I am NIMH: Q&A with Andrea Horvath Marques

Andrea Horvath Marques, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H

Public Health Psychiatrist    
Global Mental Health Dissemination & Implementation Research Program

What is your name and job title?

My name is Andrea Horvath Marques, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., and I am a public health psychiatrist. Currently, I am a medical officer and chief of the Global Mental Health Dissemination & Implementation Research Program. I am also doing a detail and working as a clinician at the Psychiatry Consultation Liaison Service, Office of the Clinical Director, NIMH.

Be humble! You can always learn so much from everyone, and that’s how we grow.

How would you summarize what you do?

I oversee a portfolio of global mental health research in low- and middle-income countries focusing on dissemination and implementation science, particularly in suicide prevention and integrating mental health care into the health care system and community platforms of care. It’s really exciting!

How did you come to NIMH?

I came to NIMH from Brazil, where I received an M.D. and Ph.D. Then, I did a postdoc at NIMH from 2004–2009, where I worked with Drs. Esther Sternberg and Kathleen Merikangas in the Intramural Research Program. Then I returned to school for a Master of Public Health at Columbia University and worked in global mental health. From there, my career evolved. I returned to NIMH in 2017 to work on mental health disparities and global mental health.

How long have you worked at NIMH?

I’ve been in and out of NIMH over the years since 2004. My career has evolved over time.

What makes you want to stay at NIMH?

The mission. I love making a difference for people all over the world and helping provide evidence-based mental health care based on research supported by NIMH. NIMH also allows me to apply my expertise as a researcher, public health expert, and psychiatrist.

What is your favorite part of your job?

My favorite part of the job is being able to interact with researchers and learn about research projects from all over the world! Also, being a project officer is very rewarding. I get to be on the ground and experience first-hand the impact of research projects supported by NIMH at the community, district, and sometimes country levels.

What would you tell a friend if they were considering working here?

Talk to people who already work here! We do many different things, pushing new agendas on mental health research, partnering with national and international organizations, and supporting ground-breaking research to reduce mental health disparities globally. Reach out to us to understand the different paths to joining our team.

What’s one life lesson you’ve learned from your career?

Be very open-minded. Your career can change so much! I have been a clinician, researcher, and now I merge my public health expertise with my clinical expertise. Be humble! You can always learn so much from everyone, and that’s how we grow.

What is a benefit of working here that not many people know about?

Connecting with people and being part of multisectoral partnerships from everywhere, all over the world!

If you weren’t doing this job, what would you be doing?

Teaching! In addition to my job at NIMH, I teach undergraduate students about global mental health at George Washington’s Elliott School of International Affairs. Or I would be working at a nonprofit in global mental health.