From Earthquakes to Early Minds: Lessons in Global Mental Health, Development, and Disabilities

Presented by Kerim Munir

This webinar will be presented live on Wednesday May 7, 2025 at 4pm US Eastern time. To register for the webinar, please click here. Through the kindness of the presenter, a recording of the webinar will be made available here following the presentation.

Dr. Kerim Munir

This presentation traces a journey from origins in a humanitarian response in the aftermath of two major earthquakes to the development of national and global research training programs in mental health and developmental disabilities (MHDD), with a focus on building capacity among early career investigators at Harvard and in low- and middle-income countries. It explores the intersection of child development, autism, and neurodevelopmental disabilities, emphasizing ethical engagement and culturally grounded approaches to care. The presentation honors the legacies of number of pioneering women whose groundbreaking insights have shaped our evolving understanding of autism and continue to inspire integrative, globally informed approaches to developmental science and care

Dr Kerim Munir serves as the Director of Psychiatry at the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) in the Division of Developmental Medicine at Boston Children’s. He is Professor and William A. Hinton Society Fellow in the Office of Scholarly Engagement at Harvard Medical School (HMS). His research focuses on autism and neurodevelopmental disorders with an emphasis on global health. He contributed extensively to UNICEF in humanitarian efforts, and WHO as a member of the ICD-11 Expert Review Group on Intellectual Disabilities, and the WHO Expert Development Group on Rehabilitation 2030. He chaired the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) Autism Forum, sponsored by Qatar Foundation. He serves on numerous federal review committees and is recipient of NIH funding for over two decades. His work earned him numerous accolades, including an HMS Teaching Award in International Medical Education, Brazelton Award at Boston Children’s in Developmental Medicine, George Tarjan Award of AACAP, Frank Melonascino Award of APA, International Award of University Centers on Disabilities, and Medal of IACAPAP. Currently he chairs the World Psychiatric Association Section on Psychiatry of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and is the Editor of the Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.