Byron Good

Byron Good is Professor of Medical Anthropology with joint appointments in Harvard Medical School's Department of Global Health and Social Medicine and Harvard University's Department of Anthropology. He holds a B.A. from Goshen College, B.D. from Harvard Divinity School, and Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Chicago. His research examines cultural dimensions of mental illness, trauma, and mental health services, with extensive fieldwork in Indonesia focusing on Java and Aceh.

Good's work investigates the relationship between political violence, historical memory, and psychological experience using anthropological frameworks. His current research explores 'hauntology' and spectral experiences in post-conflict societies. He directs multiple international mental health initiatives, including a Fogarty International Center training program developing research capacity in China and USAID-supported mental health programs in Indonesia.

His publications demonstrate a consistent focus on cross-cultural psychiatry, recovery-oriented care, and mental health system development. Recent work shows increasing attention to structural factors in mental health service delivery, trauma recovery processes, and cultural conceptualizations of psychotic disorders.

• 2017 Society for Psychological Anthropology Lifetime Achievement Award

Good leads the International Mental Health Training Program and collaborates with the International Organization for Migration on violence assessment and mental health service development. His research team employs community-based participatory methods and works closely with local health workers to build sustainable mental health infrastructure.