Panel discussion: Asian Mental Health Landscape (challenges and opportunities).

Moderated by Kelly Feng.
Panellists: Debbie Chin, Dr Carlos Lam, Dr Gary Cheung, Dr Suneela Mehta and Vishal Rishi

Dr Carlos Lam
Carlos is a 1.5 generation Chinese Kiwi Peruvian who completed his schooling and medical degree in Dunedin and Christchurch, and currently works as a GP and Urgent Care Physician in South East and East Auckland respectively. He has an interest in minor surgery, paediatrics, geriatrics, mental health and Asian Health. He also lectures on Chinese Health for the GP training program in Auckland and has been involved in population health research regarding Asian people in NZ. He is the current community liaison officer for the Auckland Chinese Medical Association and has organized medical conferences, organized community events such as health check stalls, charity runs and clean-ups and also provided health talks for the community. He is a proud father to two kids and in his spare time likes to hike, run, workout, travel, dine out, watch Netflix, and debate geopolitics and anthropology. He is especially interested in how we can address the gaps in mental health services for our growing Asian population.

Dr Gary Cheung
Associate Professor Gary Cheung is a psychiatrist who has a joint appointment at The University of Auckland and Te Whatu Ora. He is a fellow of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and is current Chair of the Subcommittee of Advanced Training in Psychiatry of Old Age. He was awarded the 2021 Alzheimers New Zealand Fellowship to recognise his contribution to psychosocial dementia research in New Zealand. He is an international interRAI fellow and chairs the New Zealand interRAI Research Network. He currently leads the Chinese arm of a Health Research Council funded 5-year multi-cultural research programme on establishing dementia prevalence and developing model of care for ethnic specific dementia services.

Dr Suneela Mehta
Dr Suneela Mehta is a Public Health Medicine Specialist, Epidemiologist and an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the School of Population Health, Waipapa Taumata Rau (The University of Auckland). She is also based with the Population Health Gain Directorate (a national team within Service Improvement and Innovation, Health New Zealand/Te Whatu Ora). Suneela has expertise in long term conditions and quantitative analyses, particularly relating to cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The health of ethnic, migrant and former refugee communities in Aotearoa New Zealand is a key area of focus in her work, and she has led or been involved in numerous analyses and studies over the past 15 years that have examined ethnic health needs and outcomes. Her appointments relevant to ethnic communities include being the South Asian advisor and a Data Sovereignty Group member for the Health Research Council-funded VAREANZ vascular-metabolic research programme. She is also a Strategic Group member for the Ethnic Health Collective and a member of the Centre for Asian and Ethnic Minority Health Research and Evaluation (CAHRE) based at Waipapa Taumata Rau (The University of Auckland).

Vishal Rishi
Vishal Rishi has driven collaborative innovations in New Zealand's ethnic communities for over 20 years. Since 2004, he has been working with the founders of The Asian Network Inc (TANI), a well-recognised a well-recognised national service provider improving health and well-being outcomes for Asians. Vishal has extensive experience in public health and health promotion and is currently the Director of TANI. Some of TANI's achievements under his directorship include addressing health determinants at different levels, transforming research into practice by contributing to health research centres throughout New Zealand, leading national campaigns, initiating various community development projects, collaborating with grassroots communities, and playing a significant role in keeping Asian communities safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Vishal says, “Actual progress in the organisation comes not from a single individual but rather from recognising the value of each team member and fostering the development of all individuals within the team”.
Vishal is currently the Chair of the Ethnic Health Collective Strategic Group and played a central role in establishing it. He is also the Chair of SAMER+ Collective, a pilot initiative aimed at minimising the rapid rise in family harm cases seen in communities settled in Manukau and is a Board member of the Commonwealth Study Conferences (CSC) New Zealand chapter.