Humberto Nicolini (2023 – 2026)
Vlasios Brakoulias (2024 – 2027)
Leonardo Fontenelle (2024 – 2027)
Luca Pellegrini (2024 – 2027)
Naomi Fineberg (2025 – 2028)
Bernardo Dell’Osso (2025 – 2028)
Michael Van Ameringen (2025 – 2028)
Dr. Humberto Nicolini is the head of the Psychiatric, Neurodegenerative Diseases and Addictions laboratory of the National Institute of Genomic Medicine (INMEGEN) in the Ministry of Health, the Director of the Carracci Medical and Family Studies group in Mexico City and is a member of the National Academy of Medicine.
Dr. Humberto Nicolini has been involved with the Genomic Sciences Research Center of the Universidad Autónoma de la Ciudad de México (UACM) (Autonomous University of Mexico City) and has fostered collaborative efforts with the PET unit at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma of Mèxico (UNAM) (National University of Mexico) towards using functional neuroimaging and genetics as research tools. He is also responsible for mentoring resident physicians research at the Fray Bernardino Álvarez Psychiatric Hospital (one of the largest Mental Health Hospitals in Latin America). He has been extensively involved in research on the genetics of several mental health disorders including obsessive compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, obesity, and autism as well as psycho-pharmacogenetics. Dr. Humberto Nicolini has ongoing research collaborations with Dr. David Glahn, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, and with Dr. Eric Storch at Baylor College of Medicine, USA.
Dr. Vlasios Brakoulias is a consultant psychiatrist and Professor of Psychiatry with The University of Sydney in Sydney, Australia.
His work has focussed on improving our understanding of the clinical characteristics of obsessive-compulsive disorder, their most effective treatment, and early intervention and prevention. Professor Brakoulias runs an early intervention and prevention service for young people with obsessive-compulsive and related disorders in Sydney. He has presented at numerous international scientific conferences and has published more than 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals.
Dr. Leonardo Fontenelle is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), where he directs the Anxiety, Obsessive, and Compulsive Research Program. He also holds a position as Senior Researcher at the D’Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR) and serves as vice-chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine at UFRJ. Since 2020, he has been an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences, at Monash University, Australia.
Dr. Leonardo Fontenelle has authored over 280 scientific publications and five book chapters, earning him substantial national and international recognition, including the “Scientist of Our State” scholarship from FAPERJ (2021) and a Level 1C Research Productivity Scholarship from the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (2023). He is currently editor-in-chief of Psychiatry Research Communications and serves on the editorial boards of several esteemed journals, including Psychiatry Research and the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry.
His research focuses on obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, utilizing neuroimaging, genetics, and immunology to study the biological and psychological dimensions of compulsivity. A member of the WHO Working Group on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder for ICD-11, Dr. Leonardo Fontenelle has also been a prominent figure in establishing OCD clinical and research programs in Brazil, positioning his team as a leading OCD research group nationally and globally.
Dr. Luca Pellegrini is a consultant psychiatrist at the Department of Mental Health, Psychiatric Clinic, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliano-Isontina – ASUGI, Trieste, Italy, and assistant professor at the Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy. He is a visiting senior research fellow at the School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK. His special interest is in Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders (OCRDs) and his research activities comprise investigating suicidality and suicide risk factors, pharmacological treatment (including cutting-edge research on psilocybin) and neurostimulation techniques in this group of disorders. He has a particular expertise in meta-analytic techniques and has published several meta-analyses in high IF journals. More recently he has been involved in large-scale population research examining the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown on mental health (including impulsive-compulsive symptoms) and the role of technology (including Problematic Usage of the Internet).
Dr. Naomi Fineberg is a Consultant Psychiatrist and Honorary Visiting Professor at the University of Hertfordshire. Based at the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital, Welwyn Garden City, UK, she leads a national specialist treatment service for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). She heads the NICE Psychopharmacology Guideline Subgroup for OCD and advises the British Association for Psychopharmacology on Guidelines for Treating Anxiety Disorders. Professor Fineberg has a substantial track record in the investigation of the neurobiology and treatment of OCD and a special interest in clinical trial design. She has published widely in the field. Her current research includes evaluation of neurocognitive and radiological endophenotypes, pharmacological responses and bio-rhythm disturbances in anxiety, OCD and comorbid disorders.
Dr. Bernardo Dell’Osso is a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Milan and Director of the Department of Mental Health &Addictions of the ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, in Milan, Italy. He’s is also Faculty Advisor for the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences of the University of Stanford, USA. Prof. Dell’Osso has previously been Chair of the International College of the Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders (ICOCS) and he is currently chair of the obsessive-compulsive research network of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP). His research interest is focussed on Obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders and bipolar disorders as well as neuropsychopharmacology and brain stimulation. In these fields, he has published more than 400 articles, participating in international multicentre studies, consensus articles and guidelines.
Dr. Michael Van Ameringen, MD, FRCPC, is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University. His current research is focused on the psychopharmacology of Anxiety and Mood Disorders, Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders, ADHD, treatment resistance and the use of psychedelics and GLP-1 receptor agonists in psychiatric disorders. Other research interests include the use of medical cannabis for anxiety and related disorders and problematic internet use. He is the Anxiety Lead for The Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT). He is the lead author in the 2025 CANMAT-ICOCS International Guidelines for the treatment of OCD. He was also a member of the Steering Committee for the Canadian Anxiety Disorder Treatment Guidelines, and the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry Task Force on Treatment Guidelines for Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive and Posttraumatic Stress Disorders; and a co-author of the 2023 CANMAT Depression guidelines. He recently co-authored the CANMAT Task Force Report on Serotonergic Psychedelic Treatments for Major Depressive Disorder. Dr. Van Ameringen is Co-Chair of the Obsessive-Compulsive Research Network of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP), and a member of the Scientific Council of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. He is the Associate Editor for the International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice and is on the editorial board for the Journal of Mood and Anxiety, Journal of Psychiatric Research and Comprehensive Psychiatry. He is also an associate faculty member of the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research and is the Director of the ADHD Fellowship Program in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University. Dr. Van Ameringen has published widely in the area of OCD, ADHD and Anxiety Disorders.
Previous Directors
Dr. Dan J Stein (17 September 1962 – 5 December 2025) was Professor & Chair of the Dept of Psychiatry at the University of Cape Town (UCT), and the Director of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders. He was a dedicated and much loved director of the ICOCS since its inception in 2005 and served many times on the board. His loss while in post is felt deeply by the whole ICOCS and the broader scientific community. Please refer to a series of memorials posted separately on our website here.
Dr. Julius Burkauskas is a researcher, clinical psychologist leading laboratory of Behavioral Medicine at Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Neuroscience Institute. He is currently appointed as Senior Honorary Lecturer (Clinical) at the Department of Clinical & Pharmaceutical Sciences (CAPS) at Hertfordshire (UK) University. Julius has published more than 50 scientific publications in journals indexed by CA database, 5 book chapters and received numerous national and international awards: IBRO Travel award (2015, 2017), AACN Edith Kaplan Award (2015), WFSBP Young Investigator Award (2017), IFMAD Poster Prize (2018) and Lithuanian Science Academy scholarship for young researchers (2021).
Dr. Ilenia Pampaloni is a Consultant Psychiatrist and the Clinical Lead for the National OCD and BDD Highly Specialised Service (HSS) at the South West London and St George’s University Trust, London, UK. Dr. Pampaloni earned her medical degree and completed her specialty training at the University of Florence, Italy, where she began to cultivate her keen interest in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders (OCD). She further enhanced her qualifications with a Postgraduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy from Oxford University.
Primarily a clinician, Dr. Pampaloni’s practice is deeply intertwined with her clinical research, focusing on severe, treatment-resistant OCD and related spectrum disorders. She has developed a particular expertise in advanced psychopharmacology and cognitive behavioural therapeutic strategies. Dr. Pampaloni has also developed a strong interest in ensuring high standards for a comprehensive and holistic assessment of OCD.
Dr. Aline Sampaio is an Adjunct Professor for the Department of Neurosciences and Psychiatry at Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA) Medical School, Brazil.
Dr. Aline Sampaio is a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and coordinates the Outpatient Clinics for Mood and Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents, and the Multidisciplinary Diagnostic Group for Autism Spectrum Disorders at UFBA University Hospital. She is also in charge of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Liaison Service which covers the patients assisted by primary care physicians of the Bahia State, Brazil.
Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders is her field of study since 2006. Nowadays, she is involved in phenomenology, genetics, and treatment studies on OCD, and is a member of the Brazilian OCD Genetics Workgroup.
Professor Sam Chamberlain (ICOCS director 2021-2024) is ranked in the top 0.1% of experts (ExpertScape) in mental disorders, impulsive and compulsive behaviours, gambling, and cognition. His research has had global impact in three areas: (i) developing and validating clinical tools; (ii) measuring vulnerability and chronicity markers; and (iii) improving existing interventions and developing new ones. His global impact on mental health improvement is demonstrated through publications (>350 papers, h-index 91), leadership of international research initiatives, broad media engagement, founding and directing major clinical services (e.g. regional service covering catchment of >10 million people), and significant policy contributions.