About us
Objectives
The Institute has the ambition of generating innovative knowledge, building capacity and providing technical collaboration to governments and non-governmental organisations in the areas of:
1
Mental health and social determinants
2
Mental ill health and chronic diseases
3
Mental health policy and services organisation
4
Mental disabilities and human rights

The activities of the Institute will be driven by a public health approach. Scientific evidence and public interest will represent the two main driving forces of its moral and technical commitment. The Institute will rely on funding from sources that have no commercial interests.
The main activities of the Institute will consist in:
- Developing epidemiological and services research
- Offering training to individuals and institutions
- Providing technical assistance to countries and non-governmental organisations
- Promoting or joining international collaborative networks for research, training and technical cooperation
ACTIVITIES
- Gulbenkian Global Mental Health Platform, with projects in Brazil, Georgia, India, Cape Verde, and Portugal
- EU Joint Action on Mental Health and Wellbeing
- EU JA MH-WB Work Package on Transition to Community-based Mental Health Care
- EU Mental Health Policy Consortium, funded by Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency (in collaboration with Trimbos Institute & Finnish Association for Mental Health)
- International Master in Mental Health Policy and Services (in collaboration with NOVA Medical School)
- Summer Course on Global Health and Health Diplomacy (in collaboration with Gulbenkian Chair on Global Health, NOVA Medical School)
- MH Crisis Impact Project, funded by EEA Grants (in collaboration with NOVA Medical School)
- EU-Compass for Action on Mental Health and Well-being (in collaboration with the Trimbos Institute, the Finnish Association for Mental Health and EuroHealthNet
- Implementation in Portugal of the 2nd phase of the “WHO Project on adults with mental disabilities living in institutions in the European Region” (using the Quality Rights tool and with the support of World Health Organization/Europe)
- National Project “Innovation in mental health and social inclusion” (in collaboration with Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa)
- Lisbon Learning Program on Mental Health Policy and Services (in collaboration with NOVA Medical School, and Swiss School of Public Health, and with the technical support of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, World Health Organization)
- Course “Innovation and Implementation of Mental Health Policies and Care Delivery” for health professionals in Bahamas, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname e Trinidad e Tobago (in collaboration with PAHO)
- Course “Mental health and psychosocial support. Policy, plans and service organization: management and supervision” (in collaboration with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East - UNRWA)
Founding Members
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is a Portuguese private institution of public utility whose statutory aims reside in the fields of arts, education, and science. Established in 1956 as a Portuguese foundation for the whole of humanity, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation stands out as one of the most important European foundations.
The Foundation undertakes a vast range of activities structured around its headquarters in Lisbon (Portugal) and its delegations in Paris (France) and London (the United Kingdom). It grants support to projects and programmes both in Portugal and abroad.
NOVA Medical School/Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa
The Department of Mental Health of the NOVA Medical School/Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa is one of the most active university departments in Europe in mental health policy and services research, development, evaluation and training. The Department conducted a significant number of studies on the epidemiology of mental disorders and on the evaluation of policies and services, and participated in important European projects (on prevention of depression and suicide, effectiveness of treatment for people with severe mental disorders, and quality of mental health services, among others).
At the policy level, the Department had a key role in the implementation of the national mental health policy, plan and legislation in Portugal and has extensively collaborated with WHO, European Union and other international organisations in global mental health initiatives.
It has a leading role in the Gulbenkian Global Mental Health Platform and the EU Joint Action for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública (ENSP)/National School of Public Health
Established in 1966, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública (ENSP) is a pioneer institution in public health education in Portugal and in Europe. ENSP provides post-graduate teaching and research in health related areas, namely in public health and health policy and management.
Faculty at ENSP cover many different disciplines such as Epidemiology and Statistics, Environmental and Occupational Health, Health Promotion, Health Policy, Management of Healthcare Organisations, Health Economics, Sociology of Health and Health Law. ENSP receives annually about 170 new students for courses with one or more years duration, including doctorates, masters and specialisations. Additionally, about 200 other students attend short courses. ENSP students have diverse educational backgrounds, which include medicine, nursing, pharmacy, health technologies, economics, management, law, psychology and others.
Governing Bodies
Executive Board
José Miguel Caldas de Almeida – President
Manuela Silva – Executive Director
Margarida Santos Dias – Secretary
Ricardo Caetano – Member
Sebastião Martins – Member
General Meeting Board
Joaquim Gago – President
Manuel Gonçalves Pereira – Vice-President
Catarina Klut – Secretary
Audit Commitee
Graça Pereira Cardoso – President
Rute Dinis de Sousa – Member
Isabel Fialho – Member
International Scientific Committee
Benedetto Saraceno, LIGMH – Chairman of the International Scientific Commitee
Emiliano Albanese, Switzerland
Jordi Alonso, Spain
Corrado Barbui, Italy
Victor Aparicio Basauri, Spain
Ricardo Araya, UK
José Luis Ayuso, Spain
Angelo Barbato, Italy
José Miguel Caldas de Almeida, LIGMH
Graça Cardoso, LIGMH
Pedro Gabriel Delgado, Brazil
Julian Eaton, UK
Rabih El Chammay, Lebanon
Angelo Fioritti, Italy
Palmira Fortunato, Mozambique
Joaquim Gago, LIGMH
Manuel Gonçalves Pereira, LIGMH
Rugkasa Jorun, Norway
Ron Kessler, USA
Helen Killaspy, UK
Itzak Levav, Israel
Crick Lund, South Africa
Roberto Mezzina, Italy
Harry Minas, Australia
Guadalupe Morales, Spain
Grayson Norquist, USA
Soumitra Pathare, India
Julian Perelman, Portugal
Dainius Puras, Lithuania
Sandra Saldivia, Chile
Rafael Sepúlveda, Chile
Jorge Soares, Portugal
Ezra Susser, USA
George Szmuckler, UK
Rangaswami Thara, India
Miguel Xavier, Portugal