Emeritus Professor Dick Bellamy
Dr Geoff Bridgman – BA, MA (Hons), PhD (Psychology)
Dr Barbara Disley – BA (Hons), PhD, Dip. Health Management, ONZM
Gina Giordani
Professor Emeritus Robert Kydd (Chair) – MBChB, PhD, FRANZCP
Dr Brian Linehan – ED, MBChB, Dip Obst, FRCPA
Dr Kate Prebble – RN, PhD, FNZCMHN
Dr Kiri Prentice – BHB, MBChB, FRANZCP
Judge Philip Recordon – LLM (Hons), M Env Law
Emeritus Professor Dick Bellamy is a virologist and molecular cell biologist whose research career centred on rotaviruses, the principle agents of diarrhoeal disease in young children. Over his tenure as a full time researcher he worked in the general area of the molecular biology of virus infection and the application of recombinant methods to the characterisation of viral gene products: much of this work involving a network of collaborators in Australia and the USA and supported by the NZ Health Research Council.
Dick is a Fellow of the Academy of the Royal Society of New Zealand and recently retired from the University of Auckland after serving 10 years as Dean of Science. Before that he was founding Director of the School of Biological Sciences at the University. Currently he Chairs the University Animal Ethics Committee and serves on two Return on Science Investment Committees.
Outside his University involvements, Dick is a former Director of Auckland Uniservices Ltd and its subsidiary DNA Diagnostics Ltd, which he helped found. Dick is a former Director of the Forest Research Institute (now Scion), was an Auckland Regional Councillor and is a former President of the Auckland Museum Council.
Geoff has always had a finger in various community development pies both as a researcher and as an activist.
He has been national Chair of Supporting Families in Mental Illness and done significant research in Māori, Pacific Island and Deaf mental health. That work plus roles as a founding member of Tenant’s Protection, and a School Board Treasurer has led to current roles in the Oakley Mental Health Research Foundation, the Coalition of Deaf Mental Health professionals and Violence Free Communities, of which he is the Chair.
Geoff teaches and supervises research in the Social Practice Department at Unitec and is involved in several research projects including Community Safety in West Auckland, a national violence prevention project in intermediate schools, Deaf mental health consumer stories, the evaluation of the Our Amazing Place project in South Henderson, the evaluation of five years of ORS/SRS data for the Problem Gambling Foundation and the evaluation of a community based counselling and psychotherapy training programme.
Barbara has extensive leadership and management experience leading large teams within the education and health sectors.
She has held a number of senior public positions including Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation. From 1996 to 2002 she was the inaugural Chair of the Mental Health Commission and from 2002 to 2007 Barbara was Deputy Secretary Ministry of Education where she had responsibility for the integration of the special education service into the Ministry and for the overall leadership, funding and provision of special education services for children and young people.
Barbara worked as a Principal Consultant for Cognition Education Ltd, leading their research and evaluation team, before joining Richmond Services Limited. She was appointed Group Chief Executive of Emerge Aotearoa in December 2014, following the merger of Richmond Services Limited and Recovery Solutions.
Barbara has a doctorate in education and in 2011 was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Ko Gina Giordani tōku ingoa. He uri au nō Ngati Porou ki te whānau a Ruataupare, me Kotirana, me Ingarani. Ko Tangāta Whai Ora au.
Gina Giordani is a Lived Experience Project Lead at Te Pou, a workforce development centre for the lived experience, mental health, addictions and disability sectors. Her work involves supporting the lived experience workforce to grow and flourish in line with the Consumer, Peer Support and Lived Experience workforce plan. Gina has her own lived experience, and whānau lived experience which informs her advocacy and work.
She has been on the Frozen Funds board for four years and was appointed to the Law Commission Review of Adult Decision-Making Capacity.
In her previous career in politics Gina served as a board member for the New Zealand Labour Party, and contributed to worker’s rights and women’s rights causes. Gina enjoys studying Te Reo Māori in her spare time.
Professor Robert Kydd was appointed Chair of the Oakley Mental Health Research Foundation in May 2022. Rob is Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Auckland where he was head of the Department of Psychological Medicine and also served as head of the School of Biomedical and Health Sciences and Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences.
He has been Clinical Director of Mental Health Services for Counties-Manukau District Health Board, Chair of the New Zealand branch of the Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, was the first chair of the Suicide Mortality Review Committee for the Health Quality and Safety Commission, currently chairs the board of the Anxiety New Zealand Trust and was one of the first medical advisers to the Schizophrenia Fellowship of New Zealand. He has served on the board of the Oakley Foundation since 2003.
Rob’s research has spanned a number of areas including biomedical research on the EEG, the use of advanced brain imaging (MRI and EEG) to understand and predict treatment response for mental disorders and clinical trials of drug treatment. He has also contributed to health services research in such areas as the use of the Mental Health Act in New Zealand and the role of employment in the rehabilitation of people with mental health disorders.
Rob’s clinical service has included experience on inpatient wards, in community mental health including with crisis and early intervention teams and he has been consultant to an inpatient rehabilitation unit. He currently has a very small private consulting practice.
Dr Brian Linehan is a retired pathologist with considerable experience in medicine, governance, and commerce.
In 2014 he retired as pro-Chancellor of Waikato University after 12 years on the University Council where he was also Chair of the Finance Committee. He recently retired after 13 years as a member of the Waikato University Human Research Ethics Committee.
Until 2004 he was Managing Director of Medlab Hamilton and previously was Chairman of the New Zealand Medical Association. He was also Chairman of IANZ (International Accreditation NZ) where he was instrumental in setting up the procedures for the accreditation for medical laboratories. He was also an elected member of the Waikato Area Health Board until it’s dissolution in 1990. Other past positions included President of the New Zealand Society Pathologists, Examiner in chemical pathology for the Royal Australasian College of pathologists, and President of the Combined Medical Associations of Asia and Oceania (CMAAO). He also served as a member of the Board of Directors of Medical Assurance Society (MAS) for over 20 years.
Dr Linehan also served in the New Zealand Army (TF) for nearly 25 years retiring as ADMS New Zealand Land Forces in the rank of Colonel. He has been awarded the ED and DSM.
Currently he is a Director of several private companies involved with farming, property development and finance.
Brian has been a Trustee of the Oakley Mental Health Research Foundation since 2001 and is also a member of the Multiple Sclerosis Research Trust (MSRT).
Dr Kate Prebble served as the Chair of the Oakley Mental Health Research Foundation from October 2017 to May 2022.
Kate is a registered mental health nurse with a background as a clinician, educator and professional leader. She has a PhD in History and is a Fellow of Te Ao Maramatanga: The New Zealand College of Mental Health Nurses.
Kate recently retired from her position as Associate Head of School, Mental Health and Addiction at the School of Nursing, University of Auckland. She currently holds the position of Honorary Senior Lecturer.
Ko Tūhoe raua ko Ngāti awa ngā iwi. No Rūatoki me Te Teko ōku tīpuna. Kei te noho au ki Tāmaki Makaurau. Ko Kiri Prentice Taku ingoa. He tākuta hinengaro ahau.
Dr Kiri Prentice’s career in psychiatry has seen her work across various mental health services in Auckland and Waitematā districts since 2009. For four years, Kiri worked as a consultant psychiatrist with Whitiki Maurea Māori Mental Health and Addictions Services in Te Whatu Ora Waitematā. Before that, Kiri was a psychiatrist with the North Adult Community Mental Services in Waitematā District Health Board.
In 2022 Kiri started a part-time position as Deputy Clinical Director Māori for Mental Health and Addiction Services in Counties Manukau. In February 2023, Kiri left Whitiki Maurea to begin a part-time position with Pharmac as the Deputy Chief Medical Officer Māori.
Kiri was a member of the Expert Advisory Group advising on repealing and replacing the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment Act) 1992. In May 2023 Kiri was honoured by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists with the Pirika Taonga Award for her noteworthy contribution to Māori Mental Health and Addiction in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Kiri’s interests are Te Taiao (nature), hauora Māori, mental health, Māori philosophy, education, and law. These feature prominently in her teaching with medical students, psychiatry registrars and other health professionals, and the educational videos that Kiri creates for her YouTube channel and website titled Māori Minds.
Philip Recordon practised as a lawyer in South Auckland for 30 years before being appointed to the District Court Bench in 2003. He was originally at the Waitakere District Court and now sits at the Manukau District Court.
Phil has worked in a variety of areas of the law, particularly family law, disability law, criminal law and youth law. He was also a District Inspector for Mental Health for 20 years.
He served as Trustee for a number of trusts including Mental Health and Māori Health trusts. These organisations include Wings Trust, Eduk8 Charitable Trust (including the Right Track programme), Safe Man Safe Family Charitable Trust, Te Papapa School, Tufuga Creative Arts (Mental Health) Trust, Otara Māori Wardens, and Waitakere Pacific Island Wardens.
Phil is privileged to be one of the designated Youth Court Judges presiding over the Rangatahi and Pasifika Youth Courts.