Dr. Mindy Thompson Fullilove

Mindy Thompson Fullilove is a social psychiatrist, author, and educator whose work centers on the relationship between the built environment and community mental health. Fullilove serves as Professor of Urban Policy and Health at The New School and has held academic positions at Columbia University and Parsons School of Design. She spent 26 years as a research psychiatrist at New York State Psychiatric Institute and was a professor of clinical psychiatry and public health at Columbia University.

Fullilove's research addresses public health, urban policy, and the impact of social and environmental factors on mental health. Her work includes studies on AIDS and other epidemics in underserved communities, with a focus on the effects of community collapse on health outcomes. Notable contributions include identifying the intersection of the crack and AIDS epidemics, documenting trauma among women recovering from crack addiction, describing root shock following urban renewal, outlining the concept of serial forced displacement, and identifying elements of urban restoration. Her research spans topics from infectious disease to urban planning.

Fullilove is the author of several books, including "Root Shock: How Tearing Up City Neighborhoods Hurts America and What We Can Do About It," which examines the impact of urban renewal policies on African American communities in cities such as Pittsburgh, Newark, and Roanoke. She also wrote "The House of Joshua: Meditations on Family and Place" and "Urban Alchemy: Restoring Joy in America's Sorted-Out Cities." Fullilove has published more than 100 scientific papers and eight books, contributing to the fields of public health, urban studies, and social psychiatry.

In addition to her academic work, Fullilove co-founded the University of Orange, a free education center promoting civic engagement in her hometown. Through collaborations with the Cities Research Group and the University of Orange, she investigates the consequences of social fracture and explores strategies for community restoration. Her documentary film, "Urban Renewal Is People Removal," received recognition at the Trenton Film Festival.

Fullilove's work has been recognized with awards, honorary degrees, and fellowships, including honorary membership in the American Institute of Architects and Life Fellowship in the American Psychiatric Association. She has delivered lectures on topics such as the "Tao of K-drama," further contributing to discourse in urban policy, public health, and community mental health.