MIND & ITS POTENTIAL 2012 SPEAKERS

Shamash Alidina is one of the UK's most well-known mindfulness coaches. He is international best-selling author of 'Mindfulness for Dummies' and 'Relaxation For Dummies'. He has featured on television, radio and magazines. He has taught mindfulness for over a decade to adults, and in a progressive childrens' school for 8 years. Shamash is founder...

Wendy Barel is College Principal/Head of Senior School, at Masada College, St Ives Sydney. Wendy and her team were inspired several years ago by the Harvard Project Zero team's work with Visible Thinking reflected in Bialik College Melbourne's, Culture of Thinking. While Masada College had always enjoyed a fine reputation for academic...

Stephanie Brantz is the face of women's sport on ABC TV and a self-confessed 'sports nut'. Regarded as Australia's premier female television sports presenter, Stephanie has an authority and presence that demands attention. She has interviewed a variety of athletes and personalities including Harry Kewell, Steve Waugh, Ian Thorpe, John Eales, Shane ...

Simon Brooks is Head of Teaching and Learning at Masada College, prior to which he was Head of English at a school in the UK. Simon is a highly experienced teacher and HSC marker who firmly believes that there is no learning without thinking. He is a leading figure in the Culture of Thinking movement in Australia, which focuses on deepening...

Steve Cannane is a journalist and presenter on ABC TV's weeknight discussion program The Drum - a panel discussion program providing news and analysis on issues of the day. Running on both ABC News24 and ABC1, The Drum's lively panel of guests chew over the day's events each week night at 6pm. He is also a reporter and fill-in presenter on ABC1's...

For over 30 years Karen Carey has dedicated her life to engaging all children through a musical journey. She was appointed Director of Music at MLC School in 1989 where she set about developing the committed program of excellence in musical education that is a hallmark of the MLC musical community. Karen has led her students on numerous...

Sam is a thought leader and has featured in USA Today and The New York Times. He is an expert in not only bouncing back but bouncing forward. He is obsessed with corporate and personal turnaround and was the 2009 Young Australian of the Year for Tasmania. In October 2006 Sam's life changed forever when he was involved in a major car...

Dr Roger Collins is a Professor Emeritus at the University of NSW and Chairman of the Board of Grant Thornton Australia Ltd. His academic career is complemented by earlier experience in the private sector, the armed services, the public sector and in tertiary education. His current interests include: the frontiers of executive and leadership...

Mr David Cook, B Sc Dip Ed, joined Masada College as Head of Mathematics in 2003. In 2005 he was appointed Deputy Head of Senior School/Head of Curriculum, Years 7-12.

James R. Doty, M.D. is a professor of neurosurgery and the founder and director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University. He works with a variety of scientists from a number of disciplines examining the neural bases for compassion and altruism. Dr. Doty is an inventor, entrepreneur and...

Richard Fidler is a broadcaster who has had several lives as a musician, writer and performer. He currently hosts Conversations with Richard Fidler on ABC Radio in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart and Perth. This unique format allows Richard to talk at length with a single guest for an hour and follow that person's life story. Richard has...

Michelle is a Clinical Psychologist and Founder and Director of 'Minds & Hearts: A Specialist Clinic for Asperger's Syndrome and Autism. The clinic was born through her passion for understanding autism spectrum conditions (ASC), and her strong desire to be part of positive change for people who have ASC and their families. Michelle has specialized ...

Michael J. Gelb, is the world's leading authority on the application of genius thinking to personal and organizational development. He is a pioneer in the fields of creative thinking, accelerated learning, and innovative leadership. Michael is the author of 12 books including Discover Your Genius: How to Think Like History's Ten Most...

Richard Glover presents the top rating Drive show on ABC 702 Radio in Sydney and his weekly column has been published in the Sydney Morning Herald for over 20 years. Richard is also a regular guest on Sunrise and The Morning Show. Richard is the author of twelve books including, Why Men Are Necessary, The Mud House, Desperate Husbands which is...

Mark Greenberg, Ph.D. holds The Bennett Endowed Chair in Prevention Research in Penn State's College of Health and Human Development. He is the Director of the Prevention Research Center for the Promotion of Human Development. He works on a variety of CASEL projects and has spearheaded CASEL's recent initiatives in the area of implementation...

Dr Greenstein aka Dr G is an internationally recognized thought leader who delivers the power and wisdom of truly applied neuroscience into the hands of learners and leaders in education, allied health and entertainment media. She is the founder of GGI, Inc, a founding partner of True Mind Productions and publisher of Bodiesinspace.com.

The Honeybees is a well-known a cappella gospel choir formed in 1996 under the direction of acclaimed singer-songwriter Tony Backhouse. Although not a religious choir, the group find inspiration in the passionate, hopeful and joyous quality of the genre. Members of the group come from all walks of life and backgrounds but are united in their love...

In order to fully realise her passion to teach to the 'awake' or truly present learner, Dr Kerry Howells has developed a unique approach to teacher and student reflection, where emphasis is given to the power of gratitude. Kerry has introduced her approach in a variety of educational settings, and has spent the last fifteen years researching the...

Robert M Kaplan is a forensic psychiatrist, writer historian and speaker. His topics include history of psychiatry, crime, genocide, archaeology and biography. Having written Medical Murder: Disturbing Tales of Doctors Who Kill and The Exceptional Brain, he has just completed Prophet of Psychiatry: The Story of Reg Ellery. One day he intends to...

Yeshe Khadro grew up in rural Queensland, trained as a nurse at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane and then spent several years in Nepal studying Tibetan Buddhism. In 1974 she was ordained as a Buddhist nun by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. For the past 15 years, Yeshe has been the director of Karuna Hospice Service which is based in Brisbane. ...

Sue Langley is a sought-after speaker, facilitator and master trainer in emotional intelligence, positive psychology and the neuroscience of leadership. One of the leaders in Australia in the practical workplace application of these fields, Sue inspires people to achieve excellence by harnessing the power of positive emotions and a strengths-based ...

For more than three decades, Dr. Merzenich has been a leading pioneer in brain plasticity research. In the late 1980s, Dr. Merzenich was on the team that invented the cochlear implant. In 1996, Dr. Merzenich was the founding CEO of Scientific Learning Corporation which markets and distributes software that applies principles of brain plasticity to ...

Natasha Mitchell presents the daily morning show, Life Matters, on ABC Radio National. She was the founding host & producer of the popular program, All in the Mind, from 2002-12. Her work has received international accolades, including a Knight Fellowship at MIT & Harvard, the Grand Prize and 4 Gold World Medals at the New York Radio...

Dr Helena Popovic MBBS is a medical doctor, author and specialist in how to improve brain function and how our lifestyles impact our health and performance. She graduated from the University of Sydney in 1995 and is the founder and CEO of Choose Health - Better Living for Busy People, an organisation built on the dual philosophy that education is ...

Kerri Pottharst is Australia's most decorated Indoor and Beach Volleyball player, having represented her country for an incredible 20 years. She is renowned for being one of the fiercest competitors in the world of Volleyball. Now she brings her hard earned skills of leadership, teamwork, communication and more to Australia's corporate audiences...

V.S. Ramachandran is Director of the Center for Brain and Cognition and distinguished Professor with the Psychology Department and Neurosciences Program at the University of California, San Diego. He initially trained as a doctor and subsequently obtained a Ph.D. from Trinity College at the University of Cambridge. Ramachandran's early work was...

Dr. Amy Saltzman is a holistic physician, mindfulness coach, scientist, wife, mother, devoted student of transformation, long-time athlete, and occasional poet. Her passion is supporting people of all ages in enhancing their well being, and discovering the Still Quiet Place within. She is recognized by her peers as a visionary and pioneer in the...

Host of the Health Report, on ABC Radio National and Tonic on ABC News24 (television), Dr Norman Swan, was one of the first medically qualified journalists in Australia. Norman was born in Scotland, graduated in medicine from the University of Aberdeen and obtained postgraduate qualifications in Paediatrics. Norman was Australian Radio Producer of ...

Chris Thornton is a clinical psychologist who has specialised in the treatment of patients with eating disorders for nearly 20 years. Chris is the Clinical Director of the Redleaf Practice, which is a firm of clinical psychologist providing specialist outpatient treatment to those suffering from eating disorders. Chris is well known for his work ...

Christa Turksma is a psychologist who received her training in The Netherlands. Before becoming a psychologist, she was a Kindergarten Teacher and Principal. She has worked on various research and intervention projects including the Fast Track Project in Seattle. Christa began providing PATHS Trainings in 1988 and has trained thousands of teachers ...

Jacinta Tynan is a television journalist, author and columnist who is also regarded as a commentator for her generation with her popular and candid columns about contemporary life, love and getting it right, and the joys of motherhood. Jacinta is one of Australia's most experienced news presenters and has worked in front of the camera in the UK...

Professor Robert J. Vallerand is Full Professor of Social Psychology and Director of the Laboratoire de Recherche sur le Comportement Social in the Department of Psychology at the Université du Québec à Montréal. He has written or edited 6 books and around 250 scientific articles and book chapters. Professor Vallerand has served as President of...

B. Alan Wallace has taught Buddhist meditation and philosophy worldwide since 1976 and has served as interpreter for numerous Tibetan scholars and contemplatives, including H.H. the Dalai Lama. After earning his undergraduate degree in physics and the philosophy of science at from Amherst College in 1987, he went on to earn his Ph.D. in religious...

Ant Williams is an elite athlete whose achievements demonstrate the incredible power of the mind. One of the best freedivers in the world, he has pushed through both physical and mental barriers to hold his breath for over eight minutes, to dive deeper than 280 feet in the ocean and to swim 223m without stopping for breath. In short, he knows how...