Presentation Information
[SY-54-04]A reflection on my journey to the East and a carrer to help the underserved
*Brian J Hall (New York University (Shanghai) (China))
Keywords:
Digital mental health,migrants,China
I received my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Kent State University in 2011 and completed postdoctoral training in Pscyhiatric Epidemiology and Global Mental Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. In 2013 I was awarded a Fogarty Global Health Fellowshop by the NIH Fogarty International Center, and became the last global health fellow to China where I remained ever since. Since 2020, I have served as Professor of Global Public Health and Founding Director of the Center for Global Health Equity at NYU Shanghai. I also hold affiliated and adjunct professorships at Sun Yat-sen University where my Fogarty was hosted, and at the Shanghai Mental Health Center. I am currently Editor-in-Chief of Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences. As a global mental health researcher, licensed clinical psychologist, and psychiatric epidemiologist, I wear three hats: conducting large-scale mental health studies, advising WHO and UN agencies, and mentoring early-career scientists. Over the past two decades, my work has centered on the mental health of marginalized populations—including migrants, refugees, and displaced communities—through digital health interventions, longitudinal studies, and mixed-method designs. I have authored over 330 peer-reviewed publications and was named a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher from 2022 to 2024. In this presentation, I will trace the evolution of my career—from clinical training and early research in trauma to my current work co-developing digital mental health tools and shaping research agendas for the WHO Western Pacific Region. It is a privilege to reflect on these experiences with colleagues, especially younger scholars navigating similar paths. I hope my journey offers insights not just into research success, but into resilience, collaboration, and systems change.