Events – Global Mental Health

29Sep 2026 by Preeti Shakya

Being Family: Film Screening & Panel Discussion

Join us for a screening of Being Family, a captivating exploration of parenting, adversity, and the unwavering strength found within migrant and displaced communities along the Thailand–Myanmar border. Through the stories of two displaced families from Myanmar, the film offers a poignant look at the challenges families face while navigating displacement, and the strength, connection, and resilience they draw from one another. Developed as part of the Parenting on the Thailand–Myanmar Border study led by Dr. Amanda Sim, Being Family highlights the power of positive and playful parenting in reducing violence against children and promoting caregiver and child mental well-being. The film also offers a powerful example of how research, community partnership, and storytelling can come together to create meaningful and accessible conversations about family relationships, parenting, mental health, and…

17Sep 2026 by Preeti Shakya

Center for Global Mental Health Trainee Group Career Series: Working in Academic Research with Your Master’s Degree

Events, News & Events, Upcoming Events

What does a career in academic research look like after earning a master’s degree? Join the Duke Center for Global Mental Health Trainee Group for a career-focused conversation with Julie Mannarino, MHA, Associate Director at the University of Missouri–St. Louis Missouri Institute of Mental Health, and Britt DeVries, MBA, Lead Data Scientist at the University of Miami. Julie and Britt will share their experiences building careers in academic research and supporting research in global mental health and public health. Drawing from their own professional journeys, they will discuss how they have applied their master’s-level training in academic settings, navigated different roles and responsibilities, and developed their skills and expertise over time. The session will offer trainees an opportunity to learn more about career pathways in academic research, the range of…

10Sep 2026 by Preeti Shakya

Center for Global Mental Health Trainee Group Ask Me Anything Series: Navigating a PhD and Career in Refugee Health Research

Events, News & Events, Upcoming Events

Join the Duke Center for Global Mental Health Trainee Community for an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session with Mariia Savchyna, MD, PhD Student in Health Sciences. In this session, Mariia will share her journey from medical training in Kyiv, Ukraine, to pursuing a PhD in Health Sciences at Jagiellonian University Medical College in Poland. She will discuss her experiences conducting research on refugee health and the impacts of war, as well as navigating doctoral training and building a career in global mental health research. Mariia’s research explores how stress and trauma affect the health and well-being of refugees, with a particular focus on biological markers of stress and resilience. Her work includes studying biomarkers such as cortisol and telomere length among families affected by war. She also contributes to research…

08Sep 2026 by Preeti Shakya

The Stress of War: Listening to Stress Biology in Refugees

Events, News & Events, Upcoming Events

Join the Duke Center for Child and Family Policy and the Duke Center for Global Mental Health for a research talk with Mariia Savchnya, who will share findings from the STRONG Study (Stress, Trauma, Resilience Of New Generations) examining stress, trauma, and resilience among Ukrainian refugee women in Poland. Mariia and her team followed 141 Ukrainian refugee women— mothers and grandmothers who arrived in Kraków after February 2022 to examine hair cortisol concentration as a biomarker of HPA-axis activity alongside self-reported perceived stress and psychological resilience. The study found that women who fled frontline regions had 18% higher hair cortisol levels than women from non-frontline regions, despite reporting similar levels of perceived stress. Notably, the difference in cortisol levels varied by resilience: the gap was largest among women with lower…

04May 2026 by Ryan Parker

Leveraging LinkedIn and Online Platforms for Global Health Professionals: Ask Me Anything with Prativa Baral & Faraan Rahim

Events, News & Events

Join us for an interactive Ask Me Anything (AMA) session with global health leaders Prativa Baral and Faraan Rahim on how to effectively use LinkedIn and other online platforms to advance your career. Whether you’re a student, early-career professional, or experienced practitioner, this session will offer practical strategies for building your professional presence, expanding your network, and communicating your work to broader audiences. Bring your questions and learn how to navigate digital spaces to promote your work and further mental health equity!May 4: 3-4pm EDT (Zoom Link: https://duke.zoom.us/j/6555544770)

23Apr 2026 by Ryan Parker

Translating Research into Policy in Mental Health: Practice, Barriers, Opportunities, and Recommendations

Events, News & Events

Thursday, April 23: 9am EDTMany research findings do not ultimately influence policy. In this talk, Dr. Kalani will describe the current practice of translating research into policy within the mental health field, highlighting key barriers and opportunities that affect the utilization of research evidence in policymaking. The discussion will conclude with practical recommendations on how to strengthen the translation of research findings into policy and practice.Dr. Kenneth Kalani Okware is a Psychiatrist and Senior Medical Officer in the Mental Health Division of Uganda’s Ministry of Health, with additional expertise in policy analysis and development. A former Fellow of the Kofi Annan Global Health Leadership Fellowship Program, he has over a decade of experience in clinical mental health care and in the leadership, planning, and coordination of national mental health services.…

04Mar 2026 by kmitch@duke.edu

Community-Engaged Approaches to Global Suicide Prevention

Events, News & Events

More than 700,000 people die by suicide each year globally and more than 75% of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries where mental health resources are scarce. This panel will present their diverse perspectives and practical experiences of fostering meaningful community engagement in suicide prevention research specific to intervention selection, development, adaptation, and implementation. We will then engage the audience in a thoughtful discussion on how to best conduct community-partnered research in suicide prevention and other research areas that are highly sensitive in nature. While the panel will center on mental health, the lessons discussed will be broadly applicable to other global health research methods, making this discussion highly relevant for DGHI and the wider global health community.See the DGHI Think Global event page for more details.

03Feb 2026 by kmitch@duke.edu

Menstrual Health Equity: Global Perspectives and Local Innovations

Events, News & Events

A DGHI Think Global event, featuring a panel that brings together Duke faculty and students to discuss the multifaceted challenges and opportunities in achieving menstrual health equity worldwide. Speakers will share insights from research on stigma and physical and mental health across the lifespan of those who menstruate, and discuss systemic change, grassroots innovations and advocacy efforts. The session will highlight how global perspectives and local solutions intersect to promote dignity, health, and justice for all who menstruate.See the DGHI Think Global event page for more details.

07Oct 2025 by kmitch@duke.edu

2025 Duke Global Mental Health Conference

Events, News & Events

On Tuesday, October 7, 2025, the Duke Center for Global Mental Health hosted its 2nd Annual Conference, doubling participation from its inaugural year and welcoming more than 300 attendees from 51 institutions across 12 countries, including 169 members of the Duke community. The conference centered on the theme, Now More Than Ever: Addressing the Global Imperative of Mental Health Equity, reflecting the urgency of a moment marked by funding uncertainty, persistent disparities, and increased global need to support the mental health of individuals and populations. The conference program included presentations from three distinguished keynote speakers- Kathy Sikkema, Emily Cherenack, and Florence Jaguga- as well as 50 poster presentations and 6 symposia addressing a wide range of topics in global mental health. Key themes included the importance of “thinking bigger” about…

08Aug 2024 by kmitch@duke.edu

2024 Duke Global Mental Health Conference

Events, News & Events

The Duke Center for Global Mental Health held its inaugural annual conference on October 8, 2024, drawing over 125 faculty, trainees, and professionals committed to addressing mental health disparities both locally and globally. In honor of World Mental Health Month, the conference focused on the theme, ‘Building a Global Mental Health Community: Research, Practice, and Policy Across Disciplines’. Highlights from the day included an interdisciplinary panel, plenary research presentations, and symposia addressing a range of topics, from adolescent mental health to community-based treatment implementation, and innovative research designs for global mental health trials. The conference also highlighted 30 poster presentations from undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, representing a broad range of departments at Duke. Recordings from the sessions, as well as other information from the conference, can be found at…