Our Mission
The Global & Local Center for Mental Health Disparities at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine seeks to improve the mental health of diverse global communities, both locally in the greater Boston area and internationally. Since its inception, the GLCMHD has built collaborations in over 15 countries across the globe.
Under the current direction of Dr. Maria Prom, the Global & Local Center for Mental Health Disparities utilizes a bidirectional approach to build partnerships focused on capacity building in developing culturally informed and sustainable systems and services level change in under-resourced settings. We incorporate research, evaluation and metrics into all of our work to ensure programs are evidence-based, effective and sustainable. This includes utilizing health services and implementation science methodologies, developing replicable measurement tools, quantify results and implementing change informed by data.
Our History
The Boston Medical Center and the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Global and Local Center for Mental Health Disparities (GLCMHD) was founded in 2016 by Dr. David Henderson, Psychiatrist-in-Chief for the Division of Psychiatry at Boston Medical Center (BMC), and Dr. Christina Borba, former Vice Chair of Research for the Department of Psychiatry at BMC and an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at BU CAMED.
The lifework and mentorship of Dr. Chester M. Pierce, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Professor Emeritus of Education at Harvard School of Education inspired the GLCMHD. Known for his contributions to the fields of race, stress, and mental health, Dr.Pierce dedicated his pioneering work to the advocation of equitable healthcare and the promotion of cross-cultural psychiatry.
The GLCMHD is dedicated to addressing mental health disparities through collaborative, interdisciplinary, and bidirectional partnerships focused on advancing decolonial approaches and epistemic justice. We are engaged in clinical, research, and training & education initiatives globally and locally.
