Capucine Barcellona
global & mental health / public policy / social impact
I am passionate about bridging community and systems-level perspectives in health and social justice.
I believe that deeply understanding people – their needs, challenges and aspirations – is essential for equitable and successful policymaking.
With a background in Anthropology and global health, I apply skills of stakeholder engagement and mixed-methods analysis to address deep social, health and policy issues.
My background
I have an academic background in Anthropology & Literature and over 5 years of professional experience in global health & social impact. I am fully fluent in English, Italian, French & Spanish and am working to improve my Mandarin Chinese.
My current & past affiliations include Bridges Outcomes Partnership; the Ed Sheeran Foundation; the Friendship Bench; the Southeast Asia Regional Collaborative for Health; the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (National University of Singapore); the Centre for Biomedical Ethics (National University of Singapore); the Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics, a non-governmental organisation working on migrant rights protection; Holmusk, a data analytics company focused on mental health.
I have also held consulting roles with the World Health Organization (Europe) and The Friendship Bench, and various volunteer positions related to migrant rights, gender, LGBTQ+ and mental health advocacy.
My Work
Global Health Policy
“Health is determined not so much by what doctors do for patients, but by arrangements in society […] Why treat people and send them back to the conditions that make them sick?”
Michael Marmot
All policy is health policy. Well-crafted, well-informed health & social policies are our best tool to improve the wellbeing of communities – both physical & mental.
I have experience conducting research and policy engagement on a range of global health issues. These include vaccine cost-effectiveness, health financing, Universal Health Coverage (UHC), digital health and reproductive technologies.
Mental Health & Addictions
“It is impossible to understand addiction without asking what relief the addict finds, or hopes to find, in the drug or the addictive behaviour […] Addictions always originate in pain, whether felt openly or hidden in the unconscious.“
Gabor Maté
All health is mental health. I have written, researched and advocated for mental health & addiction for over 6 years. I believe in taking trauma-informed and evidence-based approaches to my work.
I am particularly interested in the impact of social inequities on mental wellbeing; the connection between physical and mental health; community-based mental health interventions; and drug policy rooted in principles of harm reduction.
Social Justice
“If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”
Lilla Watson
I seek to bring a rights-based, intersectional perspective to my work. For over 8 years, I have been involved in volunteering, programme management and writing on a range of social justice issues – including gender, sexuality, migration and neurodiversity. I value solidarity, co-production and foregrounding affected communities.
capucine barcellona. 