In 2015, after thirteen years as the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health, Dr. Tom Insel decided to leave the government’s scientific approach to mental health and look deeper into the problems and treatment for those with severe mental illness. He moved to California where he led the mental health team at Verily, a Google X spinoff, and then went on to co-found several mental health startups, integrating technology with tools to help those with severe mental illness. Most recently, he co-founded Humanest Care, a therapeutic online community for recovery.
Dr. Insel serves as a special advisor to California Gov. Gavin Newsom and is the Chair of the Board for the Steinberg Institute. He is currently developing MindSite News, a nonprofit digital publication focused on mental health issues. The website is slated to launch this fall.
Dr. Insel is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and has received numerous national and international awards including honorary degrees in the U.S. and Europe.
The General Meeting on October 12 will feature a Q&A session with Dr. Insel on his vision for the future of mental health with NAMI Board member and journalist Moryt Milo. To read more and watch the General Meeting video, go to NAMI Blogs and our Video Gallery
