Candidates Corner for WPA Elections 2026
The WPA Executive Committee (EC) is a group of six representatives elected by WPA members at the triennial
WPA General Assembly. Its primary role is to guide the work of the Secretariat and to deliver on the relevant
Action Plan for the triennium.
President-Elect
Prof. Lade Smith, United Kingdom
MBBS FRSM MD FRCPE FFPH FRCPSYCH
Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, Clinical Director and Lead, academic and national policy leader with extensive experience in mental health inequality, forensic mental health, intensive care and emergency psychiatry, sexual and reproductive side effects of antipsychotic medication, physical health in severe mental illness, rapid tranquillisation policy, service transformation, and national mental health guideline development.
Prof. Lukoye Atwoli, Kenya
MBChB, MMed Psych, PhD, M.B.S., IFAPA, MKNAS, FAAS
Professor of Psychiatry and Dean, Aga Khan University Medical College, East Africa Deputy Director, Brain and Mind Institute
Prof. Roger Man Kin NG, Hong Kong, China
MBChB, MSc, MRCPsych, FHKCPsych, FRCPsych, FHKAM
Consultant Psychiatrist, senior clinical leader and internationally recognised CBT expert with extensive experience in severe mental illness, psychosis, mood and anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, forensic psychiatry, child and adolescent early intervention, psychotherapy training, mental health service leadership, research ethics, and international psychiatric education.
Prof. Roy Abraham Kallivayalil, India
Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry, Pushpagiri Institute of Medical Sciences, Thiruvalla, Kerala, India- 689 101
Prof. M. S. Renuka-Prasad, Canada
BSc,MBBS, DGM, FRCPsych, FRCPC, DFCPA, DFAPA
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry with more than three decades of experience in clinical practice, academic leadership, postgraduate education, and mental health system development across India, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Professional work focused on geriatric psychiatry, interdisciplinary models of care, residency training, clinical governance, and collaborative leadership at provincial, national, and international levels. Emphasized service, integrity, and partnership, with a consistent commitment to strengthening mental health systems and improving care for vulnerable and aging populations.
Secretary General
Prof. Konstantinos N. Fountoulakis, Greece
MD
Professor of Psychiatry at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and director of the 3rd Department of Psychiatry at AHEPA University Hospital, in Thessaloniki, Greece. Zonal Representative for Zone 8 (Southern Europe) in the Board of the World Psychiatric Association, National Representative for Mental Health in the World Health Organization, director of the WHO Collaborating Center in AUTh and Vice-President of the Hellenic Psychiatric Association.Chair of the Mental Health Section of the Institute of Scientific Research of the Greek Medical Association.
Dr. Radwa Said Abdelazim Elfeqi, Egypt
MSc, MD, FECSM
Psychiatrist, sexologist, academic, and researcher with extensive international expertise in psychoneuroimmunology, dance movement therapy, expressive arts therapies, and sexual medicine.
Dr. Ramune Mazaliauskiene, Lithuania
MD
Consultant Psychiatrist, President of the Lithuanian Psychiatric Association and Zone 7 (Northern Europe) Representative at the World Psychiatric Association, with experience in clinical practice, psychotherapy, and mental health service leadership.
Secretary for Finances and Fundraising
Dr. Vinay Kumar, India
MD, DFAPA
Consultant Psychiatrist, Manoved Mind Hospital & Research Centre Pvt. Ltd.
Zone 15 (South Asia) Representative at the World Psychiatric Association. Life Fellow: Indian Psychiatric Society Indian Association for Social Psychiatry Association of Industrial Psychiatry
International Distinguished Fellow: American Psychiatric Association.
Prof. Amine Larnaout, Tunisia
MD
Associate Professor in Psychiatry Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar Department of Psychiatry D, Razi Hospital, Manouba, Tunisia
Zonal Representative for Northern Africa (Zone 11), WPA Executive Committee
Dr. Rodrigo Nel Cordoba Rojas, Colombia
MD
Psychiatrist, researcher and clinical leader based in Bogotá (Colombia), founder and director of the CISNE Research Group, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, and Zone 4 Representative at the World Psychiatric Association.
Dr. Thelma Sanchez-Villanueva, Mexico
MD
Psychiatrist based in Guadalajara (Mexico), clinical leader and academic educator, serving as Zone 3 (Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean) Representative at the World Psychiatric Association.
Zone 1 - Canada
Prof. Gary Chaimowitz, Canada
F.R.C.P.(C), M.B.,Ch.B.
Continuing Zone 1 Representative. Professor and Division Head, McMaster University
Zone 2
Prof. Rick Wolthusen, USA
MD, MPP
Psychiatrist, clinician-educator, and global mental health practitioner whose work bridges severe mental illness care, education, public policy, and systems-level capacity building. Clinician in the Psychotic Disorders Division at McLean Hospital, specializing in psychosis, bipolar disorder, and catatonia, with a broader clinical focus on serious mental illness, and holds academic affiliations with Harvard Medical School, USA, and the University of Ghana, Ghana.
Zone 3 - Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean
Dra. Roxanna Ruíz Cabarrús, Mexico
MD. PhD.
Psychiatrist, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Specialist
Zone 4 - Northern South America
Dr. Carlos Lòpez-Jaramillo, Colombia
MD MSc PhD
Doctor of Medicine from the University of Antioquia. Specialist in Psychiatry. Research Group in Psychiatry GIPSI, Medellín, Colombia.
Zone 5 - Southern South America
Dr. Manuel Vilapriño, Argentina
MD.
Psychiatrist, former President of the Argentine Association of Psychiatrists, and current Director of Mental Health for the Province of Mendoza. Works across public and private mental health sectors as a clinical psychiatrist, university lecturer, and researcher.
Zone 6 - Western Europe
Prof. Johannes Wancata, Austria
MD.
Continuing Zone 6 Representative. Professor emeritus for Social Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. Researcher at the Clinical Division of Social Psychiatry, University Hospital Vienna. Head of the Postgraduate study program “Behavioral therapy”
Zone 7 - Northern Europe
Prof. Maria Larsson, Sweden
MD.
Senior Consultant Psychiatrist with over 20 years of clinical experience in adult psychiatry, including leadership roles in both outpatient and inpatient care. Extensive expertise in bipolar disorder, service development, and clinical governance. Proven track record in organizational leadership, national professional engagement, and psychiatric program development.
Zone 8 - Southern Europe
Dr. Evangelia Tsapakis, Greece
BSc(Hons), MBBS, MSc, PhD(London), MRCPsych
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece 3rd Department of Academic Psychiatry, AHEPA University General Hospital of Thessaloniki, Greece
Zone 9 - Central Europe
Prof. Čedo Miljević, Serbia
MD, PhD
Psychiatrist, Associate Professor at the University of Belgrade and President of the Serbian Psychiatric Association, with extensive experience in psychotic disorders, clinical psychiatry, and psychiatric clinical trials.
Prof. Irina Pinchuk, Ukraine
MD, PhD
Professor and Director of the Institute of Psychiatry at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, and President of the Ukrainian Psychiatric Association, with extensive experience in mental health service leadership, addiction psychiatry, public mental health, and psychiatric research.
Zone 10 - Eastern Europe
Prof. Nikolay Negay, Kazakhstan
MD, PhD, MBA
Continuing Zone 10 Representative. Chief Researcher at the National Center for Mental Health of Kazakhstan, and Head of Emdeu Medical Data, with experience in clinical psychiatry, mental health policy, telemedicine, big data, and artificial intelligence in healthcare.
Zone 11 - Northern Africa
Prof. Gihan ELNahas, Egypt
M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Psychiatry with over 30 years of clinical, academic, and research experience in General Psychiatry, specializing in Women’s and Perinatal Mental Health. Recognized for sustained contributions on national, regional, and global levels in advancing women’s mental health.
Zone 12 - Middle East
Dr. Alaa Damen Al-Frokh, Jordan
M.D.
President of the Jordanian Psychiatric Association Consultant in Psychiatry and Addiction Treatment. Dedicated psychiatrist with extensive experience in mental health care, addiction treatment, and psychiatric education. Proven leadership in psychiatric associations and medical councils, committed to advancing mental health services and improving patient outcomes.
Zone 13 - Central and Western Africa
Dr. Delali Fiagbe, Ghana
MBChB, MWACP, FGCPS
Accomplished Senior Lecturer and Neuropsychiatrist with over a decade of experience in clinical practice, medical education, and research. As President of the Psychiatric Association of Ghana (2023–2025), led national mental health policy reforms and psychiatry advocacy initiatives across West Africa. As Head of Department at the University of Ghana Medical School, expanded research output, supervised multidisciplinary teams, and advanced academic and clinical excellence. Dedicated to improving patient care and training the next generation of medical professionals.
Prof. Taiwo Lateef Sheikh, Nigeria
MB.BS. (ABU), M.Sc. (ABU), FWACPsych., M.Cert. GMH (Harvard)
Professor of Psychiatry at the Department of Psychiatry, College of Medical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, and a member of high-level advisory committee to Africa CDC on NCDI and mental health.
