France

Meeting for Minds operates in France in association with the Philippe and Maria Halphen Foundation.

Maria Halphen founded the Philippe & Maria Halphen Foundation (PMHF) in 2013 in memory of her beloved husband Philippe. Based in Paris, the PMHF is under the auspices of the French Académie des Sciences and shares the same values as Meeting for Minds (M4M). The PMHF is dedicated to promoting innovation and advancement of knowledge and scientific research into mental illness- especially schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and treatment resistant depression.

MARIA HALPHEN, DIRECTOR

Maria Halphen is originally from Sweden and an international collaborator on stigma research. She was inspired by the harrowing experiences of Susie Hincks, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia. As a result of further discussions with the wider mental health community, Maria gained valuable insights into the issues faced by those living with mental illness. Maria decided to devote her time and energy to create a foundation for encouraging and coordinating research at an international level and to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness through communication and education. Maria is also the President of the Philippe and Maria Halphen Foundation, which is under the auspices of the French Academy of Science in Paris, France.

ANNE-SOPHIE PLOUHINEC, LEGAL ADVISOR

Anne-Sophie Plouhinec was born and educated in France. She is a business in-house lawyer with over 15 years of operational experience. Since 2010 she has worked in the elderly care sector and supported the development of a European nursing home management company specialising in Alzheimer’s disease. She has been involved with M4M’s activities from the start.