Christine Musyimi, PhD
Global Mental Health Researcher
We should actively co-design equity-focused interventions with people with lived experience to promote access to care.
Current Work
Christine's research focuses on addressing the social determinants of mental and brain health and actively involving people with lived experience in shaping equity-focused research and interventions that effectively reduce mental and brain health disparities.
Personal Hero
My resilient mother
Words of Strength
Championing community-led dementia care; Empowering lived experience voices; Promoting health equity; Cultivating future leaders strength
Vision
To advance brain health and reduce dementia impact, it is crucial to dismantle the stigma and discrimination that delay diagnosis. We should actively co-design equity-focused interventions with people with lived experience to promote access to care.
Strategy
Through the Dementia Anti-stigma Intervention (DASI), Christine is actively implementing a culturally sensitive intervention to reduce dementia-related stigma. This work has contributed to improved dementia screening among older adults in rural Kenya
Impact
Christine aims to leverage the Atlantic Fellows' global network to scale dementia anti-stigma interventions. She aspires to influence national health policies in Kenya, and promote community-led dementia care for vulnerable populations.
Motivation
In Kenya, stigma, resource scarcity, and cultural misconceptions often cause dementia to be misattributed to witchcraft, delaying diagnosis. Christine deploys community-led interventions to dismantle discrimination and promote timely access to care.
Education & Experience
Christine holds a PhD in Global Mental Health from Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam. Her career is dedicated to addressing mental and brain health disparities in underserved communities. Over the past decade, her research has focused on social determinants of health including stigma, violence, homelessness, and climate change, and how stigma hinders dementia care. As a Global Mental Health Researcher at the Africa Institute of Mental and Brain Health (AFRIMEB), she has been part of the international STRiDE network (Strengthening Responses to Dementia in Developing Countries) which led the development of the first dementia anti-stigma intervention (DASI) in Kenya. This work directly led to the screening of over 3,500 older adults for dementia in rural Kenya through the DEM-SKY project.
Awards & Honors
National Research Fund (NRF), Kenya
Social Sciences, Technology and Innovation
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Mental Health
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Christine
a NoteHave ideas for global brain health or a collaboration? I would love to hear from you. Feel free to send an introductory note.
