Charlene Sunkel

Charlene Sunkel is the Chief Executive Officer of aves Mental Health, an organisation she founded in 2018 to advance the rights and inclusion of people with mental health conditions. Drawing on her own lived experience, Ms. Sunkel has become a globally recognised advocate for mental health, human rights, and stigma reduction.

She has authored and co-authored numerous influential papers from a lived experience perspective, published in leading international journals. In addition, she serves as Co-Editor-in-Chief of PLOS Mental Health, shaping discourse on mental health research and advocacy worldwide.

Ms. Sunkel has held prominent roles in global initiatives, including serving as a Commissioner on the Lancet Commission on Global Mental Health and Sustainable Development and the Lancet Commission on the Future of Psychiatry. She also co-chaired the Lancet Commission on Ending Stigma and Discrimination in Mental Health. Beyond these roles, she contributes her expertise to various international boards and committees.

Her national contributions include membership in the South African Presidential Working Group on Disability and the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Mental Health. She previously served as Principal Coordinator for the Movement for Global Mental Health.

As a guest lecturer, Ms. Sunkel has shared her expertise with leading academic institutions worldwide, including Harvard University, King’s College London, and Indian Law College.

Her leadership and advocacy have been recognised through numerous national and international awards, including: Inseta Women’s Award; Tributes Award for Human Rights; Jim Birley Scholarship; Swiss Foundation/WHO Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Mental Health; Pardes Humanitarian Prize in Mental Health; WPA Presidential Commendation; and AMHROA Mental Health Advocacy and Humanitarian Award.

Through her pioneering work, Charlene Sunkel continues to redefine the role of lived experience in shaping mental health systems, policy, and global advocacy.