Prof. Dr. Dr. Gabriele Sachs is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Medical University of Vienna (MUW), Austria. Prof. Sachs established a clinical research program for patients with schizophrenia at MUW, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy. She was head of the Outpatient Clinic for patients with first episode schizophrenia and of the Clinical Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group. From 2012-2014 she was Medical Director of the Neuropsychiatric State Hospital Wagner - Jauregg Linz, Upper Austria. Since 2013 she is President of the Austrian Society of Neuropsychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry (ÖGPB). Since 2015 she is a member of the ECNP - Schizophrenia Network. The main topics of her research work are cognition and emotion recognition in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, validation of new neuropsychological assessments and neuro-psychological intervention programs. She is specialist in Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine as well as clinical psychologist and psychotherapist. From 2010 to 2015 she was Project Partner of the EU Project: FP7 - Health – 2009. 2.2.1-2: European Network of National Schizophrenia Networks Studying Gene Environment Interactions (EU-GEI). Since 2016 she was Project Partner of the EU Project: FP7 –Health – 2013.2.2.1-2: Translating neuroimaging findings from research into clinical practice (PSYSCAN).

Jerzy Samochowiec is a professor of psychiatry, certified psychotherapist and the Chair of the Department and Clinic of Psychiatry at the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin. He is Chair of Steering Committee of National Psychiatric Associations (NPA EPA: 2021-2023), President of Polish Psychiatric Association (2019-2022). Vice Rector for Scientific Affairs at Pomeranian Medical University (2012-2024). Editor in Chief of Archives of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy. Member of Editor Board of: Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry, Psychiatria Polska, Alkohol i Narkomania (Alcohol and Drug Dependence), Postgraduade Psychiaty. Member of Board of Directors of European Society of Biological Research of Alcoholism – ESBRA (2009-2014). Author of about 400 scientific papers with a total Impact Factor of 400, Hirsch Index-26. He promoted 20 Ph Doctors, under his supervision 6 doctors obtained habilitation. His main scientific area of interest includes: genetics of addictions, depression, anxiety disorders, ADHD, pharmacogenetics of schizophrenia. Married, 1 child. Hobby: skiing, soccer, traveling.

Gaia Sampogna, MD, PhD is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy. Her research work is mostly focused on epidemiology and social psychiatry. In particular, her research interests include stigma and discrimination against people with severe mental disorders, the development and the implementation of psychoeducational family interventions, the clinical decision-making process in mental health care practice, the adoption of psychiatric involuntary treatments and pathways to mental health care of persons with severe mental illness. Since 2020 she is the Chair of the early career psychiatrists committee of the Italian Psychiatric Association. She is member of the European Psychiatric Association (EPA) and she is Chair of the EPA ECPC Task Force on Research. Since June 2016, she is Committee member of the Section on Education of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA). She co-authored more than 100 papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals, 6 book chapters and about 90 presentations at national and international congresses.