Dr. Margarita Alegria

Welcome to the Center for Multicultural Mental Health Research (CMMHR), located in the Department of Psychiatry of Cambridge Health Alliance. Established in 2002, the Center conducts mental health and health services delivery research focusing on multicultural populations. Utilizing collaborative approaches with researchers, clinicians and community groups, the Center supports an array of research activities as well as nurtures a core of junior researchers. Our dynamic team of multidisciplinary mental health researchers includes psychologists, psychiatrists, policy analysts, health economists and statisticians. We address questions regarding mental health service delivery for multicultural populations using psychiatric epidemiology, systems and organizational theory, economics and financing, and qualitative and quantitative methods.

We currently run three large national projects at the Center: an Advanced Center for Mental Health Disparities Center, an Exploratory EXPORT Center and the National Latino and Asian American Study. In these projects, we collaborate with investigators from around the country, drawing upon their expertise and enhancing our collaborative efforts. The work in each project builds upon that of the other projects and centers located at CMMHR. In addition, we train a cadre of junior investigators, many from racial and ethnic minorities. This training provides a base for the professional development of mental health disparities researchers.

My ultimate goal as director is to improve the mental health care of multicultural populations through innovative research projects, national centers and projects, collaboration, and training.