Josephine Wallis Minds for Minds Chairperson

Josephine Wallis Minds for Minds Chairperson

“There is no point being here if you can’t go out and make a difference.” – Josephine Wallis

Geneva Healthcare CEO, Josephine Wallis, continues to lead change and make a difference in the healthcare industry through her role as the newly appointed Chairperson of the Minds for Minds Charitable Trust.

Minds for Minds is a registered Charitable Trust supporting an expert group of research scientists who are actively seeking to unlock the cause of autism in order to help with diagnosis, and contribute to the development of treatment options.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a group of complex brain development disorders that typically begin in childhood. It is estimated to affect more than one in 100 New Zealanders and characterised by decreased social interactions and language skills, combined with rigid or repetitive behaviour patterns. However, this definition does not capture the broad spectrum of people with autism – every person with autism is different. Although there has been tremendous progress investigating the mechanisms underlying ASD, very little known about the cause in the vast majority of individuals and families. Not enough is known about how and why autism occurs. This means that families sometimes struggle for a diagnosis.

Josephine became aware of the trust through a friend and saw the opportunity to go out and make a difference to the lives of individuals and their families living on the spectrum. In addition to her CEO duties at Geneva, Jo is excited about this new undertaking and hopes to increase awareness and raise funds for the trust. “I feel extremely privileged by the opportunity to work and collaborate with New Zealand’s leading scientists and be able to help enhance the lives of those on the spectrum,” says Jo.

“They say that people with autism see the world from a different perspective, and I think that should be celebrated! Our lives are different and our journeys are different. You don’t have to be just like the others to fit in, because we’re all born to stand out as we are.”

Go to www.mindsforminds.org.nz to find out more about Minds for Minds and the work they do.

© Scoop Media