Ebonee Johnson, assistant professor of community and behavioral health in the University of Iowa College of Public Health, has been named an inaugural member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness’s (NAMI) new Scientific Advisory Council. The advisory body brings together respected scientists, researchers, and clinical practitioners from around the nation. Together, they will ensure that the latest science will continue to drive NAMI’s work, giving those with lived experience an even stronger voice in mental health and brain science.

The Scientific Advisory Council will support NAMI in multiple ways:

• Increasing NAMI’s impact on science and in promoting lived experience in the design, execution, and presentation of research.
• Providing expert review of NAMI content to further ensure that its extensive nationwide community is informed with accurate, up-to-date scientific information.
• Identifying opportunities for NAMI’s involvement in external research, including strengthening its research promotion strategy and advocacy.

Johnson’s research interests include mental health promotion for middle and high school students, recruitment and retention of the behavioral health workforce, and broadly implementing and evaluating community-level interventions.

Members of the Scientific Advisory Council will serve on a volunteer basis for terms of one, two, or three years. To learn more about the Scientific Advisory Council and NAMI’s commitment to evidence-based advocacy, education, and support for those with mental illness and caregivers, visit the NAMI Scientific Advisory Council’s web page.