ISAD History

The International Society for Affective Disorders is a multi-professional organisation dedicated to improving research, care and advocacy in the affective disorders (depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety and related disorders). The fellows are active researchers and the society also has affiliates who are clinicians, researchers in training or members of recognised advocacy groups.

The Society was founded in 2001 by Prof Chris Thompson and a small group of likeminded scientists who recognised that there had not been a multi-disciplinary research body focusing on affective disorders. These founder members now constitute our Distinguished Fellows. ISAD held its inaugural meeting in Taormina, Sicily in March 2002. ISAD became a UK charity in February 2004.

ISAD has since held three further international conferences: Cancun 2004, Lisbon 2006 and Cape Town in 2008.. ISAD has an active international meeting programme with events in Argentina, Chile, Italy, Scotland, Germany, Switzerland and Australia. It has also attended international meetings such as the 6th International Bipolar Conference in 2005 and CINP in 2006 and presented a symposium during the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry conference in Chile in April 2007. ISAD’s next biennial conference will be held in Vancouver, Canada in April 2010.