Anuj Gandhi
St. Louis, MO| Grant Category: | Fulbright-Nehru Student Research Program |
| Project Title: | Exploring Mental Health and Improving Care for the Globalized Indian |
| Field of Study: | Psychology |
| Home Institution: | Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO |
| Host Institution: | Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, Maharashtra |
| Grant Start Month: | September 2025 |
| Duration of Grant: | Eight months |
Brief Bio:
Anuj Gandhi is a passionate mental health advocate and researcher who leads with love and light. He takes an interdisciplinary approach to build community-driven programs rooted in research, education, and storytelling.
Anuj has worked as a youth mental health advocate in several organizations, including the National Alliance on Mental Illness, WE ARE SAATH, The Steve Fund, The Trevor Project, and the Mental Health Literacy Collaborative. He is most proud of his work in improving mental health resources at his alma mater, Saint Louis University. He recently founded MyJyoti, a South Asian mental health advocacy, storytelling, and media platform and community organization.
Along with his commitment to advocacy and activism, Anuj is an experienced community-based researcher. His research interests broadly encompass community-driven mental health interventions, cultural identity and humility, complementary practices, and global mental health. He recently worked as a research specialist at the Institute of Juvenile Research in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois Chicago and as a Program Facilitator for Lurie Children’s Hospital. In these roles, he facilitated educational programs for youth of color, focused on civic engagement, activism, racial justice, health equity, and mindfulness as part of clinical trial interventions for youth well-being.
Anuj’s Fulbright-Nehru research project is examining how globalization-based acculturation influences young Indian adults’ attitudes toward mental health and treatment; in this context, he is also comparing Western psychiatric care and traditional Indian medicine (Ayush). Using a sequential explanatory design, the study is conducting a quantitative survey and focus group discussions with treatment seekers, practitioners, and advocates. The findings aim to inform culturally responsive mental healthcare and provide an educational toolkit for globalized Indians.