Mental Wealth Initiative welcomes new acclaimed member

Originally from Australia, Dr Harris Eyre is based in the United States and brings a wealth of knowledge as a medical doctor, neuroscientist, entrepreneur, and policy strategist. He is also an Australian Fulbright Scholar and was listed in 2018 in Forbes 30 Under 30.

Dr Eyre is currently a fellow at The Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University, a senior fellow at the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, as well as an advisor to the Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association and the Latin American Brain Health Institute. His works have been profiled by the United Nations, the OECD, the World Health Organization, COP27 and The Brookings Institution.

The Mental Wealth Initiative was established to measure, monitor, and forecast the Mental Wealth of nations. Beyond the value people generate in the market economy (made visible by GDP) there are important but less visible contributions made to the wealth of a nation.

These are social contributions that improve quality of life, build mental capital, restore ecosystems, strengthen community cohesion and trust, and make nations more resilient in times of crisis. Mental Wealth is a new, more holistic measure of national performance that considers both economic and social prosperity. It is therefore a measure of the strength of a Wellbeing Economy.

In the aftermath of the pandemic, nations face enormous challenges including climate change, energy and food insecurity, polarization, declining trends in youth mental health, and misinformation.  These issues have converged to cause socio-political and economic disruption, weakening democracies, and posing threats to national security. 

The Mental Wealth Initiative is working with research and industry partners to understand how coordinated policies and investments across health, social, and economic systems could boost brain capital, and improve the resilience, mental health, and overall Mental Wealth of nations.  

Jo-An Occhipinti, Co-Director of the Mental Wealth Initiative says, “We are honoured to welcome Harris to the Expert Advisory Panel. Harris, along with all our esteemed EAP members have an expanse of knowledge across disciplines, offering valuable strategic advice, and are providing a global platform to advance the Mental Wealth mission and research agenda.’ 

The MWI, is a transdisciplinary initiative of the Brain and Mind Centre in collaboration with Sydney Business School that combines experts across business, economics, law, social policy, and mental health to empower communities and nations to foster their Mental Wealth. 

Notable members of the MWI Advisory Panel include former Australian Prime Minister, the Hon. Malcolm Turnbull, Businesswoman, Lucy Turnbull, AO, Economist and Lawyer, Professor Allan Fels, AO, economist and former Labor Party politician, the Hon. Dr Craig Emerson, and the OECD’s New Approaches to Economic Challenges (NAEC) Coordinator, Professor William Hynes. 

For more information, or to enquire about supporting the Mental Wealth Initiative’s research program, please contact: Associate Professor Jo-An Occhipinti