Our Team
Amit Baumel, Ph.D.
Chair
Amit is an Associate Professor in the Department of Community Mental Health, University of Haifa. He is a clinical psychologist and has more than 15 years of experience in design, research and development of user centered technology products, especially within the mental health domain. As a researcher, Amit focuses on the use of technology to train people within the community – from parents to volunteers – to support others’ mental health, and on the development of tools to evaluate the quality of digital health interventions. He is also an active member of a group of researchers and health professional focusing on the use of technology to promote awareness to mental illness. Besides clinical and research record Amit has hands on experience in establishing tech organizations and managing development and research teams outside of academic settings: He established several startups, led teams of developers, researchers and designers in several capacities, and consulted many startups on product design, big data and end-user analytics. He aims to leverage this experience to establish a culture of innovation in MindTools.io.
John M. Kane, M.D.
John served as chair of psychiatry at Zucker Hillside Hospital for 34 years and chair of psychiatry at the Zucker School of Medicine for 12 years. He currently co-directs the Institute of Behavioral Science, at Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research; and a Professor of Psychiatry, at Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. John has done extensive research in psychiatric illnesses, particularly schizophrenia. He is a recipient of the Arthur P. Noyes Award in Schizophrenia, the NAPPH Presidential Award for Research, the American Psychiatric Association Foundations’ Fund Prize for Research, the Kempf Fund Award for Research Development in Psychobiological Psychiatry, the Lieber Prize for Outstanding Research in Schizophrenia, the Heinz E. Lehmann Research Award from New York State, and the Dean Award from the American College of Psychiatrists.
Keren Faber, M.A
Keren is a licensed clinical psychologist in Israel, experienced in child and adolescent psychotherapy, parental guidance, autism, and developmental delay. She previously served as a director of therapy programs where she trained and guided a paramedical team of up to 20 members. Keren has many years of experience developing and writing content and scripts for digital health interventions, and evaluating digital mental health interventions.
Fred Muench, Ph.D.
Fred is a clinical psychologist and the former President and the CEO of the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, a national nonprofit that supports families struggling with their son or daughter’s substance use. He is the former Director of Digital Health Interventions at Northwell Health in the Department of Psychiatry. Fred has over 20 years’ experience in developing, researching, and managing technology-based applications for behavioral health in private, non-profit, and academic sectors. He has received funds to build and test digital interventions from NIDA, NIAAA, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Fred is also on the Scientific Advisory Board of several organizations.