Dr. Lauren-Paige Reid, BMSc, MBBS

District Medical Officer in Psychiatry, Certified Amagi Brain Health Navigator

Dr. Lauren-Paige Reid is a Jamaican medical doctor with a focus on Brain Health and Mental Health and a strong commitment to advocacy, leadership, and community empowerment. She currently serves as a District Medical Officer in Psychiatry with the Kingston and St. Andrew Health Department’s Community Mental Health Services and provides primary care services at MobiCare Medical Center, reflecting her commitment to delivering comprehensive care across the spectrum of health.

As a Certified Brain Health Navigator and active member of the Jamaica Psychiatric Association, Dr. Reid also serves as the Amagi Jamaica Programme Lead, where she has contributed to the implementation of the Brain Train Programme and Dementia Moments Experience Jamaica, initiatives focused on dementia prevention, brain health promotion and caregiver education.

She is also the Jamaica Mental Health Lead for the CASSM Foundation, coordinating mental health outreach initiatives across rural and urban communities in Jamaica. Her work extends beyond the office walls to community mental health advocacy, and public education.

A proud graduate of The University of the West Indies, where she earned her Bachelor of Medical Sciences and MBBS degrees, Dr. Reid continues to champion an approach to healthcare that recognizes the correlation of the mind, body, and soul. Through her clinical, advocacy and community work, she remains committed to promoting brain and mental health awareness, supporting wholistic wellness, and building healthier, more resilient communities.

Dr. Samantha Patterson

BSc, MBBS, MPH – Geriatrician

Dr. Samantha Simone Patterson is a Harvard-trained physician and Geriatrician. Originally from Jamaica, she brings over a decade of international clinical experience, having served in diverse roles across Jamaica, Bermuda, and the United States. She earned her medical degree from the University of the West Indies and later completed her Internal Medicine residency at CMEF/NEOMED in Ohio.

Patterson also holds a Master of Public Health from Nova Southeastern University, reflecting her passion for health promotion and reducing disparities in underserved communities. She has a strong commitment to mentorship, particularly for international medical graduates navigating the U.S. medical system.

She currently serves as Associate Medical Director of a skilled nursing and long-term care facility in Massachusetts, where she continues to develop her expertise in medical leadership and facility administration. She is also the founder of Jamerican Geriatrics, providing in-home geriatric evaluations with plans to expand into medical directorship services. Her long-term goal is to own and operate a skilled nursing or long-term care facility.

Dr. Kanchana Bandara-Coore

General Practitioner

Dr. Bandara-Coore was born in Kandy, Sri Lanka and came to Jamaica in 1977 as a child. She studied at the University of the West Indies, where she completed her MBBS. Jamaica became home and she became a Jamaican citizen that same year.

For nearly three decades, Dr. Bandara-Coore worked across Jamaica’s public health system: Mandeville Public Hospital, Kingston Public Hospital, and community clinics run by the Shipping Association of Jamaica. Since 2004, she’s been in private practice as a General Practitioner. For the last five years, her focus has shifted to home-based care, meeting patients where they are, in Kingston and St. Andrew.

Her formal training in palliative care came later. Between 2015 and 2018, she completed palliative care workshops through JACCRI, Hope Institute, and Harvard/MGH. In 2024, she finished a Fellowship in Palliative Care through The Institute of Palliative Medicine (India) and St. Christopher’s Hospice (UK), followed in 2025 by a Fellowship in Compassionate Spaces. She’s an active member of the Caribbean Palliative Care ECHO group, where Caribbean physicians meet monthly to discuss complex cases.

Dr. Bandara describes herself as a physician by training, a healer by calling and a storyteller by nature. She believes that the practice of medicine is a calling that requires presence and compassion, not a business that prioritises transactions over relationships. Her work is guided by the belief that healing is about restoring integrity of the mind, body and spirit. Through story-telling is how she processes life experiences to create meaning and connection that both drives and sustains the work of healing.

Nurse Stephanie Powell-Spencer

President of the Jamaica Practical Nurses Alliance (JPNA)

Nurse Stephanie Powell-Spencer answered her call to nursing more than 20 years ago. Since then, she’s built a career rooted in direct patient care. Over two decades at the Medical Associates Hospital, years in the Department of Medicine at the University Hospital of the West Indies, and countless private patients across Jamaica.

As President of the Jamaica Practical Nurses Alliance for more than 20 years, she’s been the voice pushing the profession forward, advocating for nurses, championing professional development, and holding space for those in the profession. Nurse Powell-Spencer sits on multiple boards: Chairperson of the Ostomy Welfare Group, Council Member of the Jamaica Civil Service Association, and member of St. John Ambulance.

Her commitment to growth is equally clear. She’s studied Geriatric Care, Social Work, Emergency Medical Technology, and even Photography – a reminder that good caregiving comes from curiosity, not just credentials.

Ms. Shawna-Kaye Lester

Dementia Caregiver, Event Organiser

Shawna-Kaye Lester, M.S., M.P.H. spent 17 years caring for her mother, who was diagnosed with early onset dementia at age 55. Ms. Lester’s journey alongside her mother through every phase of her condition has driven her to bring awareness and support to those living with dementia and their caregivers.

Outside of her caregiving role, Shawna-Kaye Lester is Founder and CEO of Memorable Essay®, an admissions consulting company that helps clients gain admission to graduate school, medical residency, and medical fellowship programs. Using her proprietary Memorable Main Message™ method, she has helped more than 500 clients gain admission to competitive institutions in the United States, Canada, China, and Europe, securing over US$7 million in scholarships. Memorable Essay has served as Essay Consultant to the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, the largest private undergraduate and transfer scholarship provider in the United States.

Shawna-Kaye is also a trained journalist who has worked in print, radio, and television. In 2003, she received the National Youth Award for Excellence in Journalism from the Office of the Prime Minister of Jamaica, recognizing the best coverage of youth-related issues by a journalist under age 25. After graduating from Bates College with a BSc. in Biochemistry and Spanish, she received a Jack Kent Cooke Graduate School Scholarship. She attended Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, where she received a Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management. She additionally received a Maria Moors Cabot Scholarship to attend Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, earning a Master of Science in Journalism. Her work has appeared in The Jamaica Gleaner, Latin Trade Magazine, and Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown.

Dr. Roger Roberts

MBBS, DM (psych), MSc, MRCPsych (UK) – Consultant Neuropsychiatrist & General Psychiatrist

Dr. Roger Roberts is a Consultant General Psychiatrist and Neuropsychiatrist. He presently occupies the position of Senior Medical Officer of the Bellevue Hospital. Roberts underwent undergraduate medical training (MBBS programme) at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica from 2003 to 2008. In 2014, he completed Postgraduate medical training (Doctor of Medicine in Psychiatry programme) at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica.

From 2014 to 2017 he served as designated Psychiatrist for the parish of Clarendon, rendering specialized care to the May Pen General Hospital and overseeing operations of six mental health clinics within the parish. Roberts became a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (MRCPsych), United Kingdom in October of 2017. He went on to earn an MSc. (with distinction) in Clinical Neuropsychiatry from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, UK in December of 2018.

Upon returning to Jamaica, Dr. Roberts dedicated his expertise to the Kingston Public Hospital from 2019 through 2023, where he pioneered Jamaica’s first Neuropsychiatric service and he continues to provide specialist coverage of the Neuropsychiatric clinic at said institution.

Dr. Ishtar Govia

Psychologist, Founder & CEO – Amagi Health Ltd.

A dementia researcher with 15 years of experience across the Caribbean, USA, and UK, founded Amagi® after witnessing fragmented care systems fail families – including her own mother-in-law in Jamaica. Leading/co-leading £8M+ research programmes as an academic and NGO executive and being a member of international consortia, she saw the gap between evidence and implementation: we know what good dementia care looks like, but families still fall through the cracks. Amagi® translates research into reality – building digital tools that actually work in resource-constrained, diverse communities.