About
Tom Insel is a psychiatrist and neuroscientist who served as Director of the National Institute of Mental Health from 2002 to 2015 and later led the Mental Health Team at Verily from 2015 to 2017. Since 2017, he has co-founded multiple behavioral health companies including Mindstrong Health, Vanna Health, and Benchmark Health, while holding a consulting professorship at Stanford University's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and has authored "Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health," published in 2022.
Experience
- Benchmark HealthCo-Founder and Presidentcurrent2025 — present
- Vanna HealthCo-founder and Executive Chaircurrent2022 — presentSan Francisco Bay Area
- Stanford University School of Medicine Dept of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesAdjunct Professorcurrent2017 — present
- Steinberg Institute, Fountain HouseBoard Service (Not for Profit)current2019 — present
- Benchmark Health, Vanna Health, NeuraWellBoard Service (for profit)current2021 — present
- Alto Neurosci, Compass Pathways, Ellipsis, Koa Health, Slingshot AIScientific Advisorcurrent2021 — present
- Benchmark Health (formerly AdvocateMH)Co-Founder and Presidentcurrent2025 — present
- humanestCo-Founder2020 — 2022Pleasanton, California, United States
- Office of the Governor - CaliforniaSpecial Advisor for Behavioral Health2019 — 2020
- Mindstrong HealthCo-Founder and President2017 — 2019Palo Alto, CA
- Verily Life SciencesNeuroscientist2015 — 2017Mountain View, CA
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)Former Director, NIMH/NIH2002 — 2015Bethesda, MD
- Emory UniversityFounding Director, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience1999 — 2002Atlanta, GA
- Yerkes Primate CenterDirector1994 — 1999Emory University
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) -IntramuralResearch Scientist1979 — 1994Bethesda/Poolesville
Skills & more
Research25Qualitative Research4Policy AnalysisScience21Grant Writing2Data Analysis5Teaching5Statistics9Molecular Biology13Clinical Research20
Languages English
From Tom's professional profile.
Colleagues at AIF
Alison Singer
Co-Founder & President, Autism Science Foundation at AIF
Amanda Lukof
Special Needs Advocate at AIF
Arun Gupta
Founder & CEO, Quartet, Accretive, The World Bank, McKinsey at AIF
Ashok Srinivasan
Chief Science Advisor at AIF
Bob Nelsen
Co-Founder & Managing Director, ARCH Venture Partners at AIF
Brian Jacobs
Venture Capitalist Emergence, Moai Capital at AIF
Brian O'Callaghan
Co-Founder at AIF
Christopher Male
Co-Founder & Managing Partner at AIF
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Tom Insel?
- Tom Insel is a psychiatrist and neuroscientist who served as Director of the National Institute of Mental Health from 2002 to 2015 and later led the Mental Health Team at Verily from 2015 to 2017. Since 2017, he has co-founded multiple behavioral health companies including Mindstrong Health, Vanna Health, and Benchmark Health, while holding a consulting professorship at Stanford University's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and has authored "Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health," published in 2022.
- Where does Tom Insel work?
- Tom Insel is Co-Founder, Mindstrong, NIH at AIF.
- Where did Tom Insel go to school?
- Tom Insel studied at Boston University School of Medicine (MD, Medicine).
Founder mafias
Verily mafia11
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Vikram BajajCo-Founder and Chief Scientific OfficerFounded Xaira TherapeuticsJustin LarkinHead of Strategy & OpsFounded WellSheetDamien SoghoianSenior Scientist, Immunology Technical Lead, Immunoscape PlatformFounded Seranova BioJosh TankeSoftware EngineerFounded infra.newCaleb Van DykeSenior Software EngineerFounded infra.newSachin JaishankarSoftware EngineerFounded Unstatiq
+ 4 more
AIF mafia5
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Jason EichenholzFounder and Chairman, Jonathan's Landing FoundationFounded AireHealth +2Jacob HookerScientific Director, Lurie Center for Autism, Massachusetts General Hospital; Professor of Radiology, Harvard Medical SchoolFounded Sensorium Therapeutics +1Amanda LukofSpecial Needs AdvocateFounded EleplanKrishnan NandabalanCEO, Founder, & President, InveniAIFounded Invea Therapeutics, Inc.
Boston University School of Medicine mafia3
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Same school
Also attended Boston University School of Medicine8
Parth DesaiPartner at Flare Capital PartnersBridget Martell MA, MDSenior Biopharmaceutical Advisor at Two Bear CapitalMonica JainVenture Partner at Wavemaker Three-Sixty HealthSelene ParekhDigital Health Advisor at Excelerate Health VenturesJai ParekhDigital Health Advisor at Excelerate Health VenturesSue SiegelHealth Moonshot Impact Board at StartUp Health
+ 2 more
Shared employers
Also worked at humanest1
Also worked at Verily Life Sciences20
Abe MurrayGeneral Partner at AlleyCorpLinda AveyManaging Partner, Humain Ventures at AIFVeda PatelInvestor at Conductive VenturesAkshay ChandranPlatform Operations Manager at SemperVirens Venture CapitalVikram BajajAdvisor at Foresite CapitalShannon BergstedtPartner at Foresite Capital
+ 14 more
Also worked at National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)1
Also worked at Emory University23
Ryan HaysBoard Member at CincyTechGurbani SinghPrincipal - Investor Relations at Marlin Equity PartnersMark GannottCFO at Suncoast VenturesAdeola AdelekanAnalyst at Seae VenturesWilliam WinkenwerderChairman & Director, CitiusTech at Empactful CapitalJennifer RichardPrincipal at Bonfire Ventures
+ 17 more