Marivel Davila, PhD

Marivel Davila, PhD, MPH, has over 20 years of experience at the intersection of mental and public health, and 35 years in research. Prior to joining the Meadows Institute, Marivel was with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene where they held research director positions in the Bureau of Health Promotion for Justice-Impacted Populations (2021 -2023), and the Bureau of Children, Youth, and Family (2016 – 2021). In both roles, Marivel was responsible for the oversight of surveillance, research and evaluation activities focused on the mental health of New Yorkers. Much of their work with the Health Department centered on ThriveNYC, a mental health policy platform that positioned mental health equity at the center of urban governance and established a portfolio of initiatives expanding access to preventive mental health care, shifting from a clinical to a public health lens in addressing the root causes of adverse mental health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Marivel led the Needs Assessment and Surveillance Emergency Response Group, responsible for monitoring the mental health status of New York City. Prior to moving to New York City, Marivel led evaluation activities at the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, Division of Family Health, including the creation of a multidisciplinary team in developing a platform for the provision of mental health services across the San Antonio community.

In their role at The Hackett Center, Marivel leads the center’s research and evaluation work under the executive director’s guise by developing cross-disciplinary, action-oriented research projects that seek to answer research questions that are relevant and can aid in community and societal impact.

Marivel holds a Ph.D. in Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences with an emphasis in Psychiatric Epidemiology, a Master of Public Health degree from The University of Texas, School of Public Health, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from The University of Texas at Austin.  Marivel also completed post-doctoral training in child and adolescent psychiatry at Columbia University, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Marivel will be relocating to San Antonio, Texas, after having resided in New York City for the past ten years.