Arlene MacDougall’s Post

In 2018, I was honoured to be selected by the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and the The InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) to take part in the global Young Physician Leaders (YPL) program and the World Health Summit in Berlin, with leadership training from ESMT Berlin’s Nora Ilona Grasselli and Jo Ivey Boufford from NYU’s School of Global Public Health. Last week, I returned to Berlin to collaborate with YPL program leaders and an extraordinary group of alumni to reimagine the YPL curriculum for future cohorts and co-create a plan to strengthen our global network and collective impact. During the Summit, Jeremy Farrar, WHO Chief Scientist, reminded us that mental ill-health must no longer be treated as peripheral to global health, but as central and deeply intertwined with other noncommunicable diseases and the social, economic, and environmental systems that shape them. He emphasized that no single actor or sector can address these challenges alone. Real progress demands shared governance, multisectoral collaboration, and courageous, compassionate leadership. These words deeply resonate with the work we’re advancing through both the MINDS of London Middlesex Social Innovation and Research Lab at St. Joseph's Health Care London and The Global MINDS Collective, which developed the Mindful Social Innovation (MSI) approach. Grounded in mindfulness, MSI is a transformational approach and curriculum that unities lived-experience leaders, cross-sectoral service providers, researchers, and system changemakers to co-design authentic, compassionate, and visionary solutions that heal both individuals and systems. Earlier this month in London, MINDS of London Middlesex inaugural MSI Training Program cohort of cross-sectoral professionals with support from lived experience advisors pitched their mental health system solutions for local youth - showcasing values-driven prototypes and partnerships that move us from ideas to implementation. Witnessing their creativity, courage, and collaboration was a powerful reminder of what mindful innovation can achieve! Looking ahead, I’m focused on scaling MSI nationally and globally, forging new partnerships across sectors, and harnessing the potential of XR and AI to transform how we lead, connect and innovate. Together, we’re building a new generation of mindful, systems-level leaders - capable of advancing mental health, equity and human flourishing at scale. If you’re interested in collaborating on research, implementation, or leadership development in Mindful Social Innovation, AI/XR for mental health or transforming health systems, feel free to reach out or DM me. #HealthLeadership #YoungPhysicianLeaders #GlobalHealth #SocialInnovation #MentalHealth #SystemTransformation #MindfulLeadership #AI #XR Atiya Mosam Dr. Omary Chillo Juan Carlos Núñez Enríquez McGrath Peter Katharina Kölbl Jess Ireland, CISSP, PMP Irnes Zeljkovic BA,BSW, MSW, RSW Karima Kaiyum Nikita Miller, ACC, CPCC Raksha Sule Tarun Katapally