Global Work: Advancing Human Connection and Health Worldwide
Global Work: Advancing Human Connection and Health Worldwide
Across continents and cultures, I’ve been privileged to collaborate with global partners to improve health, well-being, and systems of care—especially through work that centers human connection, hope, and innovation. These international initiatives reflect my belief that healing and health equity transcend borders and require both evidence-based rigor and cultural humility.
Visiting Professor – Riga Stradins University, Latvia
As a Visiting Professor at Riga Stradins University, I support research and innovation in public health, maternal mental health, and digital interventions. Collaborating with OB-GYN and psychiatry faculty, I mentor junior researchers and help shape grant strategies that address postnatal depression, substance use, and health system equity in Latvia and the broader Baltic region. This work builds on my long-standing commitment to global mental health and cross-sector innovation.
Why It Matters
These international collaborations reinforce a core truth: Health is local, but healing is universal. Whether co-designing mental health systems in the UK, learning from centenarians in Japan, or mentoring faculty in Latvia, I’m continually inspired by the shared human drive for meaning, connection, and well-being. It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Open Dialogue around the world
Open Dialogue and the ODESSI Study – United Kingdom
As part of the landmark ODESSI (Open Dialogue: Development and Evaluation of a Social Network Intervention for Severe Mental Illness) study, I contributed to advancing Open Dialogue research in the UK and around the globe. This approach emphasizes listening without judgment, building trust, and involving social networks in mental health care. ODESSI represents a critical step in evaluating Open Dialogue’s effectiveness within mainstream health systems, and I remain deeply connected to its implications for person-centered care worldwide. All begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
HOPEnDialogue: Italy and Europe
I serve as an international collaborator and board advisor for the HOPEnDialogue initiative, an Italy-based but pan-European effort to expand Open Dialogue principles and practices. This project supports clinicians, researchers, and peer leaders across Europe in transforming mental health care systems through network-based dialogue, shared decision-making, and culturally responsive approaches. Through retreats, training, and shared learning, this community nurtures a values-driven movement for compassionate care.
Italy & Japan: Blue Zones and Longevity Research : Inspired by Blue Zone regions where people live longer, healthier lives, I have engaged in comparative research and on-the-ground learning in Okinawa, Japan, and Sardinia, Italy. These explorations have deepened my understanding of the social, spiritual, and environmental factors that promote health and resilience. Insights from these cultures—especially around purpose, community, nutrition, and movement—have informed my teaching, coaching, and leadership retreats focused on regenerative living and aging with vitality.