Prof. Ulrich Hegerl is a psychiatrist and an international expert in depression research and suicide prevention. As the founder of the German Alliance against Depression, Ulrich Hegerl developed the Community-Based Intervention to improve the care of people with depression and prevent suicidal acts – now the most widely implemented community-based approach to suicide prevention in the world. Formerly Director of the department of Psychiatry at the University Hospital in Leipzig, he held the Senckenberg Distinguished Professorship at Goethe University Frankfurt from 2019 to 2024, followed by the Goethe Research Professorship since 2025. With over 30 years in mental health research, he has published more than 700 scientific articles.

Prof. José Luis Ayuso Mateos is an international expert in the areas of nosology, epidemiology, and management and prevention of mental disorders and suicidal behaviour. He is the Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health Services at the Autonomous University of Madrid. He is currently the Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at the Hospital Universitario de la Princesa. He was a member of the International WHO Advisory Group and the Field Studies Coordination Group for the development of the ICD-11 for mental, behavioural, and neurodevelopmental disorders. He is currently a member of the Pan-European Mental Health Coalition involved in initiatives to support mental health in the workplace, with a particular focus on supporting health and social care in the workplace.

Professor Ella Arensman is Head of the School of Public Health, Professor of Public Mental Health with the School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health, and Chief Scientist with the National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, Ireland. She is Vice-President of the European Alliance Against Depression and past President of the International Association for Suicide Prevention. She is Visiting Professor with the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, Griffith University, Brisbane, and an advisor for WHO. For more than 35 years, she has initiated numerous national and international interdisciplinary research consortia on suicide and self-harm surveillance, intervention and prevention programmes for suicide, self-harm, depression, anxiety, and excess mortality among young people and adults with mental health conditions.

Dr. Simge Çelik Stojanovic is a mental health specialist with a focus on neuropsychology research and dementia. She has been involved in research projects conducted with diverse study groups, from children to older adults. Simge serves as EAAD project manager and supports the administration of EU-funded projects as well as the coordination of iFightDepression® activities. Simge holds an M.Sc. in Neuropsychology from Bristol University, UK, and a PhD from Heidelberg University, Germany.

Stefan Hackel, a technical communication expert, ensures the flawless communication within EAAD and the maintenance and development of the website and the iFightDepression® Suite. He also supports different EAAD projects with his technical expertise. Stefan holds an M.Sc. in Media Informatics from the University of Applied Sciences HTWK Leipzig.

Dr. Pia Hauck is a psychologist, with experience in both academic and applied research, as well as in marketing and communications in the fields of education and culture. As an international coordinator and a project manager, Pia is involved in managing EU-funded projects as well as the coordination and administration of EAAD. Pia holds a PhD. in Psychology from the University of Mainz, Germany.

Anuschka Khanna is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Psychology at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. Alongside her studies, she works as a student assistant at the European Alliance Against Depression, supporting social media activities to raise awareness and provide education about mental health.

Carolina Piña is a psychologist with postgraduate studies in Health Science. She has several years of experience in academia and has been involved in various research projects on social and health psychology. As a project manager, Carolina supports the administration of EU-funded projects, as well as other EAAD activities. Carolina holds a degree in Psychology from the National University of Colombia and a Master’s degree in Health Science from the Technical University of Munich.

Dr. Eva Schatz is a finance manager with previous experience in the banking sector and in NGOs. She manages payment operations, accounting preparation and supports production of EAAD financial reports. Eva holds an MBA and a PhD in Business Administration from the University of Göttingen, Germany.

Dr. Katharina Schnitzspahn is a psychologist who has conducted research on cognitive and emotional development at different universities across Europe before joining EAAD. As a project manager and international coordinator, Katharina supports EU-funded projects and is involved in the EAAD organisational management. Katharina holds a PhD in Psychology from the Technische Universität Dresden.

Joanna supports EAAD in design, communication, and the organisation of the European Patient Congress Depression (EPCD). Her background includes project management and event planning, as well as experience in providing digital support, including WordPress website development. Joanna holds a Master’s degree in Sociology from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń.

Sandra Albers is an experienced manager with a background of working with international teams and projects in a variety of industries, from the semi-public sector to investment banking and management consultancy. As a volunteer, Sandra supports EAAD by running the newsletter as well as event organisation, copywriting and translation among other tasks. Sandra has a degree in German/English Translation and Interpreting from the Fachakademie of Erlangen, Germany.

Nils is an experienced professional with a diverse background in ecology, finance, and project management. He has worked for many years as project manager on various IT projects for a company in Hong Kong. Nils has management experience and is a native speaker of both German and English with experience in translation. Volunteering with EAAD, Nils helps with translating, and proofreading and other tasks. Nils holds a PhD in Marine Ecology from Southampton University and a Bachelors in Business Administration and Accounting from the Metropolitan University of Hong Kong.

Maria Dudusova is a communications expert with 14 years of experience in PR and communications. After completing her studies of German and English linguistics and literature, she worked in international PR agencies, followed by global tech companies, focusing on adjusting global campaigns to local markets, raising brand awareness, and tailoring narratives to the needs of target audiences.

I am Charlotte Rogge, 27 years old. I work as an onboarding specialist and in personnel development. I came into contact with the topic of depression as soon as I can remember, as it is very common in my family. I myself have been affected by it for years and have been working intensively for almost 5 years to raise awareness. I wrote my master's thesis on “Mental illness in the workplace from the perspective of those affected” and would like to make a positive contribution to ensuring that we are heard and understood more, especially in the world of work. Above all, it is important to me that we don't always talk about the socially disadvantaged, but that many people who come from a good household are also affected. Unfortunately, this is too often lost on me in this whole issue.