Pakistani doctor elected president of leading mental health body
KARACHI: Dr Ayesha I. Mian has been elected as the president of the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP) for the 2026-2030 term.
According to a press release, her election makes her the first Pakistani and the first South Asian to lead the organisation since its establishment in 1937.
Dr Mian’s election marks an important moment not only for Pakistan but also for the growing recognition of expertise emerging from low- and middle-income countries.
An alumna of Aga Khan University, Dr Mian previously served on the faculty of the University of Texas and Baylor College of Medicine. After returning to Pakistan in 2013, she became Founding Dean of Student Experience and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at AKU, where she established Pakistan’s first Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship training programme.
She currently serves as the Founder and CEO of Synapse — Pakistan Neuroscience Institute, where she continues to advance evidence-based clinical services, education, research, and advocacy to strengthen mental health systems in Pakistan.
Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2026
