Please join us for the upcoming Monthly Webinar on
January 27, 2026
Noon ET
“Evolution of Western Thought on SDoH”
George Alexopoulos, M.D.
SP Tobin and AM Cooper Professor Emeritus
DeWitt Wallace Distinguished Scholar
Weill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry
The recent views on social determinants of mental and medical health (SDoMMH) have been built on the wisdom of thinkers accumulated over many centuries. Mental and physical fitness and a balanced lifestyle were recognized as the drivers for a “well-lived life” in antiquity. Nineteenth century thinkers articulated the physicians’ role as “advocates for the poor” followed by the 20 th century theorists who clarified the role of sociopolitical structures in creating an empowering personal narrative. Presently, methods for quantifying the exposome have enabled studies of the role of environmental factors in biasing one’s view of reality and begun to describe some of the underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Understanding the evolution of thinking on SDoMMH will advance the science of the role of the environment in health.
Upcoming Webinars
February 24, 2026
Harold Kudler
“Achieving Whole Health: A New Approach for Veterans and the Nation”
…
March 17, 2026
Donna Fick and Eran Metzger
“Long-term Care for Vulnerable Older Adults”
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April 14, 2026
Janet Lewis
“Climate Change as a Social Determinant of Mental Health”
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May 12
Charles Reynolds
“Social Determinants of Sleep Health”
Previous Webinars
Dilip Jeste, MD
Global Research Network on Social Determinants of Mental Health and Exposomics, La Jolla, California, US
“Social Determinants of Health in Schizophrenia-Spectrum Psychotic Disorders: What Do the Data Actually Show?”
September 16, 2023
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Deanna Barch, PhD
Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, US
“The Enduring Impact of Poverty on Risk for Mental Health Challenges in Youth”
October 18, 2023
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Steve Cole, PhD
University of California, Los Angeles, CA, US
“Social Regulation of Human Gene Expression: Implications for Interventions Targeting Social Determinants of Health”
November 8, 2023
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Michael Compton, MD
Columbia University, New York, NY, US
“Food insecurity as a Social Determinant of Mental Health”
December 11, 2023
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Dolores Malaspina, MD, MS, MSPH
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, US
“Social Epigenetics, Racism, and Perinatal Trauma”
January 25th, 2024
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Vincenzo Di Nicola, MPhil, MD, PhD, FRCPC, FCAHS, DLFAPA, DFCPA
Tenured Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry & Addictions Medicine
University of Montreal and Clinical Professor, The George Washington University
“From Populations to Patients:
Social Determinants of Health and Mental Health in Clinical Practice”
February 8, 2024
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Vani Pariyadath, PhD
Jessica Mollick, PhD
Janani Prabhakar, PhD
Courte Van Voorhees, PhD
National Institute on Drug Abuse/National Institutes of Health (NIDA/NIH)
“NIDA Funding Priorities on Social Determinants and Exposomics”
March 12, 2024
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Matcheri Keshavan, MD, & Walid Yasmin, PhD
“Exposome in schizophrenia and related disorders: what can it tell about diagnosis, prevention and treatment?”
May 15th, 2024
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Dr. Jo-An Occipinti, Ph.D.
Head, Systems Modelling & Simulation,
Brain and Mind Ctr., U. of Sydney:
“Systems modeling & simulation to guide targeted investments for mental health & suicide prevention”
June 26, 2024
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Subodh Dave, M.D.,
Dean, Royal College of Psychiatrists, London, U.K.
“From Doctor-Patient to Doctor-Community – Building a Public Health Literate Psychiatric Workforce”
July 17th, 2024
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Pallavi Joshi, D.O., and Rajesh
Tampi, M.D.,
Creighton University, Creighton, NE
“Social Determinants of Health for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias”
September 11, 2024
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Prof. em. Ulrich Schnyder, MD,
University of Zurich
“Evidence-based Treatments for Trauma-Related Psychiatric Disorders”
October 29, 2024
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Michael Green, Ph.D.,
University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
“Social Isolation and Loneliness in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder”
November 20, 2024
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Peter Na, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine and VA Connecticut Healthcare System
“Social Determinants of Health for Suicidal Ideation, Attempts, and Mortality”
December 18, 2024
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Katherine Shear, M.D.
Marion E. Kenworthy Professor of Psychiatry, Columbia University School of Social Work
“Prolonged Grief”
January 8, 2025
..
Ran Barzilay, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania
“Brain Exposomics and Mental Health”
February 12, 2025
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Cesar Alfonso, M.D.
Professor of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York
“Trauma-Focused Psychotherapries”
March 26, 2025
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Paul Rosenfield, M.D.
Associate Professor of Pychiatry at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
“Training Clinicians in Assessing and Addressing Social Determinants of Mental Health”
April 9, 2025
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Shaili Jain, M.D.
Adjunct Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, California
“Social Determinants of Mental Health in Women”
May 7, 2025
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Eric Rafla-Yuan, M.D.
Chair, APA Caucus on Social Determinants of Mental Health
“Housing, Homelessness, and Mental Health”
June 11, 2025
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Benson Ku, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Assistant Professor, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
“The Role of the Social Environment in Neurodevelopment and Psychosis”
July 9, 2025
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Michael Compton, M.D.,M.P.H.
Professor of Psychiatry, Columbia University School of Medicine, New York
“How Food Insecurity Impacts Diet Quality, Physical Health, and Mental Health”
August 6, 2025
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Ronald C. Kessler, Ph.D.
Prof. of Healthcare Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston
“The Paradox of Cross-National Mental Disorders Vulnerability”
September 4, 2025
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