Introducing 3 New CREST Network Members!

We’re delighted to announce the addition of three new members to the CREST network! Please join us in congratulating Joanna Jiménez Pavón, Delphine Raucher-Chéné and Jo Leidreiter in becoming network members.

All three members are based in different regions worldwide and offer specialized expertise in bipolar disorder, supported by a record of strong contributions to the discipline. Read their bios to learn more about their contributions:

Dr. Joanna Jiménez Pavón 🇲🇽

Instagram: @bipolarologa
Website: psiquiatracontigo.mx

Joanna Jimenez is a dedicated psychiatrist who specializes in affective disorders. She has been working at the Affective Disorders Clinic of the National Institute of Psychiatry for the last six years. She previously served as a research assistant in the Pharmacogenetics Department at the same institute, and she played a significant role as a research manager for the collaborative project “NeuroMex” with the Broad Institute and the Stanley Center. Joanna is nearing the completion of her PhD in Medical Science, driven by her heartfelt commitment to understanding and improving mental health. Her research passionately explores genetic factors related to chronobiology, treatment response, clinical characteristics, and psychiatric comorbidities in bipolar disorder. Additionally, she is working on developing a Polygenic Risk Score for bipolar disorder tailored to the Mexican ancestry population, with the hope of enhancing personalized care. She serves on the International Society for Bipolar Disorders as chair of the Suicide Prevention Task Force, and on the GAGE-BD (Global Aging and Geriatric Experiments in Bipolar Disorder) committee. Read her full bio here.

Dr. Delphine Raucher-Chéné 🇫🇷🇨🇦

Lab Website: crispdouglas.ca
Research Centre Profile: douglas.research.mcgill.ca/delphine-raucher-chene

Delphine Raucher-Chéné is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University and a Clinician-Researcher at the Douglas Research Centre, where she practices psychiatry in the outpatient clinic for Bipolar Disorders (BD). Her research program aims to advance a comprehensive understanding of the cognitive psychopathology of severe mental illness—particularly bipolar disorder and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders—across illness stages and levels of analysis, from neuroimaging to cognitive remediation.

Originally trained in medicine in France, Delphine discovered her passion for research during her psychiatric residency. She complemented her medical training with a Master’s in Neuropsychology and Clinical Neuroscience, followed by a PhD in Psychology. Her postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University further strengthened her technical expertise and shaped her integrative vision of clinical care and research. To date, Delphine has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles in high-impact journals, secured provincial and federal funding to establish her laboratory, and is actively building an international network focused on early intervention in bipolar disorder. She is a member of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders, the Schizophrenia International Research Society, and the Society for Research in Psychopathology. Read her full bio here.

Jo Leidreiter 🇦🇺

Website: bipolarpsychologist.com.au, mybipolartherapy.com
Instagram: @the_bipolar_psychologist,@MyBipolarTherapy
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joleidreiter

Jo Leidreiter is a Sydney-based registered psychologist specialising in bipolar disorder and mood-related conditions, with over 20 years of experience in private clinical practice. She is passionate about providing integrative psychological care for adults living with bipolar disorders. Her approach combines the latest research informed interventions with psychosocial treatments for BD — including CBT, DBT, FFT, IPSRT and Schema Therapy. She is passionate about integrating lifestyle psychiatry strategies into her care targeting sleep, exercise, rhythm, nutrition, and light exposure. As founder of My Bipolar Therapy, an educational platform launching in 2026, Jo develops digital psychoeducation and self-paced mood management programs that translate clinical research into practical, real-world tools. Her work aligns closely with CREST.BD’s mission to integrate lived experience, clinical expertise, and research innovation to improve quality of life for people living with bipolar disorder. Read her full bio here.