MARBAR AFRICA
An implementation study developing a routine outcome monitoring dashboard for public psychiatric hospitals in Kenya, focusing on clinician adoption and patient-centered metrics.
Our Core Purpose
Driving mental health transformation through four fundamental pillars
Innovative Research
Systematically translating and psychometrically testing outcome tools in local languages, ensuring reliability and validity across diverse patient populations.
Data Governance & Security
Implementing secure data collection via REDCap, developing governance structures with electronic health record integration, and ensuring confidentiality for patient information across all study sites.
Sustainable Impact
Training & Capacity Building: Developing clinician competencies in data-informed practice through structured supervision, dashboard navigation, and outcome interpretation workshops.
Clinical Integration
Developing structured supervision protocols and workflow alignment strategies to embed outcome monitoring into existing clinical documentation and decision-making processes.
Research Gallery
A visual journey through our groundbreaking research and collaborations
Research Leadership
Meet the experts driving mental health innovation across continents
Prof. Manasi Kumar
Research scientist at NYU Grossman School of Medicine with 15+ years in cross-cultural mental health intervention research and global mental health implementation.
Prof. Anne Obondo
Associate Professor of psychiatric social work at University of Nairobi with 40+ years experience in mentorship and mental health rehabilitation research.
Prof. Caleb Othieno
Professor of psychiatry at Maseno University specializing in common mental disorders and integration of mental health care with general medical services.
Prof. Fredrik Falkenström
Professor of Clinical Psychology at Linnaeus University, focusing on psychotherapy process research and outcome measurement in clinical practice.
Prof. Keng-Yen Huang
Professor and research scientist at NYU Grossman School of Medicine specializing in implementation science, mHealth, and scaling evidence-based interventions.
Prof. Clara Paz
Assistant Professor at University of De Las Americas, developer of the original MarBar system, focusing on practice-based evidence for psychological interventions.
Dr. Ian Kanyanya
Senior Medical Specialist in Psychiatry with 29 years of experience, Head of Mental Health Services at Kenyatta National Hospital, East Africa's largest referral hospital.
Dr. Tom Mboya
Consultant Psychiatrist and early career researcher with interests in mental health and chronic diseases, addiction medicine, community mental health, and suicide prevention.
Darius Nyamai
Primary healthcare clinician with extensive experience in qualitative mental health research, supporting study implementation at Nairobi site.
Vincent Nyongesa
Junior public mental health researcher with experience in feasibility intervention studies, supporting daily operations of the MarBar-Africa study.
Anne Mwendwa
Lecturer in Clinical Medicine at Kenya Medical Training College, Pediatrician with interest in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Disorders, currently enrolled for PhD.
Nandini Choudhury
Doctoral candidate in Population Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, linking NYU and Kenyan teams with over a decade of implementation research experience.
Aloyce Mlyomi
MSc clinical psychology student from Tanzania at University of Nairobi's Department of Psychiatry. Participates in Marbar study to understand practice-based research conceptualization and assists in literature reviews.
Dr. Catherine Musyoka
Early career researcher with a PhD in Clinical Psychology, researcher and trainer with over 20 years experience in clinical healthcare and clinical psychology.
Dr. Obadia Yator
Clinical Psychologist specializing in Maternal-Child Mental Health Research, certified IPT Master Trainer and Supervisor, President of ISIPT Sub-Saharan Africa chapter.
Sonia Akinyi
Licensed psychologist under the Counseling Psychology Board, mental health enthusiast based at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital.
James Aloo
Health records and information officer at Kisumu County Referral Hospital with previous engagement with KEMRI Welcome Trust as a data clerk officer.
Global Network
Collaborating institutions across four continents advancing mental health research
Kenya
- University of Nairobi
- Kenyatta National Hospital
- Maseno University
- Kisumu County Referral Hospital
- Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital
United States
- National Institutes of Mental Health
- NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Ecuador
- University of De Las Americas
Sweden
- Linnaeus University
Research Journey
Key milestones in advancing mental health research across Africa
Study Launch
Secured NIH R34 and Linnaeus University funding, established multinational partnerships, and developed initial study protocols for cross-cultural adaptation.
Implementation Phase
IRB approvals secured, clinician training initiated, and data collection frameworks established for dashboard implementation across research sites.
Outcomes & Evaluation
Continuation of qualitative and quantitative data collection, comprehensive analysis, and evaluation of clinical outcomes across all study sites.
Future Vision
Development of implementation toolkit, global knowledge sharing, and planning for scale-up across diverse healthcare settings.
Join the Movement
Contribute to building mental health data systems that prioritize local context, clinician usability, and patient privacy in resource-constrained settings.