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Dr. Nii Addy
Neuroscientist, Yale Professor & Mental Health Advocate
Dr. Nii Addy
Neuroscientist, Yale Professor & Mental Health Advocate
Biography
While growing up, Dr. Nii Addy knew one thing for sure: He was never going to choose his father’s profession of psychiatry. Fortunately for all of us, he changed his mind. Dr. Addy did, indeed, choose a similar path as his dad. And today, he is an influential neuroscientist and mental health advocate at one of the nation’s premier universities.
Dr. Addy is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and of Cellular and Molecular Physiology at Yale University. At the Yale School of Medicine, he directs a federally funded research program investigating the neurobiological bases of depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. Dr. Addy’s team also studies the ability of tobacco product flavor additives to alter nicotine use behavior and addiction.
As the creator and host of powerful town hall events, he has also built unique partnerships between scientists, clinicians, educators, faith leaders, entertainers, professional athletes, and community and mental health advocacy groups. In these engaging town hall conversations, panelists discuss topics at the intersection of neuroscience, mental health, faith, culture and social justice.
Dr. Addy also hosts the Addy Hour podcast, where he explores the same subjects with community leaders, scientists, professional athletes, entertainers, faith leaders and mental health experts.
His research and community work has garnered national media attention, including coverage by National Public Radio (NPR), Newsday, the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), The Source Magazine, Chuck Norris, STAT, Relevant Magazine, Proto Magazine and others.
In his groundbreaking initiatives, Dr. Addy has collaborated with Lecrae (Grammy Award-winning artist and NY Times Best Selling Author), Allan Houston (former NBA All-Star, NY Knicks/FISLL Project), Doug Middleton (Jacksonville Jaguars/Dream the Impossible Initiative), the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the Veritas Forum, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), the Yale University Chaplain's Office, Yale Well, the Salvation Army, Every Nation Church NYC, and the American Bible Society.
Dr. Addy has spoken at venues throughout the United States and Europe. He engages audiences through his expertise in brain biology. His familiarity with effective psychological interventions and his perspective as a black scientist in the midst of ongoing racism and racial injustice makes him a sought-after speaker on topics such as neuroscience, mental health, faith, and diversity, equity and inclusion.
Speaker Videos
STEM Interview | The Veritas Forum
How Do We Express Anxiety in Healthy Ways
Complexities of Mental Illness
Speech Topics
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Anti-Racism
Study after study has shown that diversity, equity and inclusion benefit everyone. When we work, live, interact and include people who are different from us, we are exposed to a wider range of perspectives and experiences. These environments can help foster a sense of belonging where we value, support and respect each other. In this keynote, Dr. Nii Addy, Neuroscientist, Yale Professor, Mental Health Advocate and Inaugural Director of Scientist Diversity and Inclusion at the Yale School of Medicine, illustrates how we can work towards inclusivity and belonging and create more equitable opportunities for people who have historically remained underserved and underrepresented.
Dr. Addy customizes his content for specific audiences, including:
Business: Learn how to create a culture of inclusivity and best practices for successful DEI implementation, while driving success. Steps include:
- Setting clear goals and objectives.
- Creating a diversity and inclusion committee.
- Providing training on unconscious bias.
- Creating more inclusive spaces for employees from all backgrounds.
- Measuring your progress.
Healthcare: Learn how to create a culture of inclusivity and best practices for successful DEI implementation, leading to better patient care, retention, recruitment of more healthcare workers from underrepresented groups and a wider range of perspectives and experiences. You’ll learn:
- How to overcome unconscious bias.
- The importance of diversity in leadership.
- How to create more inclusive spaces for healthcare workers.
- How to set clear goals and objectives and measure your progress.
Education/Non-Profit: Dr. Addy shares the steps to putting inclusion into practice in schools, on college campuses and in organizations and creating more equitable opportunities for underrepresented groups. You’ll learn:
- Why DEI is essential for the health of your organization.
- The challenges for promoting DEI.
- Steps for creating a more inclusive environment.
The Science of Resilience
We all want to experience life satisfaction and emotional health. But getting to that place is another matter. From the pandemic to ongoing racial injustice to political turmoil, lost lives and lost jobs, the past few years have tested our minds and bodies in profound ways. But there is hope. Sharing the latest science on resiliency and the intersection of brain science, mental health, faith and community, plus practical tips, Dr. Nii Addy—Neuroscientist, Yale Professor and Mental Health Advocate—gives you a road map to living your best life at work and home.
Dr. Addy customizes his content for specific audiences, including:
Business: Dr. Addy will give you tips on how to make your organization and your team more resilient in the future. You will learn positive coping strategies and why everyone from management to every member of the organization, needs them, including:
- Taking a proactive approach to optimizing your physical and mental health.
- Goal setting.
- Finding purpose.
- Stepping outside of your comfort zone.
- The power of optimism.
- Connecting with others in the community.
- The role of faith.
HR/Management: Dr. Addy shares solutions to decrease stress-related issues and help your employees and you become more resilient, decreasing sick time, injury and absenteeism, and boosting productivity, creativity and your company’s culture. You will learn positive coping strategies for yourself and your team, including:
- Taking a proactive approach to optimizing your physical and mental health.
- Goal setting.
- Finding purpose.
- Stepping outside of your comfort zone.
- The power of optimism.
- Connecting with others in the community.
- The role of faith.
Healthcare: Resilient healthcare professionals are less likely to experience burnout, depression and anxiety. They are also more likely to be effective in their work and provide high-quality care to their patients. Dr. Addy shows you how to thrive during the toughest of times. You will learn positive coping strategies and why everyone in your organization needs them, including:
- Taking a proactive approach to optimizing your physical and mental health.
- Goal setting.
- Finding purpose.
- Stepping outside of your comfort zone.
- The power of optimism.
- Connecting with others in the community.
- The role of faith.
Education/Non-Profit: It’s no secret that students, educators and those in the non-profit field have been experiencing a lot of stress, especially over the last few years. But it can improve. In this session, Dr. Addy shares how to build resilience. You will learn positive coping strategies and why everyone needs them, including:
- Taking a proactive approach to optimizing your physical and mental health.
- Goal setting.
- Finding purpose.
- Stepping outside of your comfort zone.
- The power of optimism.
- Connecting with others in the community.
- The role of faith.
Racial Disparities in Mental Health
According to a study by Johns Hopkins Medicine, about 1 in 4 adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder each year. And addiction is equally prolific—killing thousands annually. And yet when it comes to getting help, the stigma of the illness, how you’re treated and the outcome of these illnesses, racial disparities play a huge role. In this dynamic talk, Dr. Nii Addy, Neuroscientist, Yale Professor and Mental Health Advocate, maps out the tragic effects of systemic racism that disproportionately affect the health of racial and ethnic minority groups, and how we can find the courage to address these wrongs and initiate change.
Supporting Employee Wellness
If there is one good thing that has come out of the pandemic, it’s that mental illness has been increasingly destigmatized. We have all been impacted in one way or another and mental health and wellness affect all of us. The outcome is that corporate leaders are beginning to realize that the mental health of their managers and employees needs to be a priority. When your staff is paying attention to wellness and using effective practices, productivity, creativity and your culture will improve and turnover will go down. In this engaging talk, Dr. Nii Addy, Neuroscientist, Yale Professor and Mental Health Advocate, shares the importance of having a culture that supports employee wellness, the workplace factors that positively affect mental health and the cultural changes that are needed to ensure everyone is at their best.
Living Your Best Life
Is it possible to achieve life satisfaction and emotional well-being, especially after the last few years? How do we deal with lockdowns and isolation, so many lives lost, ongoing racial injustices, political tensions and riots, financial stressors and unemployment and emotional challenges? Bringing insights from his podcast, The Addy Hour, Neuroscientist, Yale Professor and Mental Health Advocate, Dr. Nii Addy, dives into topics that many of us are thinking about, but very few are talking about. He describes them as conversations that are at the intersection of brain science, mental health, faith, culture and social justice. In this upbeat, interactive session, you’ll explore the topics and questions you’ve been thinking about with one of the top experts on these subjects in the world.
Supporting Students In Our Communities
While our students strive for academic excellence, study after study shows young people are experiencing high levels of stress, anxiety, and mental health challenges. How can we, as educators, reach our students and promote mental well-being? According to neuroscientist, Yale Professor, and Mental Health Advocate Dr. Nii Addy, building community, promoting self-care, and meeting students where they are is an opportunity for us to know each other, be known, and interact with them, which helps us empathize with our students and destigmatize their mental health challenges. In this talk, Dr. Addy will share how your faculty and staff can help students navigate stress and anxiety, find purpose, learn self-care, and discover the benefits of having a community. Student success isn’t just about academic achievement, it is also about support, personal development, and emotional well-being.
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