Dr John Beard

John Beard, MBBS PhD, is Director of the Department of Ageing and Life Course at the World Health Organization in Geneva. In this role, he is responsible for increasing international awareness of ageing as a driving force in shaping 21st century public health, and for assisting and guiding the international community to meet the challenges, and to realize the potential benefits, associated with the rapid ageing of their populations.

John commenced his career in primary health care, including several years as medical officer for an Australian Aboriginal Medical Service. Since 1991, he has held a wide range of senior public health and academic roles, both in Australia and in the USA. Immediately prior to taking up his position with WHO, he spent 3 years as Senior Epidemiologist with the New York Academy of Medicine. John has published widely in the international literature. Much of his research has examined the social determinants of health in older adults, although he has also explored the influence of the physical and social environment on health at all ages.

Dr Joel Sadavoy

Dr. Joel Sadavoy is the inaugural Director of The Cyril & Dorothy, Joel & Jill Reitman Centre for Alzheimer's Support and Training, Head of Geriatric and Community Psychiatry at Mount Sinai Hospital and inaugural holder of the Sam and Judy Pencer Chair in Applied General Psychiatry. At the University of Toronto he is a Professor of Psychiatry and faculty in the School of graduate studies. From 1980-1991 he was the Psychiatrist-in-Chief of the Department of Psychiatry at Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care.

From 1991-1993 he headed the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry of the University of Toronto during which time he was elected the founding President of the Canadian Academy of Geriatric Psychiatry which represents specialty geriatric psychiatry in Canada and initiated the process of applying for specialty status for geriatric psychiatry in Canada. From 1993 to 2005 he was Psychiatrist-in-Chief at Mount Sinai Hospital during which time he also served as head of the division of general psychiatry of the University of Toronto and director of the joint program in General psychiatry of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and Mount Sinai hospital. He is Past President of the International Psychogeriatric Association (IPA), representing academic and clinical leaders in geriatric psychiatry from over 70 countries. Academic foci about which Dr. Sadavoy has written include applied research in service delivery and barriers to access to mental healthcare for ethnoracial seniors and personality and development in aging.

He is a recipient of the International psychogeriatric Association (IPA) field award for contributions to geriatric psychiatry in 1999, the "Outstanding Contribution to Geriatric Psychiatry" National Award of the Canadian Academy of Geriatric Psychiatry in 2006 and the IPA award for distinguished service in 2009. Over the past 5 years he has published three books in geriatric psychiatry including being the lead editor on the third edition of one of the standard textbooks in the field, "Comprehensive Textbook of Geriatric Psychiatry". His textbook on Psychopharmacology for the Elderly is now being translated into Chinese for publication in 2010

Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick

Elizabeth Broderick was appointed Sex Discrimination Commissioner and Commissioner responsible for Age Discrimination with the Australian Human Rights Commission on 10 September 2007 for a 5 year term.

Lawyer and businesswoman, Elizabeth was the 2001-02 Telstra NSW Business Woman of the Year and Australian Corporate Business Woman of the Year.

Prior to her appointment as Sex Discrimination Commissioner and Commissioner responsible for Age Discrimination, Elizabeth was a partner at one of Australia’s leading law firms.

Elizabeth has travelled the length and breadth of Australia listening to women and men’s concerns about gender equality and age discrimination. In 2009, she took a group of aboriginal women to the Commission on the Status of Women in the United Nations where they told their story of rebuilding their community following years of alcohol abuse. This opportunity enabled community women’s voices to be heard on a global stage.

Dr Dalmer Hoskins

In September 2007, Dalmer Hoskins was appointed as special advisor to the US Social Security Administration (SSA), where his current duties include heading a team of researchers and analysts charged with developing a research and policy agenda for 2020 and beyond.

Prior to joining the Social Security Administration, Dalmer Hoskins was employed from 2005 to 2007 by AARP, the largest non-governmental organization in the United States, first as Managing Director of the AARP Public Policy Institute and later as Senior Policy Advisor.  During his tenure at AARP he spearheaded research and policy efforts relating in particular to reform of the Social Security program, encouraging older workers to remain or re-enter the labor force and how to better protect frail older persons during natural disasters. 

From 1990 to 2005, Dalmer Hoskins held the position of Secretary General of the International Social Security Association (ISSA), an international organisation associated with the UN’s International Labor Office, headquartered in Geneva Switzerland.  The position of Secretary General is an elected position, with elections held at three year-intervals.  Dalmer Hoskins was the first American and only non-European to be elected to date by the member states to this post.  The ISSA membership is comprised of over 400 national institutions administering pensions, health insurance, unemployment insurance and workmen’s compensation in nearly 150 member states around the world.  Before being elected to the post of Secretary General, Dalmer Hoskins had previously served as ISSA’s Director of Research (1980-1983) and Director of Regional Activities (1975-1980).

In addition to his international career, Dalmer Hoskins occupied a series of posts in the US Government, including Special Policy Advisor to the Commissioner of Social Security (1987-1990) and Legislative Liaison in the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (1985-1987) and Head of Comparative Studies, SSA (1983-1985).

Dalmer Hoskins received his principal degrees from universities in the United States, notably from the University of Michigan where he did both master’s and doctoral studies in political science (1963-1971) as well as an undergraduate degree from Earlham College (1963).  He also studied at the University of Tokyo (1965 and 1968) and the Sorbonne in Paris (1962).  Dalmer Hoskins is fluent in French and German.

He has served as a board member and advisor for the International Council of Social Welfare, Rehabilitation International, the UN International Institute on Aging, and the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Social and Labour Law.  He is presently Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee of HelpAge International, the largest non-governmental organization providing assistance to vulnerable older persons in developing countries and member of the Advisory Board of the World Demographic and Ageing Association.  Dalmer Hoskins is internationally known as an expert on aging and income security issues, with direct experience advising governments in countries as diverse as China and Chile.  He is frequently asked to appear on panels and at conferences to compare foreign social security experiences with prospects for reform in the United States.

Dr Kate Auty

Dr Kate Auty (PhD, MEnvSc, BA(Hons)LLB) has an extensive legal and academic background including post graduate qualifications in environmental science. Dr Auty was appointed a Victorian Magistrate in 1999and established the first Victorian Koori Court acting as inaugural Koori Court Magistrate. In 2008 Dr Auty was appointed a Charles Joseph LaTrobe Fellow with the Centre for Sustainable Regional Communities, La Trobe University. The fellowship was to involve a three year research project consulting with Aboriginal women about justice issues including heritage and environmental concerns.

In 2008 Dr Auty was appointed Chairperson of the Victorian Ministerial Reference Council for Climate Change Adaptation and also served as a member of the Premier of Victoria’s Reference Group on Climate Change.

Dr. Amy S. D'Aprix

Amy D’Aprix, is an internationally renowned expert on lifestyle issues related to aging. In Canada, she works with a number of organizations and consults to BMO Financial Group as a Retirement Transition Expert. In her work with BMO, she helps clients and advisors focus on the issues that can have a profound personal and financial impact on retirement such as personal relationships, caregiving, health, etc.

“Dr. Amy”, as she is affectionately known, uses her gerontological social work background to give practical advice and get people thinking about retirement in a different way. Dr. Amy facilitates BMO’s Take Charge of Your Retirement workshops across Canada.

In May 2010, Dr. Amy will be participating on a panel discussion with the World Health Organization in Melbourne, Australia at the International Federation on Ageing conference.

She sits on the Business Development Group of the International Federation on Ageing and is on the Medical Advisory Board for Humana Active Outlook, a Division of Humana, Inc.

She has recently authored a book: From Surviving to Thriving: Transforming Your Caregiving Journey, and co-recorded a CD with an accompanying workbook: Building the Bonds of Friendship in Midlife and Beyond.

Dr. Amy has an extensive background working with seniors and their caregiving families as well as teaching others abut the needs of seniors and their families. Dr. Amy holds a Ph.D and the designation of Certified Senior Advisor (CSA).

In addition to her academic and professional background, for a decade she was a caregiver for her elderly parents. Dr. Amy is on the International Faculty for the Society of Certified Senior Advisors and the Canadian Academy of Senior Advisors. With these organizations she teaches throughout North America.