myself to the continuing education for Taiwanese psychiatrists on the topics of diagnosis and treatment of bipolar disorders. I organized a total of four bipolar symposiums on different topics (neurobiology, diagnosis and treatment) with the attendance of internationally renowned scholars in the past three years. I was also involved in the treatment guidelines and pharmacological advisory board for bipolar disorders in the Taiwanese Society of Psychiatry. More recently, I became the Editor-in-Chief for the Complex Chinese version of Bipolar Disorders (the official journal of ISBD) with the authorization of ISBD. The first issue will come out this March. I also have served on the organizing committees for the College of International Neuropsychopharmacology (CINP) Asia-Pacific regional meeting in March 14-17, 2006, Pattaya, THAILAND, and the 12th Pacific Rim College of Psychiatrists Scientific Meeting in Oct. 5-8, 2006, Taipei, Taiwan.

In addition to the above academic activities, I was also actively involved in public education for the awareness of bipolar disorder for Taiwanese society through lectures, media interviews, and article-writing for newspapers. I have lectured nationally for more than 150 sessions. With my dedication and rigor, I have become one of the leaders in the Taiwanese Society of Psychiatry, especially in the field of bipolar disorder.

Finally, my commitment for the ISBD is to establish the Taiwanese Society of Bipolar Disorders, and to enhance the international connections between our society and ISBD.

Serge Beaulieu, MD, PhD: The ISBD is already a vibrant and dynamic organization which has evolved rapidly over the last few years. However, we still face many challenges. As a lifetime member, I am committed to the development of our Society into the main international organization that will be a voice and a leader for the development of better treatments; diffusion of knowledge to the public, patients and physicians; and most importantly, the acceleration of translational research from the basic science to clinical research and application. One way to insure the achievement of these goals is to provide the scientific, policy makers, and medical and public communities a centralized vehicle of communication via our Annual and Satellite Meetings, our well established Journal and our website. Our Society must seize the opportunity of becoming the main organization stimulating young researchers and physicians to develop an interest for our rapidly evolving field. Research on bipolar disorders has often been neglected in the past, in part, due to the difficulty to develop animal models of this disorder and to the complexities of its clinical presentation. However, modern medical technologies have started to open new windows on the brain and clinical research. Our Society must help to stimulate and maintain the interest of the medical and scientific community for the study of bipolar disorders.

None of this will be possible to attain if we don't make active efforts to increase our membership around the world. Therefore, I consider that in addition to the objectives stated above, the most urgent task will be to develop a systematic membership campaign to increase our representation and to build a more stable financial structure that will allow us to develop other programs suited to reach the more general goals stated above.

I have devoted my career as a clinician - scientist to the study and treatment of mood disorders, especially bipolar disorders. I believe that we have great opportunities ahead of us to dramatically increase our understanding of the brain and mental illness. I am looking forward to help our Society to become a leader in fostering and disseminating new knowledge in the field of bipolar disorders.