Dr. Linnet Ongeri is a psychiatrist and implementation science researcher at the Kenya Medical Research Institute, where she serves as Principal Clinical Research Scientist and Head of the Mental Health Unit at the Centre for Clinical Research.
She specializes in mental health systems strengthening, with a focus on integrating mental health services into primary healthcare systems in Kenya. Over the past 12 years, her work has addressed trauma, suicide prevention, substance use disorders, and depression, with an emphasis on translating evidence into scalable, low-resource interventions.
Dr. Linnet Ongeri has contributed to national mental health policy and systems development in Kenya, including service on the Presidential Mental Health Task Force and participation in multiple Ministry of Health technical working groups. She currently serves as a board member of the Kenya National Mental Health Board and has previously held leadership roles within the Kenya Psychiatric Association. Her current work focuses on scaling the integration of mental health services into primary care, strengthening suicide prevention strategies, advancing trauma-informed care, and expanding regional and international research collaborations aimed at strengthening mental health systems across Africa.
