About

How do our bodies, minds, and social worlds shape our experiences of mental health and illness?

What pathways lead to recovery, and how can we, as individuals and communities, foster environments that support healing?

These questions have guided my life’s work, fueled by personal experiences. As a child, I witnessed my younger brother endure terrifying hallucinations. My family struggled to navigate the fragmented and chaotic American mental health care system.

In college, I learned more about how anthropology focuses on engaging deeply with individuals, families, and communities over extended periods of time. These methods empowered me to consider how experiences of minds and bodies are shaped by culture and vice-versa, which opened up new ways to research and write about mental health. In graduate school and as a postdoc, I studied anthropology, but also psychology, biology, and neuroscience to gain more understanding.

 My current research and teaching focus on   individuals experiencing extreme mental states,   such as psychosis, as well as their loved ones   and the people working to support them in the   clinic and in the community. Over the years, I’ve   had the privilege of engaging in this research   with diverse individuals around the world. Every   day, I am excited to explore and write about   innovative ways to promote recovery for those facing mental health challenges—both through and beyond Western biomedical approaches.

When I am not engaged in research or teaching, you can find me enjoying time with my family, hiking or running, cooking tasty dinners, and playing the fiddle.

Neely Myers, PhD, Professor of Anthropology, Department of Anthropology, Southern Methodist UniversityAdjunct Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, UT Southwestern Medical School