Guest Speakers

Dr Tony Fernando MD, PHD

Psychiatrist, sleep specialist, and former Buddhist monk, Dr. Tony Fernando’s life journey is anything but ordinary.

Born in the Philippines, he began his medical career at the University of the Philippines before training in psychiatry and sleep medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Now based in Aotearoa, Tony has long held dual roles as a consultant psychiatrist and sleep physician, while becoming a beloved senior lecturer at the University of Auckland, where his teaching excellence has earned more than a dozen student-nominated awards.

Tony is uniquely qualified as Australasia’s only psychiatrist formally trained in insomnia, and he has developed a strong reputation as a medico-legal advisor in sleep-related violence. His contributions to the medical profession have been recognised internationally. In 2012, he was honoured by the President of the Philippines for services to sleep medicine and education, and in 2015 received the Chair’s Award from the New Zealand Medical Association for his groundbreaking work on physician wellbeing.

His fascination with compassion led to a PhD focused on why doctors lose empathy, and he has since become a leader in the field, publishing widely and organising national conferences on the role of compassion in healthcare. His research is deeply informed by his lived experience—Tony has been ordained as a Buddhist monk in both Myanmar and New Zealand, practices that shaped his understanding of kindness, presence, and human connection.

That lived wisdom inspired his bestselling book Life Hacks from the Buddha (HarperCollins, 2024), a modern guide to Buddhist psychology. Off the page, Tony walks his talk—he spent three years volunteering weekly at Mt Eden Correctional Facility, teaching mindfulness and emotional resilience, and continues this work with inmates in Manila. During New Zealand’s COVID-19 lockdowns, he recorded meditations for prisoners locked in their cells for 23 hours a day.

Beyond his professional world, Tony has faced personal fears with trademark humility and humour. Terrified of deep water, he learned to ocean swim and has crossed Auckland Harbour multiple times, even participating in Ironman relay events. His stories, whether from hospitals, monasteries, or prisons, are filled with heart and humour, always pointing toward a simple truth: a more compassionate, balanced, and joyful life is possible.