Dr. Linnet Ongeri is a mental health researcher working at the Centre for Clinical Research in the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI). She recently completed her PhD focused on suicide epidemiology in LMICs. She has been drawn to research approaches that strive to design culturally and regionally appropriate models of integrating mental health care into primary care. In her prior research work she was the principal investigator of a study on postpartum depression, which sought to determine the prevalence and risk factors for postpartum depression among women seeking care at maternal and child health clinics (MCH) in Nairobi and validated a postpartum depression screen in the local language. She has served as site-PI for an effectiveness-implementation hybrid study of Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) delivered by non-specialists for HIV-positive women facing GBV. Currently she is a co-investigator in three projects seeking to adapt and test non specialist delivery of problem plus management psychotherapy intervention for pregnant and post-partum women living with HIV. Aside from her research role, Dr. Ongeri is additionally engaged in policy work. She is a member of the presidential mental health national task force as well as various technical working groups at the Ministry of Health.
