Health and Society

When environments improve, individuals thrive - and when individuals are empowered, societies evolve.

We are interdisciplinary teams of scholars, researchers, practitioners, and educators who believe in a vision of mental health that considers the influence of environments and systems across the lifespan, as well as the ability of individuals and communities to transform them. We believe sustainable mental health emerges when biology, lived experience, community context, and optimal structural conditions align.

Our lenses

Insight & Evidence

We conduct rigorous interdisciplinary research exploring how biological processes intersect with social gradients, lived experience, and structural conditions to shape mental health trajectories. We create funding opportunities for pilot studies that include new cross-divisional collaborations.

Clinical Practice & Innovation

Clinical innovation bridges evidence and practice, focusing on specialty care and community-centered models grounded in cultural and contextual awareness. We integrate mental health services with patients' lived experiences, support systems, and communities. We create seed funding opportunities for clinical innovations.

Learning & Career Development

Educational opportunities sustain and expand our work. We support seminars, workshops, and experiential learning that foster systems thinking, ethical reasoning, and community engagement.

System & Policy Change

Policy & System Change

We translate scientific and clinical insights into clear, data-driven policy recommendations for public agencies, healthcare institutions, and community partners to build a durable mental health infrastructure.

Featured Event

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Program colloquium

Featured event

November 19, 2026

4:00 - 5:00 PM

Indigenous Youth and Suicide Prevention: Technology, Community Strengths, and Pathways to Research

Presenter: German Velez, MD

Assistant Professor, Columbia University Steering Committee Member, Health and Society

The Program in Health and Society

Indigenous Youth and Suicide Prevention: Technology, Community Strengths, and Pathways to Research