2nd Edition of Public Health World Conference (PHWC) 2026

Scientific Committee

Chris Stout

  • Designation: Founding Director, Center for Global Initiatives, USA
  • Country: USA

Biography

Dr. Chris Stout is a licensed clinical psychologist and international humanitarian with a diverse background in various domains. He is the Founding Director of the Center for Global Initiatives (a Top-Rated Nonprofit) and is the Executive Producer and Host of the popular “Living a Life in Full” a top-ranked podcast with an audience of over 3 million. He was a Fellow in the School of Public Health and Full Professor in the Department of Psychiatry in the College of Medicine at the University of Illinois, Chicago and prior to that he held an academic appointment at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. He served as a NGO Special Representative and had the honor of speaking at the United Nations; he holds the distinction of being one of only 100 world-wide leaders appointed to the World Economic Forum’s Global Leaders of Tomorrow and was an Invited Faculty at the Annual Meeting in Davos. 

Dr. Stout is a worldwide speaker, organizational consultant and startup whisperer having worked or traveled in all 50 states, over 100 countries and 6 continents. He was noted as being “one of the most frequently cited psychologists in the scientific literature.” He is a Fellow in the American Psychological Association, past-President of the Illinois Psychological Association, and is a Distinguished Practitioner in the National Academies of Practice. He is a Best-Selling Author, having published 38 books. His works have been translated into 8 languages. He is a recipient of four Humanitarian Awards and four additional honorary doctorates. He is a popular LinkedIn Top Voice nearing a half-million followers and has been a guest on CNBC, CNN, NBC, PBS, NPR, and Oprah. He was listed in Fast Co.’s Global Fast 50 nominees and in TED Founder Richard Saul Wurman’s “Who’s Really Who.” His professional archive was deeded to the Smithsonian’s Museum for the History of Psychology. He balances all his academic and humanitarian efforts with time with his family, adventure sports, and mountaineering (having climbed 3 of the world’s 7 Summits).   

Abstract

This presentation reviews the integration of various academic aspects of healthcare and career involvements incorporating seemingly diverse areas into a model of humanitarian intervention that is global in scale. We will begin with addressing the diseases of poverty from a global health perspective. Examples and statistical data will then give way to a number of stories about various humanitarian organizations that are as innovative in their approach as they are successful in their outcomes. Inspirational stories as well as practical tools will round out this rich and engaging presentation.


Learning Objectives

1. Identify the practical and resources tools for engaging in humanitarian projects.

2. Understand ways in which to transition from clinical or academic roles to conducting international humanitarian work.

4. Learn new approaches and skills to global work/projects.

5. Use models offered by other disciplines in executing humanitarian intervention projects.