Conference Leadership – Meet Our Seven Chairs
Guiding Vision • Scientific Rigor • Global Collaboration
The Global Resilience Summit 2026 is led by seven distinguished chairs, representing the highest levels of achievement in artificial intelligence, clinical medicine, healthcare data science, resilience science, neuroscience, biotechnology, scientific publishing, and biomedical innovation.
Together, they bring deep research expertise, clinical experience, AI leadership, and real-world innovation strategy—uniting the worlds of medicine, technology, mental health, and global collaboration.
General Chair
Prof. Dipankar Deb
Professor, Center for AI and Robotics, IIT Mandi – India
Prof. Deb is a global authority in artificial intelligence, adaptive control, robotics, and machine learning, with a rare blend of industrial and academic excellence.
- 17 patents (6 US, 11 Indian)
- 59 publications
- 12 authored books
- 6+ years at GE Global Research, New York
Considered a global AI leader.
At the Summit, he leads critical discussions on safe, human-centered integration of AI and robotics in healthcare, shaping future-ready strategies for clinicians, hospitals, and innovators.
Program Chairs
Prof. Alfredo Ghezzi, PhD
Associate Professor, University of Puerto Rico – Co-Founder, Healers Harbor
Prof. Ghezzi is a pioneering neuroscientist pushing the boundaries of epigenetic resilience, neural adaptation, and stress biology.
- Head of Graduate Studies, Department of Biological Sciences
- 30+ publications
- Research on AI in longevity and addiction
At the Summit, he ensures the neuroscience of stress, resilience, and adaptation is communicated in a way that clinicians, students, and startups can practically apply.
Dr. Charles C. Benight, PhD
Executive Director, Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience, UCCS – Founder, Trauma, Health & Hazards Center
A Stanford-trained global leader in psychological resilience, Dr. Benight has spent over two decades advancing research on:
- Trauma recovery
- Natural disasters
- PTSD & burnout
- Violence & bereavement
His work is funded by NIMH, NSF, and the U.S. Department of Defense, and he pioneered digital resilience systems based on social cognitive theory.
At the Summit, he anchors the mental health strategy for healthcare workers, researchers, teachers, and students.
Dr. Elaine Ellerton, PhD
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Leader, Silicon Valley – Former Executive Editor, SAGE Publishing
Dr. Ellerton brings a unique combination of:
- Neuroscience research (UC San Diego, UT Austin, postdoc on axon regeneration)
- Scientific publishing leadership (Managing + Executive Editor at SAGE)
- Silicon Valley innovation & investment experience
She ensures the Summit connects science, entrepreneurship, AI, and global biomedical translation, helping ideas move from theory into real-world adoption.
Dr. Brooks Robinson, PhD
Program Director, Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience – Co-Founder, Healers Harbor
Dr. Robinson is a neuroscientist specializing in:
- Epigenetics of addiction
- Neuronal excitability
- Applied resilience training
With a PhD from UT Austin and research experience at OHSU, he bridges basic neuroscience and practical resilience tools used in clinical and research settings.
At the Summit, he guides the development of resilience modules that physicians and researchers can directly apply to combat burnout and stress.
Prof. Bernard “Barney” Ricca, PhD
Director, MS Program in Healthcare Data Science & AI – University of Rochester
Prof. Ricca is a highly respected voice in interpretable AI, healthcare machine learning, data science education, and applied AI frameworks.
- Leadership of the University of Rochester’s Healthcare Data Science & AI Graduate Program
- Development of interpretable machine learning systems for clinical care
- Research and teaching that unify data science with biomedical application
His Summit sessions provide clarity on interpretable AI, ensuring clinicians, researchers, and students understand how AI decisions can be made transparent, safe, and clinically aligned.
Prof. Ricca also brings invaluable perspective on building AI talent pipelines, connecting international students and researchers with academic pathways in the United States.
Dr. Aditya Thakur
Founder & CEO, Dentifrice Pvt. Ltd. – Physician, AI Scientist, Biomedical Innovator
Dr. Thakur stands at the intersection of medicine and AI, leading innovations in:
- AI-driven documentation
- Clinical workflow automation
- Ethical healthcare AI
- Digital health platforms
As founder of Dentifrice Pvt. Ltd., he brings a strong entrepreneurial and clinical AI lens.
At the Summit, he chairs sessions on AI resilience, physician–AI collaboration, and future-ready medical practice.
Seven Chairs, One Unified Mission
Together, Prof. Deb, Prof. Ghezzi, Dr. Benight, Dr. Ellerton, Dr. Robinson, Dr. Thakur, and Prof. Ricca form the leadership backbone of the Global Resilience Summit 2026.
They ensure the Summit is:
- ✔ Scientifically Rigorous
- ✔ Clinically Grounded
- ✔ Technologically Forward
- ✔ Human-Centered
- ✔ Entrepreneurially Practical
- ✔ Globally Collaborative
Their leadership ensures every participant—whether a physician, scientist, policymaker, investor, student, engineer, or startup founder—leaves with:
- Evidence-based resilience tools
- Global collaboration pathways
- Real-world AI insights
- Career and research opportunities
- A roadmap for thriving in the AI-driven future of healthcare