The work of Seven Directions, the first national public health institute in the United States to focus solely on improving Indigenous health and wellness, is expanding its impact with the hiring of two new Acting Assistant Professors, Maya Magarati, PhD, and Christina Oré, PhD. Drs. Magarati and Oré currently work within the Seven Directions team on a variety of Indigenous-focused research, evaluation and teaching projects as Research Scientists. As their roles have grown, and the projects within the Seven Directions portfolios have developed, Executive Director of Seven Directions Myra Parker, JD, MPH, PhD, saw a need to develop new faculty members who can contribute to the overall purpose of the Seven Directions efforts, which is to advance American Indian and Alaska Native health and wellness by honoring Indigenous knowledge, strengthening Tribal and Urban Indian public health systems, and cultivating innovation and collaboration. They will engage in incorporating Indigenous epistemologies in Indigenous behavioral health programs and translating and disseminating tribal best practices in behavioral health, among other things. Drs. Magarati and Oré each have about ten years’ experience demonstrating skilled and respectful partnership building with Indigenous communities.

Seven Directions projects are funded at over $1 million annually and focus on important behavioral health topics including identifying ways to address anxiety and depression, stress reduction, Indigenous approaches to heal from trauma, and substance use prevention, with a particular focus on opioid overdose prevention. The program is part of the Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.