Dr. Komal Chawla
Dr. Komal Chawla is an academic leader, health psychologist, and researcher with over 20 years of experience in psychology education, mental health, and psychosocial wellbeing across institutions in Bahrain, the UAE, and India. She currently serves as Head of the Department of Psychology at the British University of Bahrain, affiliated with the University of Salford, UK. Her work focuses on health psychology, chronic illness care, emotional wellbeing, behavioural interventions, and inclusive mental health support. Dr. Chawla has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and collaborated on interdisciplinary research in diabetes distress, psychosocial care, perinatal mental health, and behavioural medicine. She is the creator of the Psychological Well-being Kit, a copyrighted psychosocial intervention designed to provide immediate emotional support and self-regulation tools. An invited speaker at international conferences, Dr. Chawla actively contributes to global discussions on wellbeing, emotional resilience, and innovative approaches to psychological care.
Title: Beyond Conventional Therapy: A Tangible Intervention for Emotional Regulation and Well-being
Prof. Panch. Ramalingam, PhD (Psy)
Prof. Panch. Ramalingam is the Director (i/c) of the UGC–Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Centre (formerly UGC-HRDC) at Pondicherry University, India. With over 27 years of experience in teaching, research, and faculty development, he has coordinated numerous academic programmes for teachers and scholars. He holds multiple postgraduate degrees and a Ph.D. in Educational Counselling Psychology from Annamalai University. Prof. Ramalingam has authored or edited over 80 books, published 52 research papers, and organized more than 45 national and international conferences. His research interests include teacher education, school psychology, counselling, decision-making, mental health, and Indian psychology.
Title: Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Psychosocial Wellbeing in Schools in the Asia Pacific Region
Monika Wiłkość-Dębczyńska
Monika Wiłkość-Dębczyńska is a psychologist, community-based therapy specialist, and associate professor at the Faculty of Psychology, Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, where she serves as Head of the Department of Health Psychology and Chairperson of the Scientific Board of the Psychological Aid Centre. She is also an associate professor at the Department of Psychiatry, Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. Her professional work integrates scientific research, academic teaching, doctoral supervision, and clinical practice.
Her research lies at the intersection of neuropsychology, chronopsychology, and health psychology. She investigates cognitive functioning in somatic, and psychiatric conditions, with particular attention to cognitive dysfunction, rehabilitation, neurotechnology, and biological mechanisms underlying cognition. An important area of her work concerns sleep, circadian rhythms, chronotype, and clock genes, and their associations with cognitive performance, mental health, and everyday psychosocial functioning. Her studies have included both healthy individuals and diverse clinical populations.
Title: Circadian Equity in a 24/7 World: Sleep Health as a Crucial Element of Psychosocial Wellbeing
Dr. Gaytri Tiwari
Dr. Gaytri Tiwari is an Emeritus Professor and Senior Scientist in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology (MPUAT), Udaipur, India. With over 34 years of experience in teaching, research, and extension, she has received more than 20 awards and recognitions for her contributions to the field. She has published over 90 research papers, 182 popular articles and expert commentaries, five books, and seven book chapters, and has developed nine standardized psychological assessment tools. Dr. Tiwari has completed 14 research projects and has presented her work at numerous national and international conferences in countries including China, Malaysia, South Africa, and Canada. An accomplished academic and community leader, she has served on various research, curriculum development, and policy committees and has delivered more than 2,000 invited lectures, 85 radio talks, and 11 television talks.
Title: Self Esteem: Crux of Psycho-Social well-being
Prof. Sebastiaan (Ian) Rothmann
Ian Rothmann is a Professor of Industrial Psychology and founding member of the Optentia Research Unit at the North-West University (NWU), South Africa, where he served as Director from 2010 to 2025. He holds an MCom in Industrial Psychology (NWU, 1986) and a PhD in Industrial Psychology (1996). Ian’s research career spans over two decades of sustained contribution to occupational well-being, evolving from foundational work on work-related well-being (2000–2010) to a focus on sustainable employability (2011–2025). Under his supervision, 78 doctoral and 148 master’s students successfully completed their studies. His scholarly output includes 273 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, as well as five books. Prof. Rothmann holds a B1 rating from the National Research Foundation (NRF) and is a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf). In 2025, he was honoured with the Alumni Award from North-West University. He currently serves as Specialty Chief Editor for Frontiers in Psychology (Positive Psychology section).
Title: Towards Real Opportunities: Sustainable Employability and the Capability Approach in Southern Africa
Prof Mokoena Maepa
Prof Mokoena Maepa is an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, South Africa, with over a decade of teaching and research experience. She has earned her Ph.D in Psychology from North-West University. She currently coordinates the Master of Science in Clinical Psychology programme. She also serves as the Chairperson of the School of Medicine Research Committee. Her scholarly work focuses on mental health, psychosocial well-being, trauma, behavioural risk factors, and vulnerable populations within under-resourced communities in SADC. This work has contributed to ongoing publication in peer-reviewed journals, including high-impact Q1 journals. Prof Maepa has supervised numerous postgraduate students. She is a registered Clinical Psychologist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa and a member of the Psychological Society of South Africa and Organisation of Women in Science.
Title: Adolescents’ experiences of social media use and its impact on mental health: A qualitative study
Dr. Priyanka Tiwari, PhD
Dr. Priyanka Tiwari is a faculty member in the Department of Psychology, University of Delhi, India. She has taught at Arya Mahila P.G. College, Rishihood University, and Sri Sri University, and has served as a Mental Health Counsellor for the 1090 Women Powerline, Uttar Pradesh.
Her academic excellence has been recognized with awards such as the NITTTR–IAAP Award, Academic Excellence Award (ICPC), and research fellowships including UGC-NET, ICSSR-JRF, and the UGC Research Fellowship. Dr. Tiwari has published over 15 research papers and book chapters, delivered more than 35 lectures and workshops, and is an active member of professional bodies such as the Indian Science Congress and the Indian Academy of Applied Psychology.
Title: Self-Compassion: A Woman’s Journey to Self