Dear colleagues,

We are pleased to welcome you to the online conference Global Minds in Forensic Psychiatry – Advancing Research and Practice, an international and interdisciplinary forum fostering exchange between research and clinical practice in the field of forensic psychiatry.

Under the guiding theme Advancing Research and Practice, this conference aims to bring together leading researchers, clinicians, and policymakers from around the world to discuss innovations that promote ethically grounded, evidence-based, and patient-centered forensic psychiatric care.

The conference program offers insights into the disciplinary and thematic diversity of current forensic psychiatric research. We are particularly delighted to announce the following keynote lectures, which will address central aspects of the field:

• Prof. Dr. Gary Chaimowitz (McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada): Data-Driven Tools for Violence Management
• Prof. Dr. Hedwig Eisenbarth (University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand): Long-Term Effects of Early Childhood Adversity on Treatment Outcomes
• Prof. Dr. Seena Fazel (University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom): New Scientific Approaches to Risk Assessment and Their Implications for Psychiatry and Psychology
• PD Dr. Irina Franke (Center for Forensic Psychiatry, Chur, Switzerland): Ethical Challenges in Research with Highly Vulnerable Patient Groups
• Prof. Dr. Unn Kristin Hansen Haukvik (University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway): The Role of Biological Markers in Forensic Psychiatric Assessment
• Prof. Dr. Björn Hofvander (Lund University, Lund, Sweden): Premature Mortality and Health Inequalities among Forensic Patients

In addition to the keynote sessions, thematic parallel panels will address innovative treatment approaches, genetic and neurobiological foundations of aggression, substance use disorders and comorbidities in forensic psychiatry, as well as technological developments in diagnostics and therapy.

By adopting a fully virtual format, this conference underscores the importance of global connectivity, ecological sustainability, and international knowledge exchange.

We look forward to fostering international collaboration, strengthening scientific networks, and building bridges between research and clinical practice to improve the care of individuals with mental disorders.

You are warmly invited to contribute your experience and expertise, and to help shape the future of forensic psychiatric research and practice together with us.

Sincerely,
Prof. Manuela Dudeck, Dr. Michael Fritz, and the entire GMFP Organizing Committee