Who We Are
I-CEPS 2027 Global Ambassadors
Dr Carolyn Webster-Stratton, Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington, is the founder of the Incredible Years® Series for Parents, Children, and Teachers. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and nurse practitioner. During her time at University of Washington, Dr Webster-Stratton was Director of the UW Parenting Clinic. Forty-three years ago she began developing and researching the Incredible Years programs. She has conducted numerous randomized control group studies to evaluate the effectiveness of intervention programs for promoting social and emotional competence, school readiness skills and preventing conduct problems in high risk populations. She has also evaluated teacher, parent and child treatment programs for children diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Conduct Disorder and ADHD. The Incredible Years programs have been delivered in more than 24 countries.
Dr Tony Biglan is a Senior Scientist at ORI and President of Values to Action. He has been researching the development and prevention of child and adolescent problem behavior for the past 40 years. He has conducted numerous experimental evaluations of interventions to prevent tobacco use, high-risk sexual behavior, antisocial behavior, and reading failure through interventions in families, schools, and communities. His book, The Nurture Effect: How the Science of Human Behavior Can Improve Our Lives and Our World, won an award from the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis. Based on the accumulated knowledge about what humans need to thrive, Dr Biglan created Values to Action, a non-profit organization that helps communities come together around a shared vision and create “Action Circles” to implement evidence-based solutions to their most pressing problems.
Dr Gauri Divan is the Director of the Child Development Group at the Indian NGO Sangath. Sangath's work extends across the life span with a focus on developing and evaluating innovative packages of care that can be delivered through non-specialist health workers. As a developmental paediatrician, Gauri works in the areas of early child development, developmental disabilities and adolescent health. She has been on the technical resource group of the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karykram, Government of India, the Technical Committee for National Strategy on Autism, and the WHO technical consultative group providing expertise for autism in developing country settings. She has been teaching Sangath’s Leadership in Mental Health course since 2009, the Case Studies in Global Mental Health Delivery at Harvard Medical School since 2018, and was visiting faculty at the University of Ibadan’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Master’s program. She has been a member of the Lancet Commission on the Future of Care and Research in Autism, 2019-2021 and is an INSAR Global Senior Leader and serves on their Nomination Committee.
Michael Hogan has over 30 years of executive experience in the public and community sectors in public policy making, organisational leadership, coaching and mentoring, strategy development and facilitation, stakeholder and community engagement, public interest advocacy, innovation and change, issue management, and system stewardship. Michael has held CEO roles in two government agencies – as the Director-General of the Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women, and of the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability services in Queensland. He has also been a deputy or assistant CEO in the QLD Department of the Premier and Cabinet, DCCSDS and the QLD Department of Communities; and before that he was an executive in the NSW Premier’s Department. Michael was a long-standing member of the national Child and Families Secretaries Group and has been the QLD Government DG Champion for the Indigenous communities of Hope Vale, Doomadgee and the Torres Straits.
Deb Tsorbaris is a leading advocate for children, young people and families, with over 30 years of experience in executive roles in the not for profit and public sectors. As National Children's Commissioner, Ms Tsorbaris promotes and protects children's human rights. An essential part of her job is listening to Australia's children and young people about their needs and experiences, so she can inform decision-makers and hold them accountable for policies and services. Ms Tsorbaris was previously CEO of the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare, Victoria’s peak body for child and family services. She also holds several key advisory roles, including as a member of the Victorian Children’s Council and the Victorian Women’s Ministerial Correctional Services Committee, and as Co-Chair of the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse Advisory Group. Ms Tsorbaris provides policy leadership to governments across Australia and has been instrumental in advancing the rights of vulnerable and marginalised children. Ms Tsorbaris was honoured with the prestigious Robin Clark Leadership Award in 2022.
Dr Alvin Lai Oon Ng, DPsych (Murdoch) is a clinical psychologist by training and is now a full time academic at the Department of Psychology, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Malaysia where he is a Professor of Psychology. Dr Ng was the Founding President of the Malaysian Society of Clinical Psychology which he helped established in 2010. Despite being no longer in clinical practice, he is an active advocate for public mental health literacy as well as professional development in clinical psychology. He was an expert panel in the MyPositive Parenting Magazine for many years. He served as Secretary of the Asian Cognitive Behavioral Therapies Association (ACBTA) twice and is now the social media officer for the World Confederation for Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies (WCCBT). In 2021, he chaired the 7th Asian Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Conference that attracted more than 7,400 delegates from 80 countries over three days of virtual sessions.
Dr Claire Achmad is a recognised advocate for children in Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally, having worked in a wide range of areas relating to children's rights, including from legal, policy and practice perspectives. In 2023, Claire was appointed as the Chief Children's Commissioner and Chair of the Commission for a total term of five years. In 2025, Claire embraced the role of Children's Commissioner following the change from an independent Crown entity led by a multi-member board to an independent Crown entity led by a single Children’s Commissioner. Claire previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Social Service Providers Te Pai Ora o Aotearoa, championing the aspirations and outcomes of children, rangatahi and whānau and community-based social service providers. Claire holds a doctorate in international children’s rights law from Leiden University, the Netherlands, and has published internationally on a range of children's rights issues. She also holds degrees in Arts and Law from the University of Auckland and is a University of Auckland 40 Under 40 Honoree.
Dr Stephen Scott is a Professor of Child Health and Behaviour at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London. He works as a consultant psychiatrist specialising in two areas, conduct problems and adoption and fostering. He enjoys carrying out trials of parenting interventions to improve child outcomes in both the attachment and antisocial behaviour domains. He is an author of the bestselling introductory textbook, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (Goodman and Scott, 3rd edition) and an author and editor of the large, authoritative textbook, Rutter’s Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. In 2014 he was made a Commander of the British Empire by the Queen; and in 2017, a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. In 2019 he was made an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child health.
Emeritus Professor Bruce Tonge AO is one of Australia’s most distinguished child and adolescent psychiatrists and a leading authority on developmental psychiatry. At Monash University, he established and directed the Centre for Developmental Psychiatry and Psychology, helping to shape research, clinical practice, and professional training in child mental health over several decades. His work has focused on autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, neurodevelopmental disorders, childhood anxiety and depression, and the behavioural and emotional wellbeing of children and adolescents. Professor Tonge is widely known for co-developing the Developmental Behaviour Checklist, a globally used assessment tool for identifying behavioural and emotional problems in children and adolescents with intellectual disability. He has authored hundreds of scientific publications, books, manuals, and book chapters, making substantial contributions to the understanding and treatment of developmental and mental health disorders in young people.
Dr Marie-Hélène Gagné is a professor and researcher at the School of Psychology at Université Laval, Canada, where she has been a faculty member since 2003. Trained in both clinical and community psychology, she is a leading researcher in the prevention of child maltreatment, youth victimization, family violence, and the promotion of healthy child and adolescent development. She focuses on preventive approaches aimed at reducing parents' reliance on various forms of violent or neglectful behavior toward their children. Her work draws on prevention science and implementation research to evaluate programs, policies, and interventions that support vulnerable children and families. Dr Gagné has contributed substantially to understanding the causes, consequences, and prevention of violence against children and adolescents. Through collaborations with community organizations and social service agencies, her research informs evidence-based practice and public policy in Quebec and beyond.
Dr Hiran Thabrew is a child and adolescent psychiatrist, paediatrician, and senior lecturer in the Department of Psychological Medicine at Waipapa Taumata Rau – the University of Auckland, New Zealand. He is Director of Te Ara Hāro, the Centre for Infant, Child and Adolescent Mental Health, and leads several initiatives focused on improving the wellbeing of children and young people. His research spans digital mental health, youth suicide prevention, autism, eating disorders, chronic health conditions, school-based health services, and mental health service development. Dr Thabrew has been a pioneer in the design and evaluation of eHealth and digital interventions that support young people experiencing anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges. He also works clinically with the Consult Liaison Team at Starship Children’s Hospital. His research, teaching, clinical leadership, and advocacy have advanced the field of child and adolescent mental health in New Zealand and internationally.
Jon Baron is a government reformer who has played a pivotal role in advancing evidence-based policy making for over 20 years. He recently relaunched the Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy (the non-partisan organization he founded and led from 2001-2015) and serves as the Coalition’s President, CEO, and Chairman. From 2015-2021, Jon served as Vice President of Evidence-Based Policy at the Laura and John Arnold Foundation (now Arnold Ventures), where he designed and led a major research funding portfolio that has successfully grown the body of proven-effective social programs. Jon was twice nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate to serve on the National Board for Education Sciences (2004-2011), and was the Board’s chairman during the last year of his term. He has also served on the National Academy of Sciences’ Committee on Capitalizing on Science, Technology, and Innovation; and is an Honorary Fellow of the Academy of Experimental Criminology, and a recipient of the Society for Prevention Research’s Public Service Award.
Dr Bram Orobio de Castro is Professor of Child and Youth Care Sciences and Developmental Psychopathology at the University of Amsterdam, Netherlands. An internationally recognized developmental psychologist, his research focuses on the origins, prevention, and treatment of aggressive behavior and psychosocial problems in children and adolescents, particularly among vulnerable young people facing adversity. Professor Orobio de Castro has made major contributions to understanding how children process social information and how these processes influence aggression, bullying, and behavioral difficulties. His research has shaped contemporary theory and practice in developmental psychopathology, aggression, child development, and evidence-based interventions. He has led innovative studies using technologies such as virtual reality to better understand and treat behavioral problems in young people. He continues to influence policy, research, and clinical practice aimed at promoting the mental health and wellbeing of children and adolescents worldwide.
I-CEPS 2027 Committee Members
Convenors
Professor Matthew Sanders (The University of Queensland, Australia)
Dr Cheri Shapiro (Co-chairperson; University of South Carolina, USA)
Organising Committee
• Professor Karen Turner (Chair; The University of Queensland, Australia)
• Dr Alimila Hayixibayi (Congress Coordinator; The University of Queensland, Australia)
• Mr Warren Cann (Congress Treasurer; Parenting Research Centre, Australia)
• Ms Sarah Little (Communications; The University of Queensland, Australia)
• Ms Samantha Gardiner (Communications; The University of Queensland, Australia)
• Mr Matthew Taylor (Communications; The University of Queensland, Australia)
• Ms Heidi Minchin (Graphics; The University of Queensland, Australia)
• Dr Carolina Gonzalez (Volunteer Coordinator; University of Southern Queensland, Australia)
Scientific Program Committee
• Associate Professor David Pasalich (Co-chair; Australian National University, Australia)
• Dr Christiane Kehoe (Co-chair; The University of Melbourne, Australia)
• Professor Kerri McPherson (Co-chair; Glasgow Caledonian University, UK)
• Professor Karla van Leeuwen (Co-chair; KU Leuven, Belgium)
• Tamara Del Vecchio (Co-chair; St John's University, USA)
• Assistant Professor Caitlyn Owens (Co-chair; James Madison University, USA)
• Dr Japeth Adina (The University of Queensland, Australia)
• Professor Amit Baumel (University of Haifa, Israel)
• Assistant Professor Shelina Bhamani (Aga Khan University, Pakistan)
• Ms Peggy Govers (Triple P Parenting, Canada)
• Professor Sophie Havighurst (University of Melbourne, Australia)
• Professor David Hawes (University of Sydney, Australia)
• Dr Grace Kirby (The University of Queensland, Australia)
• Adjunct Professor Cynthia Leung (Victoria University, Australia)
• Associate Professor Trevor Mazzucchelli (Curtin University, Australia)
• Dr Tianyi Ma (The University of Queensland, Australia)
• Professor Marigen Narea (Universidad Catolica de Chile)
• Professor Melanie Woodfield (University of Auckland, New Zealand)
Strategic Advisors
• Professor Richard Hastings (University of Birmingham, UK)
• Professor Bonamy Oliver (University College London, UK)
• Professor Ron Prinz (University of South Carolina, USA)
• Professor Jo van Herwegen (University College London, UK)
Finance Committee
• Mr Warren Cann (Chair; Parenting Research Centre, Australia)
• Mr Roger Lam (Parenting Research Centre, Australia)
• Professor Alina Morawska (The University of Queensland, Australia)
• Mr Benjamin Sanders (Sanders Family Foundation, Australia)
• Professor Matthew Sanders (The University of Queensland, Australia)
• Professor Karen Turner (The University of Queensland, Australia)