Thalamos is delighted to announce the addition of Dr Lia Ali, Consultant Psychiatrist, Digital Health Strategist and former Head of Mental Health Strategy at Doctor Care Anywhere, to Thalamos. Lia will be fulfilling the role of Chief Safety Officer (CSO) and will also sit on the Thalamos Steering Group.

Dr Lia Ali is a dual-trained, old age and general adult liaison consultant psychiatrist. She is passionate about patient empowerment and mental health with particular interests in digital health, integrated care and medical education.

The new CSO is responsible for ensuring that clinical safety of Thalamos’ software. Lia will help Thalamos create a whole new way of working around clinical safety. Software development will take a ‘Security by Design’ approach meaning that all safety features will be incorporated within the foundations of the product rather than the product being assessed on its safety at the end. This change will help Thalamos be more agile whilst ensuring that patient safety remains at the vanguard during software development.

Dr Lia Ali brings with her a plethora of experiences including serving on a number of national panels and expert reference groups:

  • Lia is a Fellow of the Faculty for Clinical Informatics.
  • Lia tutors at Kings College London for the IMPARTS programme (Integrating Mental & Physical Health Research Training & Service).
  • Since 2014 she has been part of the BBC Expert Voices programme. It aims to get more Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) experts from a wide range of fields on air and on screen.
  • Lia has appeared as an expert in the Channel 4 pilot episode of ‘24 hours Inside Your Body’.
  • She was Clinical Lead for Digital Health Innovation at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust with responsibilities for the Myhealthlocker project, an award-winning digital initiative.
  • She has blogged for The Mental Elf.

Arden Tomison, CEO & Founder of Thalamos said “We are delighted to have Lia join as Chief Safety Officer and on our steering group. Her experience and passion for mental health and technology makes her a fantastic addition to the team. Not only will Lia play a vital role in helping Thalamos make access to mental healthcare swifter, simpler and safer, she will help us deliver a step change in clinical safety and agile software development practice.”

Dr Lia Ali said “I am really excited to be joining Thalamos during a time of unprecedented growth. Due to Covid-19, there is currently rapid adoption of technology in the healthcare sector. Well-designed, securely-connected, digital healthcare systems built with integrity have the potential to make significant improvements in quality of care for those suffering with mental illness. Thalamos is leading the way with this approach and I am delighted to be part of the journey.”