Massimo Clerici, MD, PhD, is Professor of Psychiatry and Head of the School of Psychiatry at the University of Milano-Bicocca, as well as Director of Psychiatry and Dean of Mental Health and Addiction at IRCCS San Gerardo Hospital (a “Department of Excellence”). He has broad expertise in psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, clinical psychiatry, epidemiology, and treatment of major psychiatric disorders, including substance use, psychosis, trauma-related, and treatment-resistant conditions. He has secured numerous research grants, led international collaborations, and published over 350 papers in leading journals such as World Psychiatry, Lancet Psychiatry, American Journal of Psychiatry, and British Journal of Psychiatry. A frequent invited speaker, he has served on editorial boards, scientific committees, and in leadership roles within national and international psychiatric societies, including the Italian Association of Psychiatry and the World Psychiatric Association.Alberto Stefana, PsyD, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, and researcher specializing in psychotherapy for adults with psychiatric or medical conditions. He has practiced at Spedali Civili Hospital in Brescia and continues in private practice. He is currently a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global Fellow for the project “Evidence-based Assessment in Psychotherapy.” His research interests include psychoanalysis, evidence-based treatment, therapeutic relationships, and psychopathology. He has published over 80 articles in international journals, authored History of Countertransference (Routledge, 2017), and co-edited Grace Pailthorpe’s Writings on Psychoanalysis and Surrealism (Routledge, 2022). He is also co-author of Marion Milner: A Contemporary Introduction (Routledge, 2023). He serves as Fellow of the College of the International Journal of Psychoanalysis and as editor or reviewer for several journals, including Frontiers in Psychology and Frontiers in Psychiatry.Antonios Dakanalis, MD, MSc, PsyD, PhD, FNAs, directs the Psychiatry and Mental Health Research Unit at the University of Milano-Bicocca. Trained in medicine, psychology, neuroscience, psychiatry, and psychotherapy, he is recognized internationally for his research on mood, anxiety, eating/weight-related, and personality disorders. His work focuses on therapeutic mechanisms and technology-enhanced treatments (e.g., virtual reality). Ranked among the world’s top 50 scientists in mental health (Research.com), top 10 European clinicians in overeating/obesity (Expertscape), and top 25 experts in e-therapy, he has secured major grants and produced over 200 publications (h-index 44, >5000 citations) in journals such as Nature Reviews Disease Primers, Lancet Psychiatry, and Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. He is a frequent international speaker, contributor to clinical guidelines, editor of prestigious journals and encyclopedias, and recipient of over 50 research and clinical awards. He also has extensive psychotherapy experience across public and private mental health settings.
