GBHI welcomes Professor Iracema Leroi as new Site Director

Posted on: 26 November 2024

(From left) Christopher G. Oechsli, Chair of the Atlantic Institute Governing Board, with Iracema Leroi and Brian Lawlor

The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), based at Trinity College Dublin and the University of California, San Francisco, leads a global community dedicated to addressing threats to brain health. Since its establishment in 2015 with a landmark grant from the Atlantic Philanthropies, GBHI has built a network of over 260 Atlantic Fellows for Equity in Brain Health across 60 countries. These inspirational, transdisciplinary leaders are committed to advancing brain health, reducing stigma, and enhancing the quality of life for people with dementia.

"Leading GBHI at Trinity since its inception has been a transformative experience," said Brian Lawlor, Conolly Norman Professor of Old Age Psychiatry at Trinity and current Site Director. "Looking ahead to 2025, when we will welcome our tenth cohort of Atlantic Fellows, it feels like the right time to transition the Site Director role to new leadership. As a Founding Director, I am energized to keep advancing GBHI’s mission and to support its next phase of growth and innovation with Iracema at the helm.”

Professor Leroi is a respected faculty member at GBHI and Professor in Geriatric Psychiatry at Trinity. She also serves as a Consultant Psychiatrist at St. James’s Hospital in Dublin and is lead of HRB-CTN Dementia Trials Ireland, Ireland’s national trials’ infrastructure. With a focus on pragmatic interventions for the cognitive and neuropsychiatric aspects of neurodegenerative disorders—particularly Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases—she brings extensive research, clinical and educational expertise to her new role.

Leading GBHI initiatives at Trinity

As Site Director, Iracema will lead GBHI initiatives at Trinity, advancing a life-course approach to brain health and GBHI’s strategic vision. Her responsibilities include overseeing the Atlantic Fellows program, supporting alumni impact, fostering regional collaborations, and securing the long-term sustainability of GBHI at Trinity.

Commenting on her appointment, Professor Leroi said:

“Our team is united by a powerful mission to address the urgent challenges to brain health across all stages of life, worldwide. Leading GBHI at Trinity is both a privilege and an honour, and I am deeply committed to working alongside our extraordinary staff, faculty, and fellows. I aim to build on the strong foundation laid by Brian, driving impactful, lasting change and amplifying creative solutions that advance brain health on a global scale.”

Since joining GBHI in 2019, Iracema has focused on strengthening connections with dementia programs in low- and middle-income countries, especially in South Asia, and has been instrumental in building capacity for dementia research and clinical practice. Working at the intersection of research and care, she prioritizes integrating patient and public perspectives into her work. Guided by GBHI’s values—authenticity, fairness, openness, respect, courage, and empathy—Iracema promotes a collaborative leadership style. She is committed to advancing the Atlantic Fellows for Equity in Brain Health curriculum, creating a dynamic, interdisciplinary learning ecosystem to realize GBHI’s vision.

Emma Stokes, Vice President for Global Engagement at Trinity and current chair of the GBHI Governing Board, said:

“We are enormously grateful to Professor Brian Lawlor for his leadership and commitment to GBHI. Brian’s transformational leadership has been pivotal in establishing and growing a remarkable community of leaders committed to brain health equity around the world.  “As Professor Leroi assumes the role of Site Director, her depth of expertise and global perspective will shape GBHI at Trinity and its future impact, addressing critical brain health challenges and championing meaningful change worldwide.”

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