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Introducing Our New Newsletter
Welcome to the inaugural edition of “The McSilver Brief”, a new newsletter providing regular updates about the wide-ranging and impactful research, policy, and technical assistance work we are engaged in at the NYU McSilver Institute.
McSilver has embarked on an exciting new chapter with the appointment of our Faculty Director, Dr. Fred Ssewamala, who will co-lead the institute with Executive Director Rosemonde Pierre-Louis. Dr. Ssewamala is joined by Dr. Ozge Sensoy Bahar and Dr. Samuel Kizito. Together, they bring a wealth of global expertise and vision to deepen our global reach, while continuing to strengthen our national footprint. This growth will expand our capacity to tackle complex social challenges and translate innovative evidence-based research into solutions that strengthen communities and inform policy and innovations in training and practice around the world.
We look forward to sharing our growth and successes with you. Thank you for your continued support. For additional information regarding the NYU McSilver Institute, please visit mcsilver.nyu.edu. For press inquiries please contact bch5891@nyu.edu.
The Latest at McSilver
Dr. Fred Ssewamala Appointed Constance and Martin Silver Professor of Poverty Studies and Faculty Director of McSilver Institute
Dr. Fred Ssewamala
Starting July 1, Dr. Fred M. Ssewamala joined the NYU McSilver Institute as Faculty Director. Most recently serving as Assistant Vice Provost for Global Research and William E. Gordon Distinguished Professor at Washington University in St. Louis, Dr. Ssewamala brings extensive experience in poverty and health-equity research, particularly focused on youth and families in both domestic and global contexts.
Recently recognized as one of Elsevier’s top 2% most cited scientists, Ssewamala currently leads ten NIH-funded large-scale research studies and four training programs that focus on training early-career researchers committed to careers in child behavioral health. “Disrupting generational poverty has been at the heart of the McSilver Institute’s mission since its founding. Dr. Ssewamala’s appointment elevates that calling to the global arena,” said the institute’s founder Dr. Constance McCatherin Silver.
Top Scholars Join McSilver Staff to Bolster Research
Dr. Sensoy Bahar and Dr. Kizito
Also coming from Washington University in Saint Louis, Dr. Ozge Sensoy Bahar, who previously served as a postdoctoral fellow at McSilver, has returned as a Research Associate Professor, and Dr. Samuel Kizito has joined as a Research Assistant Professor. Dr. Sensoy Bahar’s research focuses on child and family well-being in global contexts characterized by poverty and associated stressors. Dr. Kizito’s research bridges clinical practice and advanced quantitative methods, drawing on his expertise as a physician, infectious disease epidemiologist, and biostatistician.
McSilver’s Dr. Kara Emery and Chris Hemphill Participate in AI Panel at Somos 2025 Conference
Panelists Chris Hemphill, Dr. Kara Emery, and Claudia Soriano at the panel
At the Somos 2025 Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Assemblymember Emérita Torres convened a panel to spotlight a bold vision for community-led data sovereignty, featuring nonprofits that create custom datasets and tools to tell their own stories, alongside experts and advocates working to ensure that algorithms and AI policies center Latino voices.
Panelists included Dr. Kara Emery, Director of Data Science at the NYU McSilver AI Hub; Chris Hemphill, NYU McSilver Fellow; Wayne Ho, CEO of the Chinese-American Planning Council; Dr. Olivia Ildefonso, CEO of North Arrow; Wesner Pierre, CEO of Partnership with Children; Claudia Soriano, Senior Director of Development and External Affairs at The Knowledge House; and Andre White, CEO of Phipps Neighborhoods.
NYU Silver School and McSilver Institute Host Mini-Conference on AI and Poverty
Dr. Lu, Dr. Ssewamala, and Dr. An at the mini-conference
On November 13, the McSilver Institute, the Constance and Martin Silver Center on Data Science and Social Equity (C+M Silver Center), and the NYU Silver School brought together researchers, academics, and AI experts for an engaging mini-conference on AI and poverty.
Prior to the two panel presentations featuring early- and mid-career scholars, Dr. Charlton McIlwain, Vice Provost and Professor at NYU Steinhardt, and Dr. Chenyang Lu, the Fullgraf Professor of Computer Science & Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, delivered keynotes.
Opening remarks were provided by Dr. Ssewamala; Dr. Ruopeng An, the Constance and Martin Silver Endowed Professor in Data Science and Prevention and Director of the C+M Silver Center; and Dr. Michael Lindsey, Dean and Paulette Goddard Professor of Social Work at NYU Silver School of Social Work.
Dr. Samuel Kizito Inducted Into Uganda National Academy of Sciences
Dr. Samuel Kizito
The Uganda National Academy of Sciences is an independent, non-profit, and nonpartisan service organization created to provide credible and evidence-driven advice to the nation on matters of science and development. Dr. Kizito's induction this fall as a Fellow acknowledges his role as a pioneer demonstrating academic excellence.
New Grants & Research Funding
Testing the Impact of Family-Based Interventions to Improve Developmental and Health Outcomes for Female Adolescent
Funder: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Amount: $3,120,000
PI: Dr. Ozge Sensoy Bahar, Research Associate Professor, NYU McSilver Institute
The study will test the impact of ANZANSI, an evidence-based combination intervention (family economic intervention and a family strengthening intervention) on the incidence of unaccompanied migration for child labor and evaluate the cost and cost-effectiveness of the intervention.
Safe Mothers, Safe Children Study Awarded Funds by Casey Family Programs, the Child Welfare Fund, and Help for Children
PI: Dr. Michael A. Lindsey, Dean, NYU Silver School of Social Work
The Safe Mothers, Safe Children (SMSC) project was recently awarded new funding to continue investigating a multi-pronged intervention to reduce the risk of repeat child maltreatment. This support comes from Casey Family Programs ($150,000), the Child Welfare Fund ($100,000), and Help for Children ($30,000 funding renewal).
Psychiatric Rehabilitation Curriculum & Resource Development Project
Dr. Andrew Cleek
Funder: New York State Office of Mental Health
Amount: $4,400,000
PI: Dr. Andrew Cleek, Deputy Executive Director, NYU McSilver Institute
Over a two-year period, this funding will support the ongoing efforts of McSilver-based technical assistance centers dedicated to providing training, consultation, tools, and resources to serve behavioral health agencies across New York State.
Addressing the Research Capacity Gap in Global Child, Adolescent, and Family Health Utilizing Implementation and Data Sciences
Funder: Fogarty International Center at National Institutes of Health
Amount: $2,100,421
PI: Dr. Fred Ssewamala, Faculty Director, NYU McSilver Institute
Taking advantage of advanced data science to better address the needs of under-resourced communities, this study introduces a new research training program to increase dissemination and implementation science and data science capacity to address global health issues affecting children, adolescents, and their caregivers.
Policy & Impact
Executive Director Rose Pierre-Louis Joins Panel at WCC State of NYC Women Conference
Jennifer Jones Austin, Sideya Sherman, Carlyn Cowen, and Rose Pierre-Louis on stage
On October 14, McSilver Executive Director Rose Pierre-Louis joined Sideya Sherman, NYC Chief Equity Officer and Commissioner and Carlyn Cowen, Chief Policy and Public Affairs Officer of the Chinese-American Planning Council, for a panel discussion moderated by Jennifer Jones Austin, CEO and Executive Director of FPWA.
Dedicated to reimagining the New York City economy for gender equity, the conversation was part of the State of NYC Women Conference convened by Women Creating Change New York.
The View from Inside: Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) & Its Impact on New York City Elections
Dr. Basil Smikle, next to two of the panelists, Andrea Gordillo and Scott Stringer
On September 9, the McSilver Institute, in partnership with Common Cause/NY, the NYU Wagner School, Citizens Union, and the CUNY Graduate Center, convened a timely panel discussion on ranked choice voting (RCV) and its impact on campaigning in New York City.
Brad Lander, NYC Comptroller and former Mayoral candidate; Scott Stringer, former NYC Comptroller and Mayoral candidate; Vanessa Aronson, former City Council candidate; and Andrea Gordillo, former City Council candidate.
Dr. Basil Smikle Jr., Professor of Practice and Director of the MS program in nonprofit management at Columbia University’s SPS, moderated. McSilver Executive Director and Rank the Vote NYC Board Member Rose Pierre-Louis and NYU Wagner Dean Dr. Polly Trottenberg gave opening remarks.
McSilver Institute and NYU Langone Health’s Institute for Excellence in Health Equity Submit Testimony on Maternal Health to the New York City Council
On October 23, NYU McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research and NYU Langone’s Institute for Excellence in Health Equity submitted written testimony to the New York City Council’s Committee on Hospitals and Committee on Women and Gender Equity, in answer to an oversight hearing on “Improving Maternal Health in New York City.”
The submission was authored by Dr. Damali M. Wilson, Maternal Health Equity Fellow at the McSilver Institute and NYU Langone Health’s Institute for Excellence in Health Equity (IEHE); McSilver Executive Director Rose Pierre-Louis; and Dr. Natasha Williams, Associate Professor at NYU Langone Health IEHE.
Training & Technical Assistance
New Website Launched as Unified Training and Technical Assistance Hub
Across four specialized and interconnected Centers, the NYU McSilver Training and Technical Assistance Centers provide training and tools to serve New York State behavioral health agencies. A new website launched this August makes these resources easier than ever to access and explore.
TTAC Hosts First Early Childhood Resource Fair
On October 28, the New York City Perinatal and Early Childhood Mental Health Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTAC) hosted its inaugural resource fair. The event brought together perinatal and early childhood service providers from across NYC. With keynote speakers and over 40 government and nonprofit organizations tabling, the “one-stop shop” catered to providers serving pregnant and postpartum people, children under five, and their families.
Research & Publications
McSilver AI Hub Data Scientist Adrian Harris Presents at the 2025 IASR/AFSP International Summit on Suicide Research
Adrian Harris
On November 10, Adrian Harris, a Research Data Scientist at the NYU McSilver AI Hub, presented a talk at the International Summit on Suicide Research hosted by the International Academy of Suicide Research (IASR) and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). His talk was titled, “A Doubly Robust Machine Learning Approach to Estimate Disparities by Race/Ethnicity and Sex in the Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Suicidality” and discussed his current research project exploring sociodemographic disparities in how ACEs impact suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
Analysis of New York State Mental Health Training Programs Published in Children and Youth Services Review
States across the U.S. are advancing training initiatives for the children’s mental health workforce. How are these efforts making progress and tracking their impact? A new scoping review led by researchers at NYU McSilver and other institutions illuminates some of the facilitators and barriers associated with training roll-outs. The article’s authors include Dr. Andrew F. Cleek, Meaghan Baier, and Dr. Ashley Fuss.
“A Qualitative Study of the Saving and Banking Experiences of Adolescent Girls and Their Caregivers in Ghana” in Journal of Child and Family Studies
The study explored the saving and banking experiences of Ghanaian adolescent girls and their caregivers who participated in a combination intervention with an economic empowerment component. Dr. Ozge Sensoy Bahar is the lead author.
“Sex Work Stigma as a Partial Mediator Between Social Support and Depressive Symptoms Among Vulnerable Women Engaged in Sex Work in Southern Uganda” in AIDS and Behavior
This study examined the mediating role of family-level and community-level sex work stigma, which is intrinsically linked to HIV, on the relationship between social support and depressive symptoms among women engaged in sex work. Dr. Ozge Sensoy Bahar and Dr. Fred Ssewamala contributed as authors.
