Dr. Kathy Trang

Kathy Trang (she/her), PhD, is a research fellow at Harvard School of Public Health. Her research has focused on elucidating how post-traumatic stress impacts mental health and developmental outcomes within and across generations and how we can best intervene in cross-cultural settings to improve wellbeing among high-risk populations in the United States, Vietnam, Peru, and Bangladesh. She is additionally interested in strengthening mental health research capacity in Southeast Asia and is one of the co-founders of the Southeast Asian Mental Heath Initiative, which brings together researchers, clinicians, and community leaders working in the field of mental health and psychosocial support. Her work has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the PHRMA Foundation, and the Foundation for Psychocultural Research, among others.

The Southeast Asian Mental Health Initiative (https://seamentalhealth.com/) seeks to shift the landscape of mental health education and training in Southeast Asia and in the Southeast Asian diaspora. The Initiative pursues the vision of a world in which everyone has equitable access to high quality, culturally, and locally appropriate mental healthcare and psychosocial support; and where everyone has the resources and opportunities that enable them to meaningfully participate in mental health research, program design, delivery, and advocacy. To do so, the Initiative aims to contribute to a robust and culturally grounded scientific basis for program and policy action that promotes evidence-based MHPSS practice in Southeast Asia. Since its launch in April 2022, the Initiative has made significant strides in developing partnerships with international organizations (e.g., Save the Children Vietnam, Harvard University, Georgetown University), donors (e.g., Foundation for Psychocultural Research; Culture, Mind, Brain Network), and partner organizations (e.g., Hotline Ngay Mai, Vin University, EMDR Cambodia) to advance its mission.