Dr. Kwame McKenzie is CEO of the Wellesley Institute. He is an international expert on the social causes of illness, suicide and the development of effective, equitable health systems. He serves as a commissioner on the Ontario Human Rights Commission, a Professor of Psychiatry at University of Toronto and Director of Health Equity at the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health. He sits on the Board of United Way, Ontario Hospitals Association and Community Food Centres Canada.

A Southampton University Medical School graduate, Kwame trained as a specialist at the Maudsley Hospital, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London and Harvard University.  His early clinical and academic work focussed on developing community informed innovative strategies to increase access and quality of services.  This led to advisory roles to the UK Government and election to the Executive of the Royal College of Psychiatrists UK.  Kwame’s more recent work has investigated the social determinants of health and how they can be used to decrease illness and improve wellbeing.

In addition to his academic, policy and clinical work, he is a past BBC Radio presenter and columnist for the Guardian, Times-online and most recently The Star.