Dr. Saraceno is a longtime advocate for the right to health, supporting deinstitutionalization, establishment, and reform of health services for underserved populations, including people with ID. He has served as the head of the World Health Organization’s Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse and is now Secretary General of the Lisbon Institute of Global Mental Health. Under his leadership, in 2007, the WHO published the first “Atlas: Global Resources for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities.”
Dr. Saraceno is renowned in the global health community for reforming health systems to make health more accessible, improving the quality of life for hundreds of millions of people around the world. He has published more than 200 articles in scientific journals, edited 15 books, and written 10 books.
An Italian psychiatrist, Dr. Saraceno is an experienced clinician. He helped establish a national network of community mental health systems in Italy and served as the director of a public residential facility for people with disabilities, including intellectual disabilities, in Milan. Dr. Saraceno has a research background, having served as director of the Laboratory of Social Psychiatry and Epidemiology at the Institute Mario Negri. He has also been influential at the highest levels of policy on mental health and non-communicable diseases at the World Health Organization, ultimately leading to mental health system reform in several countries. He is also an accomplished professor with appointments at the School of Medical Sciences at the Nova University of Lisbon and the Department of Mental Health at the University of Geneva.
Alumni Ambassadors
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Apolo Anton Ohno
Olympic Medalist (Speedskating) -
Benedetto Saraceno
Health Expert & Advocate -
Brooklyn Decker Roddick
Actress & Model -
Cafu (Marcos Evangelista de Morais)
Legendary Professional Soccer Player -
Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco
Olympian & World Champion Swimmer -
Emma Broyles
Miss America 2022 -
Gleyber Torres
2x MLB All-Star, New York Yankees Shortstop -
Gracie Hunt
Inclusion activist, Unified Partner and Philanthropist -
Joe Haden
Former NFL Player & All Pro Defensive Back -
Lauren Potter
Actor & Advocate -
Maria Menounos
Actor & New York Times Best-Selling Author -
Michelle Kwan
Olympic Medalist, Figure Skating, United States Ambassador to Belize -
Montell Jordan
International Recording Artist/Pastor -
Nancy O'Dell
Media Personality -
Ricardo Montaner
Grammy Award Winning Singer & Songwriter -
Ricky Rubio
Former NBA Player, Cleveland Cavaliers -
Scott Hamilton
Olympic Champion, Figure Skating -
Vanessa Williams
Singer & Broadway Performer -
Willson Contreras
2x MLB All-Star, St. Louis Cardinals Catcher -
Yuna Kim
Olympic Champion, Figure Skating
