Antonello Bonci, MD
Executive Chairman & Founder
Dr. Antonello Bonci is the Executive Chairman and Founder of the Global Institutes on Addictions (GIA). Before moving to GIA, he served for nearly a decade at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as Scientific Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Between 1999 and 2010, he was Professor-in-Residence in the Department of Neurology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and held the Howard J. Weinberg Endowed Chair in Addiction Research while also serving as Associate Director for Extramural Affairs at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center.
Over the last 5 years, Dr. Bonci and his collaborators worldwide have successfully pioneered the translation of non-invasive brain stimulation such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), from the preclinical stage to the clinic, to treat cocaine use disorders and other types of addiction.
Close
Antonello Bonci, MD
Executive Chairman & Founder
Amy L. Jarvis, MD
Medical Director
Dr. Amy L. Jarvis joins the Global Institutes on Addictions (GIA) as their new Medical Director. She is a board-certified Vascular Neurologist and comes to GIA after having been the Medical Director of North Shore Medical Center’s Comprehensive Stroke Center in Miami. In addition to cerebrovascular diseases, her specialties include neuro-critical care, women’s neurologic issues, and migraine and concussion/neuro-trauma, as well as functional and anti-aging medicine. While at North Shore, she was named Physician of the Year in 2016 and led it to become Miami Dade County’s first Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center.
Prior to her move to Miami, Dr. Jarvis worked as the Director of Stroke and Vascular Neurology and Administrative Chief of Neurology at Baptist Medical Center in Jacksonville, Florida. Dr. Jarvis was an NFL Unaffiliated Neurotrauma Consultant for the Jacksonville Jaguars, where she worked with the NFL during games to monitor and treat the players’ concussions and head injuries. She assisted in setting up the Baptist Health tele-stroke network in Jacksonville.
Dr. Jarvis graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from the American College in London and initially worked in the management and marketing of coffee and cocoa production in London and Cameroon, West Africa where she lived before returning to the United States in the mid 1990’s. She subsequently went to medical school and completed her residency in Neurology at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C., where she was named chief resident. She spent part of her time at the Washington VA Hospital treating veterans of the Gulf War with neuro-trauma and addiction disorders. She then completed a fellowship in Stroke and Cerebrovascular Neurology at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta under the mentorship of Dr. Marc Chimowitz of the WASID and SAMPRIS clinical research trials which she assisted in presenting to the American Academy of Neurology.
Dr. Jarvis continues to be very active in the community and was on the Board of Directors of the World Affairs Council of Greater Miami promoting international political and cultural awareness. She and her husband, a federal judge, and 10-year-old son reside in Miami. Dr. Jarvis and her son have written a series of children’s books called The Intergalactic Boys Club inspired by their Georgia home in the low country of Tybee Island, GA.
Close
Amy L. Jarvis, MD
Medical Director
Celeste Napier, Ph.D.
Consultant & Senior Advisor for Education and Training
Dr. Celeste Napier’s academic background includes a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, and post-doctoral training in Neurobiology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She has conducted research sabbaticals at Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, and the University of Washington Health Sciences Center, Seattle, WA.
Dr. Napier has received continuous federal and foundation research grant support since 1990. Her scientific interests include the neurobiology of motivational behaviors, including those that regulate healthy decision-making versus those associated with drug and behavioral addictions. Her work encompasses addiction co-morbidity with other mental and neurological diseases. She has 130 publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals and an additional 170 published abstracts on neuroscience topics that span molecular biology, biochemistry, neurophysiology, pharmacology, and behavior. Her research is directed toward medication development for treating mental health disorders.
Dr. Napier’s extensive academic service includes President of the Chicago Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience, membership in scientific review committees for the National Institutes of Health, an organizer of numerous international conferences, and editor or reviewer for over 30 scientific journals and books. She serves as a Scientific Advisor or board member for several not-for-profit institutions including the Robert Crown Center for Health Education (Hinsdale, IL), Epworth Village (York, NE; a home for disadvantaged children), the National Center for Responsible Gaming (Beverly, MA), and the Institute for Neurobiology at the University of Puerto Rico (San Juan, PR). She has provided expert testimony to the US Congress Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Research and Technology, and to the Illinois House of Representatives Heroin and Youth Task Force Hearing. She has delivered nearly 160 invited scientific presentations worldwide and is frequently sought after by the news media on matters related to neuropharmacology, drug addiction, and the adolescent brain. For her outstanding contributions to neuroscience education, research, and community service in Chicago, Dr. Napier received the 2015 Career Achievement Award from the Chicago Chapter of the International Society for Neuroscience. She also was honored with the 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award from her alma mater, the Graduate School of Biomedical Science at Texas Tech University Health Science Center.
Close
Celeste Napier, Ph.D.
Senior Advisor for Education and Training
Ruchi Fitzgerald, MD, FAAFP
Consultant
Dr. Ruchi Fitzgerald completed her undergraduate and medical education at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She is a board-certified family medicine physician who completed her family medicine residency at the Montana Family Medicine Residency in Billings, Montana. Following the completion of her residency, she developed an interest in the care of the underserved and those affected by substance use disorders. She became a board-certified family medicine physician in 2012 and has experience with telemedicine, treating substance use disorders, and teaching. As the opioid epidemic evolved in 2016, she became further committed to focusing her career on addiction medicine within primary care. In 2019, she relocated from the Mountain West to Chicago, IL with her family and she is in the process of completing the addiction medicine fellowship at Rush University in Chicago. The fellowship has afforded her the chance to receive the most current evidence-based, clinical education surrounding addiction medicine as well as to join exciting educational, research, and public health initiatives.
Dr. Fitzgerald’s present interests in addiction medicine include the care for persons experiencing homelessness, pregnancy and opioid use disorder, medical student education, physician health, integration of treatment of substance use disorder into primary care practice, and treatment of substance use disorder via telemedicine. She is excited to be a part of GIA and to see how GIA can positively impact the future of addiction medicine. Dr. Fitzgerald is married with three children, has two dogs, loves to run and listen to music, and finds great joy in her spiritual life.
Close
Ruchi Fitzgerald, MD
Consultant & Telehealth Advisor
Marti Echols, Ph.D.
Consultant
Dr. Marti Echols has been involved in medical education for over 35 years. Her experiences span the continuum of medical education from the undergraduate pre-med students, post-bac students, medical students, residents, and physicians. Dr. Echols has had the privilege of working in a variety of roles both nationally and internationally, in both medical schools and hospitals in faculty, research, and administrative positions. She has a special interest in program development as well as assessment and accreditation. Her passion in education has always been to help students achieve their highest potential.
She currently resides in Florida but was a resident of Ohio for many years and received her Ph.D. from Ohio University in Athens. Dr. Echols enjoys spending time with her family and friends, especially grandchildren, and her favorite hobby is fishing.
Close
Marti Echols, Ph.D.
Senior Advisor for Education and Training
Celeste Napier, Ph.D.
Consultant & Senior Advisor for Education and Training
Dr. Celeste Napier’s academic background includes a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, and post-doctoral training in Neurobiology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She has conducted research sabbaticals at Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, and the University of Washington Health Sciences Center, Seattle, WA.
Dr. Napier has received continuous federal and foundation research grant support since 1990. Her scientific interests include the neurobiology of motivational behaviors, including those that regulate healthy decision-making versus those associated with drug and behavioral addictions. Her work encompasses addiction co-morbidity with other mental and neurological diseases. She has 130 publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals and an additional 170 published abstracts on neuroscience topics that span molecular biology, biochemistry, neurophysiology, pharmacology, and behavior. Her research is directed toward medication development for treating mental health disorders.
Dr. Napier’s extensive academic service includes President of the Chicago Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience, membership in scientific review committees for the National Institutes of Health, an organizer of numerous international conferences, and editor or reviewer for over 30 scientific journals and books. She serves as a Scientific Advisor or board member for several not-for-profit institutions including the Robert Crown Center for Health Education (Hinsdale, IL), Epworth Village (York, NE; a home for disadvantaged children), the National Center for Responsible Gaming (Beverly, MA), and the Institute for Neurobiology at the University of Puerto Rico (San Juan, PR). She has provided expert testimony to the US Congress Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Research and Technology, and to the Illinois House of Representatives Heroin and Youth Task Force Hearing. She has delivered nearly 160 invited scientific presentations worldwide and is frequently sought after by the news media on matters related to neuropharmacology, drug addiction, and the adolescent brain. For her outstanding contributions to neuroscience education, research, and community service in Chicago, Dr. Napier received the 2015 Career Achievement Award from the Chicago Chapter of the International Society for Neuroscience. She also was honored with the 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award from her alma mater, the Graduate School of Biomedical Science at Texas Tech University Health Science Center.
Close
Celeste Napier, Ph.D.
Senior Advisor for Education and Training
Ruchi Fitzgerald, MD, FAAFP
Consultant
Dr. Ruchi Fitzgerald completed her undergraduate and medical education at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She is a board-certified family medicine physician who completed her family medicine residency at the Montana Family Medicine Residency in Billings, Montana. Following the completion of her residency, she developed an interest in the care of the underserved and those affected by substance use disorders. She became a board-certified family medicine physician in 2012 and has experience with telemedicine, treating substance use disorders, and teaching. As the opioid epidemic evolved in 2016, she became further committed to focusing her career on addiction medicine within primary care. In 2019, she relocated from the Mountain West to Chicago, IL with her family and she is in the process of completing the addiction medicine fellowship at Rush University in Chicago. The fellowship has afforded her the chance to receive the most current evidence-based, clinical education surrounding addiction medicine as well as to join exciting educational, research, and public health initiatives.
Dr. Fitzgerald’s present interests in addiction medicine include the care for persons experiencing homelessness, pregnancy and opioid use disorder, medical student education, physician health, integration of treatment of substance use disorder into primary care practice, and treatment of substance use disorder via telemedicine. She is excited to be a part of GIA and to see how GIA can positively impact the future of addiction medicine. Dr. Fitzgerald is married with three children, has two dogs, loves to run and listen to music, and finds great joy in her spiritual life.
Close
Ruchi Fitzgerald, MD
Consultant & Telehealth Advisor
Marti Echols, Ph.D.
Consultant
Dr. Marti Echols has been involved in medical education for over 35 years. Her experiences span the continuum of medical education from the undergraduate pre-med students, post-bac students, medical students, residents, and physicians. Dr. Echols has had the privilege of working in a variety of roles both nationally and internationally, in both medical schools and hospitals in faculty, research, and administrative positions. She has a special interest in program development as well as assessment and accreditation. Her passion in education has always been to help students achieve their highest potential.
She currently resides in Florida but was a resident of Ohio for many years and received her Ph.D. from Ohio University in Athens. Dr. Echols enjoys spending time with her family and friends, especially grandchildren, and her favorite hobby is fishing.
Close
Marti Echols, Ph.D.
Senior Advisor for Education and Training
Clinical Team
Christine Deya, Psy.D.
Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Christine Deya is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in individual psychotherapy, psychological assessment, and supervision. Prior to living in Miami, she completed her doctorate in clinical psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Chicago, Illinois. She has clinical experience helping adolescents and adults struggling with substance abuse in both inpatient and outpatient settings, as well as providing cognitive rehabilitation services to older adults with memory impairment. She likewise has experience working with individuals diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illness, assisting with psychosocial rehabilitation and community reintegration. Dr. Deya’s research interests include the long-term impact of early childhood trauma and disruptions in attachment on adulthood relationships, especially in the context of early exposure to addiction within the family. In her therapeutic practice, she seeks to identify clients’ personal strengths that may enhance their ability to work toward self-determined goals, while providing a trusted space for exploration of new patterns of behavior and ways of thinking.
Close
Christine Deya, PsyD
Clinical Psychologist
Lina Haji, Psy.D., LMHC
Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Lina Haji is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in psychodiagnostics assessment, forensic assessment, risk assessment, dual diagnosis treatment, serious and persistent mental illness, CBT, and substance abuse treatment. She completed a Master of Forensic Psychology degree at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, a Master of Clinical Psychology degree from Albizu University, and a doctorate in Clinical Psychology with a forensic emphasis from Albizu University.
Dr. Haji’s clinical experience over the last 18 years includes working with dually diagnosed adults in inpatient and outpatient settings including correctional facilities, substance abuse rehabilitation centers, outpatient clinics, psychiatric hospitals and private practice in NY, NJ, CA, and FL. In addition, she has supervised master-level clinicians, post-doctoral residents, and served as clinical director for a 500-patient facility. Dr. Haji’s ultimate goal as a psychologist is to accurately diagnose and identify patient strengths and weaknesses regardless of population in order to better individualize treatment needs and goals.
Close
Lina Haji, Psy.D., LMHC
Clinical Psychologist
Jessica Bocanegra, RN, BSN
Lead Nurse
Jessica Bocanegra has been a nurse since her 2012 graduation from Barry University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (BSN). Throughout her nursing career, she has held a variety of positions and acquired valuable experience as a Home Health Nurse, Director of Wound Care Services, Clinical Case Manager, Nurse Navigator, Private Nurse, and Nurse Liaison.
Jessica is excited to embark on a new journey with GIA Miami as Lead Nurse, where she will use her expertise to provide ongoing support, comfort and accommodation to GIA patients and their families. Her goal is to provide outstanding care and services in collaboration with an outstanding team.
Close
Jessica Bocanegra, RN, BSN
Lead Nurse
Christine Deya, Psy.D.
Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Christine Deya is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in individual psychotherapy, psychological assessment, and supervision. Prior to living in Miami, she completed her doctorate in clinical psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Chicago, Illinois. She has clinical experience helping adolescents and adults struggling with substance abuse in both inpatient and outpatient settings, as well as providing cognitive rehabilitation services to older adults with memory impairment. She likewise has experience working with individuals diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illness, assisting with psychosocial rehabilitation and community reintegration. Dr. Deya’s research interests include the long-term impact of early childhood trauma and disruptions in attachment on adulthood relationships, especially in the context of early exposure to addiction within the family. In her therapeutic practice, she seeks to identify clients’ personal strengths that may enhance their ability to work toward self-determined goals, while providing a trusted space for exploration of new patterns of behavior and ways of thinking.
Close
Christine Deya, PsyD
Clinical Psychologist
Lina Haji, Psy.D., LMHC
Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Lina Haji is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in psychodiagnostics assessment, forensic assessment, risk assessment, dual diagnosis treatment, serious and persistent mental illness, CBT, and substance abuse treatment. She completed a Master of Forensic Psychology degree at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, a Master of Clinical Psychology degree from Albizu University, and a doctorate in Clinical Psychology with a forensic emphasis from Albizu University.
Dr. Haji’s clinical experience over the last 18 years includes working with dually diagnosed adults in inpatient and outpatient settings including correctional facilities, substance abuse rehabilitation centers, outpatient clinics, psychiatric hospitals and private practice in NY, NJ, CA, and FL. In addition, she has supervised master-level clinicians, post-doctoral residents, and served as clinical director for a 500-patient facility. Dr. Haji’s ultimate goal as a psychologist is to accurately diagnose and identify patient strengths and weaknesses regardless of population in order to better individualize treatment needs and goals.
Close
Lina Haji, Psy.D., LMHC
Clinical Psychologist
Jessica Bocanegra, RN, BSN
Lead Nurse
Jessica Bocanegra has been a nurse since her 2012 graduation from Barry University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (BSN). Throughout her nursing career, she has held a variety of positions and acquired valuable experience as a Home Health Nurse, Director of Wound Care Services, Clinical Case Manager, Nurse Navigator, Private Nurse, and Nurse Liaison.
Jessica is excited to embark on a new journey with GIA Miami as Lead Nurse, where she will use her expertise to provide ongoing support, comfort and accommodation to GIA patients and their families. Her goal is to provide outstanding care and services in collaboration with an outstanding team.
Close
Jessica Bocanegra, RN, BSN
Lead Nurse
Executive Team
Francesco Del Governatore
Deputy CEO
Francesco Del Governatore is a young and charismatic leader, serving as Deputy CEO and Board Member of GIA Miami. After graduating from Bocconi University in Milan, Francesco started his career at JP Morgan before successfully completing a Master in Project Management degree. Professionally, he learned his craft in large corporations as a member of multiple leadership teams. Francesco has extensive international experience and strong business relationships all over the world.
Close
Francesco Del Governatore
Deputy CEO
Michael Wudyka
Chief Business Development Officer & Founder
Michael Wudyka is the Founder and Chief Business Development Officer of the Global Institutes on Addictions (GIA). Prior to founding GIA, Michael consulted and assisted with business development for private and publicly traded companies. Licensed in real estate, Michale also specializes in developing and designing commercial and residential properties. Additionally, prior to relocating to Miami Michael owned and operated a chain of hotels and restaurants in the Hamptons, as well as a movie studio.
Michael has been a lifelong entrepreneur and looks forward to using his knowledge and experience to help individuals with mental health concerns and addiction issues. Family is a priority in his life, and he loves to travel with his fiancée and two sons.
Close
Michael Wudyka
Chief Business Development Officer & Founder
Samuel R. Mitchell, Jr., MBA, MHA
Chief Operating Officer
Samuel R. Mitchell, Jr., is a Senior Operational and Financial Executive with a track record of improving performance through organizational leadership, change management, and healthcare administration. With nearly two decades of experience in several C-level executive positions in the healthcare industry, Mr. Mitchell is an expert in the field of healthcare administration, healthcare operations, finance, and the healthcare delivery system. He also commands extensive knowledge in healthcare data analysis, leadership, budget management, marketing, compliance, management of capital assets, best billing practices, organizational development, IT, and contract negotiations.
Mr. Mitchell has led and managed a fully integrated healthcare IT company, large physician group practices, urgent care centers, specialty/sub-specialty centers, dental practices, clinical and toxicology laboratories, pharmacies, behavioral health organizations, revenue cycle management companies, ambulatory centers, DME/ancillary services, and managed budgets and revenues in excess of $200MM. Mr. Mitchell holds both a Master of Business Administration degree and a Master of Healthcare Administration degree from Nova Southeastern University’s School of Business and Entrepreneurship, and is currently pursuing his doctorate in Healthcare Administration.
Close
Samuel R. Mitchell, Jr., MBA, MHA
Chief Operating Officer
Joseph Tempelberg
Chief Financial Officer
Joseph Tempelberg began his career providing Management Assurance Services in Boutique, Regional, and International Public Accounting/Consulting firms like KPMG, specializing in IPOs, SEC registrations including SEC compliance, and designing frameworks based on COSO guidelines. His areas of expertise include M&A, Post M&A organization integration, healthcare, information technology, and financial markets. Joseph has been providing strategic direction, innovation, and visionary governance throughout his professional life. He is currently considered a Subject Matter Expert in Healthcare Reform Strategy for the Managed Care Population to various stakeholders.
Close
Joseph Tempelberg
Chief Financial Officer
Maria Lalama
Executive Assistant
Maria Lalama was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador and moved to Aventura, Florida when she was 7 years old. She is a premedical student who graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience.
Maria is currently working on two different clinical research projects for which she has the lead role in gathering data and finalizing the publications before submission. In her free time, she loves to bake – her specialty is banana bread. She is excited to be at GIA, where she has the opportunity to follow her passion for helping others (and sharing banana bread).
Close
Maria Lalama
Executive Assistant
Samuel R. Mitchell, Jr., MBA, MHA
Chief Operating Officer
Samuel R. Mitchell, Jr., is a Senior Operational and Financial Executive with a track record of improving performance through organizational leadership, change management, and healthcare administration. With nearly two decades of experience in several C-level executive positions in the healthcare industry, Mr. Mitchell is an expert in the field of healthcare administration, healthcare operations, finance, and the healthcare delivery system. He also commands extensive knowledge in healthcare data analysis, leadership, budget management, marketing, compliance, management of capital assets, best billing practices, organizational development, IT, and contract negotiations.
Mr. Mitchell has led and managed a fully integrated healthcare IT company, large physician group practices, urgent care centers, specialty/sub-specialty centers, dental practices, clinical and toxicology laboratories, pharmacies, behavioral health organizations, revenue cycle management companies, ambulatory centers, DME/ancillary services, and managed budgets and revenues in excess of $200MM. Mr. Mitchell holds both a Master of Business Administration degree and a Master of Healthcare Administration degree from Nova Southeastern University’s School of Business and Entrepreneurship, and is currently pursuing his doctorate in Healthcare Administration.
Close
Samuel R. Mitchell, Jr., MBA, MHA
Chief Operating Officer
Joseph Tempelberg
Chief Financial Officer
Joseph Tempelberg began his career providing Management Assurance Services in Boutique, Regional, and International Public Accounting/Consulting firms like KPMG, specializing in IPOs, SEC registrations including SEC compliance, and designing frameworks based on COSO guidelines. His areas of expertise include M&A, Post M&A organization integration, healthcare, information technology, and financial markets. Joseph has been providing strategic direction, innovation, and visionary governance throughout his professional life. He is currently considered a Subject Matter Expert in Healthcare Reform Strategy for the Managed Care Population to various stakeholders.
Close
Joseph Tempelberg
Chief Financial Officer
Maria Lalama
Executive Assistant
Maria Lalama was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador and moved to Aventura, Florida when she was 7 years old. She is a premedical student who graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience.
Maria is currently working on two different clinical research projects for which she has the lead role in gathering data and finalizing the publications before submission. In her free time, she loves to bake – her specialty is banana bread. She is excited to be at GIA, where she has the opportunity to follow her passion for helping others (and sharing banana bread).
Close
Maria Lalama
Executive Assistant
GIA’s Advisory Team
GIA is very proud and honored to have on board such a World Class team of Strategic Advisors.
Deborah Mash, Ph.D.
Advisory Board Member
Deborah Mash is the CEO and Founder of DemeRx, Inc., a clinical stage drug development company advancing ibogaine and its active metabolite noribogaine for the treatment of opioid use disorder. DemeRx partnered in 2019 with ATAI Life Sciences — a global biotech platform — to develop ibogaine for those suffering from opioid use disorder.
Deborah is a neuroscientist, lecturer, and inventor who has dedicated more than 30 years of research to unlocking the secrets of the human brain. She is nationally recognized as a leading neuroscience researcher, playing a pivotal role in over 300 published studies investigating aging, neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders, drug development, and addiction neurobiology. She is the founder and former director of the University of Miami Brain Endowment Bank, one of the six NIH funded NeuroBioBanks. She has held uninterrupted Public Health Service NIH funding to advance research studies focused on the role of the human brain in health and disease.
Deborah received a Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude in Experimental Psychology from Florida State University. She received her Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Miami School of Medicine. She completed a fellowship in Neurology and Neuroanatomy at Beth Israel Hospital, Harvard Medical School. She is Professor Emeritus of Neurology and Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami School of Medicine. She is currently a Research Professor in the College of Allopathic Medicine at Nova Southeastern University.
Close
Deborah Mash, Ph.D.
Advisor
Jeremy Waletzky, MD
Advisory Board Member
Dr. Jeremy Waletzky is a psychiatrist who has devoted his career to taking care of patients with depression and bipolar disease. Unfortunately, both frequently occur with addictions and all need to be treated. His expertise includes the use of medication and various forms of psychotherapy, including cognitive-behavior therapy, family therapy, meditation, and imagery. He is a clinical professor at The George Washington University and a distinguished life fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He has published on topics as diverse as the clinical use of anti-psychotics, Soviet children and the threat of nuclear war, and the inability of an “energy” healer to distinguish between fertile and infertile women. Following the death of his son from a cocaine arrhythmia, along with the Society for Neuroscience he established the Jacob P. Waletzky Award along which honors the best mid careerresearcher in addiction. He received a lifetime achievement award by the National Institute of Drug Abuse.
Dr. Waletzky has had considerable foundation experience including being on the board of trustees and executive committee of the Rockefeller Family Fund, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund , and the Fetzer Memorial Trust. In addition, he was on the board of trustees and chairman of The Fetzer Institute.
Close
Jeremy Waletzky, MD
Advisor
Susan Clampitt
Advisor
Ms. Clampitt has completed six years of conservatory acting training and has served for many years as a consultant to arts-focused and other nonprofit organizations, a role that has involved building and strategic planning as well as board and program development. She held senior executive positions as Director of Arts and Humanities Presidential Appointments at the White House; Executive Director and General Manager of WAMU 88.5 in Washington DC, one of the country’s leading National Public Radio (NPR) stations; Deputy Chair for Programs at the National Endowment for the Arts; founder and chair of America’s first museum education graduate program; Associate Director of Media and Communications at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, and Curator at the Montclair Art Museum.
Appointed by three successive Washington DC mayors, Ms. Clampitt served as Commissioner on the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. She is a founding board member and Vice President of the Mosaic Theater Company of DC. She also serves regularly as a grants panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts. She is a recipient of the Fast 50 Award for entrepreneurship from FastCompany magazine and is a winner of the Mayor’s Arts Award for service to the arts.
Close
Susan Clampitt
Advisor
Stefano Pallanti, MD, Ph.D.
Advisor
Dr. Stefano Pallanti is a “Physician-Scientist” who applies cutting-edge neuroscience breakthroughs to clinical work by utilizing clinical activities to formulate research hypotheses. He is a NIMH grant co-PI in Theta Burst Stimulation of pathological gamblers.
Dr. Pallanti holds the position of Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Florence and Director of the Institute for Neurosciences in Italy as well as Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University Medical Center in Stanford, CA, where he works as a TMS Consultant. He has also been Visiting Professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, Visiting Professor at Imperial College, London, and Adjunct Associate Professor at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, where he also served as the Founder and Director of the Strategic Center of Excellence for OCD, Impulsive, and Behavioral Addiction.
Dr. Pallanti is an Executive Committee Member, the Chair of the Neuromodulation Network, and a member of the Scientific Board of the ECNP (European College of Neuropsychopharmacology) and also serves on its Educational Committee. He is the Advisory Council member of the International Center for Autism Research and Education (Icare4autism, New York), an international fellow, and served on the Advisory Board of the American Psychiatric Association for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, both for the DSM-IV and for the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Spectrum Workgroup for the DSM-V. He is a member of the board of directors of the International College for Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders (ICOCS), a member of the PANDAS Physicians Network and of the International Neuroethics Society.
Since 2014 he has been a board member for the World Health Organization as an expert on anxiety. He served as a member of the board of directors of the Clinical TMS Society from May 2013 to May 2017. He is a member of the New York Society of Psychiatry. In 2019 Dr. Pallanti was appointed to the faculties of both the International Psychopharmacology Course of the Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Academy and the Training School at Clare College, Cambridge University, UK for the European Network for Problematic Usage of the Internet.
He is particularly active in rTMS, Neuromodulation, Photo-Bio Modulation, and Vagus Nerve Stimulation covering a broad area of Neuropsychiatry. He is Editor of the Archive of Behavioral Addiction, and Deputy Editor of CNS Spectrums, where he is also a columnist. He has published 187 peer-reviewed papers as of April 2020, 12 books, four manuals of Psychiatry. His H index is 55 as of April 2020.
Close
Stefano Pallanti, MD, Ph.D.
Advisor
GIA’s Board of Directors
GIA’s Board of Directors is composed of
Roberto Ciapparelli
Investor
Roberto Ciapparelli is a self-made entrepreneur, visionary, and investor. He is a multicultural solutions-focused businessman with more than 40 years of success across many sectors and industries. Roberto is the Founder and Chairman of CHC Group, which is active in the hotel industry with several structures in the cities of Florence, Bologna, Milan, Venice, Genoa, Turin, and Trieste.
Close
Roberto Ciapparelli
Investor
Antonello Bonci, MD
Executive Chairman & Founder
Dr. Antonello Bonci is the Executive Chairman and Founder of the Global Institutes on Addictions (GIA). Before moving to GIA, he served for nearly a decade at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as Scientific Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Between 1999 and 2010, he was Professor-in-Residence in the Department of Neurology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and held the Howard J. Weinberg Endowed Chair in Addiction Research while also serving as Associate Director for Extramural Affairs at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center.
Over the last 5 years, Dr. Bonci and his collaborators worldwide have successfully pioneered the translation of non-invasive brain stimulation such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), from the preclinical stage to the clinic, to treat cocaine use disorders and other types of addiction.
Close
Antonello Bonci, MD
Executive Chairman & Founder
Michael Wudyka
Chief Business Development Officer & Founder
Michael Wudyka is the Founder and Chief Business Development Officer of the Global Institutes on Addictions (GIA). Prior to founding GIA, Michael consulted and assisted with business development for private and publicly traded companies. Licensed in real estate, Michale also specializes in developing and designing commercial and residential properties. Additionally, prior to relocating to Miami Michael owned and operated a chain of hotels and restaurants in the Hamptons, as well as a movie studio.
Michael has been a lifelong entrepreneur and looks forward to using his knowledge and experience to help individuals with mental health concerns and addiction issues. Family is a priority in his life, and he loves to travel with his fiancée and two sons.
Close
Michael Wudyka
Chief Business Development Officer & Founder
Francesco Del Governatore
Deputy CEO
Francesco Del Governatore is a young and charismatic leader, serving as Deputy CEO and Board Member of GIA Miami. After graduating from Bocconi University in Milan, Francesco started his career at JP Morgan before successfully completing a Master in Project Management degree. Professionally, he learned his craft in large corporations as a member of multiple leadership teams. Francesco has extensive international experience and strong business relationships all over the world.
Close
Francesco Del Governatore
Deputy CEO
Contact GIA Miami online or by calling 833.713.0828 to speak with caring and highly experienced mental wellness and addiction therapy staff today.