Dr. Vallis, PhD is the founder of the Behaviour Change Institute. He is a registered health psychologist practicing at the Capital Health, Halifax, and cross-appointed to Dalhousie University as Associate Professor in Family Medicine and Psychiatry and Adjunct Professor in Psychology and Health and Human Performance. His expertise in adult health psychology, withg an emphasis on diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular risk and gastroenterology. He developed the Behaviour Change Institute, a training program for lifestyle counselling skills for physicians, nurses, dietitians and other healthcare providers, and he supervises research on motivation, behavioural change and adaptation to chronic disease. He was recently awarded the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal by the Government of Canada on the recommendation of the Diabetes.