Hanna Kienzler

Professor Hanna Kienzler holds a dual appointment as Professor of Global Health and Co-Director of the ESRC Centre for Society and Mental Health at King’s College London. Her academic journey includes a PhD in cultural and medical anthropology from McGill University and postdoctoral work at McGill’s Douglas Mental Health University Institute. She specializes in global health, focusing on systemic violence, refugee mental health, and humanitarian interventions. Her research spans Palestine, Kosovo, and other conflict zones, emphasizing ethnographic methods and participatory approaches.

• Education: PhD in Cultural & Medical Anthropology (McGill University), Postdoc at Douglas Institute (McGill)
• Key Roles: Co-Director of ESRC Centre for Society & Mental Health, Principal Investigator on Wellcome Trust and UK Research & Innovation grants
• Research Themes: Mental health in conflict/post-conflict settings, refugee integration, decolonizing research methods, and gendered trauma

Her work bridges anthropology and public health, advocating for community-centered approaches to mental health. Notable grants include the 'Mental Health and Justice' project (Wellcome Trust) and the R4HC-MENA initiative on mental health in the Middle East. She has authored over 55 peer-reviewed articles, emphasizing topics like asylum seekers’ mental health, participatory research with marginalized groups, and global mental health policy reform.

• Awards: Margaret Gillett Graduate Research Award (2006), Margaret Lock Prize (2009)
• Grants: £2.5M+ in funding from Wellcome Trust, UKRI GCRF, and ESRC

Her leadership includes steering the Lancet Psychiatry Commission on Lived Experience and directing the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Directory for refugees in London. Current projects address structural barriers to healthcare access for migrants and anti-racism initiatives in global health education.