Chair: Denise Paneduro holds a PhD in Developmental and Cognitive Psychology from York University and brings over 10 years of teaching and research experience within higher education and top-tier academic healthcare institutions. Demonstrating her commitment to the advancement of science, she has contributed to diverse research committees and boards such as the Education and Research Committee for the Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute and the Mount Sinai Research Ethics Board. Denise has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, disseminated knowledge at conferences in North America, South America and Europe, and managed a large research portfolio at the Wasser Pain Management Centre, Mount Sinai Hospital. Denise has a particular interest in mindfulness, health, and well-being. She is founder of Mind Evolution Consulting and Senior Research Consultant and Corporate Trainer at Mindful Gateway. She serves as Chair of the Steering Committee of Mindfulness Toronto and advisor for the Mindfulness Certificate Program at University of Toronto, School of Continuing Studies. She is dedicated to teaching mindfulness, and developing and evaluating mindfulness-based programs with the vision to modernize the landscape of public healthcare and education.

Treasurer: Heidi Bornstein
Mindfulness Everyday co-founder, MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) Workshop Facilitator, The Mindful Edge – Stress Reduction & Life Strategies for Teens Instructor, Steering Committee member Mindfulness Toronto.

Dr. Alexandra J. Fiocco is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Ryerson University and is director of the Stress and Healthy Aging Research (StAR) Lab. She obtained a MSc in Psychology with a specialization in Neuroscience from Carleton University in 2002, and a PhD in Neuroscience from McGill University in 2008, followed by postdoctoral training in clinical and epidemiological research at the University of California San Francisco and at Baycrest in Toronto. Dr. Fiocco’s research focuses on exploring the biopsychosocial factors that determine cognitive function and wellbeing in late life and preventive measures that facilitate healthy aging, including mindfulness-based strategies. Dr. Fiocco completed the Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction Facilitation Certificate in 2018 through the Centre for Mindfulness Studies.  

Ben Diplok is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in Clinical-Developmental Psychology at York University, where he conducts mindfulness-based intervention research. Ben has research funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Ontario Graduate Scholarship, in support of his mindfulness-based intervention research. Ben was a Youth-Led Community Change Program award recipient (Laidlaw Foundation) from 2014-2016, during which time he collaborated with a middle school to provide students and teachers with evidence-informed mindfulness and yoga training. Ben completed the Mindfulness-based Group Practice program in 2018, through Sunnybrook Mindfulness. He has had the pleasure of facilitating numerous five-week mindfulness-based groups for emerging adults experiencing mood and anxiety difficulties, as well as co-facilitating mindfulness groups with psychiatric outpatient mood and anxiety groups at Sunnybrook.

Hersh I. Forman, BSc, MBA

Over 30 year’s business experience as a senior marketing and sales professional. In addition, he has also operated his own consulting practice since 2001. Former Senior Trainer with The Potential Project, a global organization that specializes in Corporate Based Mindfulness Training (CBMT®) for companies that helps employees to be more effective, calm and focused at work and at home.
Member, Mindfulness in the Workplace/Mindful Leadership group (since 2011).
Steering Committee Member since 2013.
Elected Chair of the Steering Committee January 2014.

Past Committee Members

• Hersh I. Forman – Past Chair
• Susan Meech
• Aidan Tierney
• Laurie Arron

Mindfulness Toronto Founding Members

Bobby Esbin, MD                                          David Etlin, MD, FRCP(C)

M. Lee Freedman, MD, CM, FRCP(C)       Shari Geller, PhD CPsych

Jackie Masson, MD, CM, FRCP(C)            Lisa Vettese, PhD, CPsych