Our Speakers

Professor Raja Mukherjee is an Adult Learning Disability Consultant Psychiatrist for Surrey and Border’s Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in the UK, with interest in the management of developmental disorders across the lifespan.

In September 2009 he started the first NHS based specialist Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders behavioural clinic and since then has seen over 250 cases for  specialist second opinion as a National referral service. Dr Mukherjee completed his PhD on the subject of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome in 2014. 

He has also acted as an invited advisor to the BMA board of science, The Department of Health and the World Health Organisation on the subject of FASD. In 2015 Dr Mukherjee also gave evidence to the first All Party Parliamentary Group on FASD at the UK House of Commons.

He continues to support national clinical developments related to FASD. Dr Mukherjee is a member of the NICE quality standards group for FASD. He is currently the only UK representative to a US, NIH sponsored initiative to consider the research criteria for FASD.

In his own time he volunteers as a medical advisor to various FASD charities both in the UK and internationally. In 2021 he was made an Honorary Professor at the University of Salford related to his work on FASD.

In wider work, he is currently Clinical Lead for Adult neurodevelopmental services provided by Surrey and Borders including Adult ASD and ADHD services across Surrey, Hampshire and Portsmouth.

He is a an executive committee member and Finance Office of the RCPsych SIG on neurodevelopmental disorders, and an Executive member of the ID Faculty.

Dr Jolanta Burke is a chartered psychologist specialising in positive psychology and health.

A graduate of Trinity College Dublin, Dr Burke worked as a programme director at the University of East London and Maynooth University before joining Royal College of Surgeons Ireland.

She is currently a senior lecturer at the Centre for Positive Health Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences. At RCSI, she is the programme director for the Masters in Applied Positive Psychology and Health and a co-director of the Masters in Positive Health Coaching.

She also leads a Positive Activity Research Lab where her team explores the science behind maximising wellbeing and human flourishing. Her team secured funding from the EU, including Interreg, Erasmus+, as well as Science Foundation Ireland, Irish Research Council, Health Research Board, Enterprise Ireland and others.

She has authored 14 books, published over 100 peer-reviewed publications, and written for newspapers such as The Guardian, Irish Times and Irish Independent. She has over 2.5 million reads on the Conversation and Psychology Today and has been acknowledged by the Irish Times as one of 30 people who makes Ireland a better place.

Dr Burke and her team are currently working with FASD Ireland on research into 'Wellbeing in Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder' due to be published in the early summer 2025.

For more information, please go to www.jolantaburke.com

Professor Farhana Sharif is a Consultant Paediatrician with a special interest in Developmental Paediatrics at Mullingar Regional Hospital, Ireland.

She graduated with a medical degree from the Aga Khan University in Pakistan and completed her Paediatric Residency Programme at the Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital in Missouri, USA and holds a Masters Degree in Child Health from the University of Warwick UK.

Professor Sharif has a special interest in Early Intervention - Infant and child development and has set up Early Intervention Teams in Longford / Westmeath, which have streamlined care for children with disabilities in this region.

She has also been instrumental in introducing a sensitive and specific tool for screening for developmental delay in children which has facilitated and enhanced care for these children.

She has a keen interest in improving breast feeding rates in Ireland, increase awareness of period of PURPLE crying, FASD, and more recently infant and child mental health issues in Ireland. She has designed and introduced a mental health toolkit - a novel model of care for children with mental and behavioural problems which has shown promising results and outcomes which has been recognised nationally as well as internationally.
 
She is RCSI Clinical Professor of Paediatrics and Regional Teaching Lead. She is also UCD Clinical Associate Professor and the Clinical Lead for CDNT in Longford Westmeath.

She has more than 70 papers and abstracts published in peer reviewed journals. She has a keen interest in Health Promotion, Prevention and Protection.
She has also been recognised for her exceptional teaching, through multiple student - nominated Clinical Teaching Awards. She has inspired countless medical students to pursue the field of Paediatrics