The Alliance for Resilient Communities and Health (ARCH) is a global public health initiative dedicated to fostering societal resilience through research innovation, collaborative learning, global partnerships, and community empowerment. ARCH has several ongoing projects under four focus areas: Mind-body Resilience Programs, Technology & Tools, Knowledge Curation & Policy, and Skill Building & Workforce Development.
Areas of Focus
Mind-Body Resilience Programs
The GRACE Initiative aims to mitigate the impacts of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) globally by building a scientific community around ACEs at UCSF and developing impactful evidence-based health programs.
Applying the science of play and harnessing implementation sciences to develop an effective, inexpensive, scalable, and sustainable resilience-enhancing intervention to ameliorate the effect of ACEs in vulnerable communities.
Technologies & Tools
The Collective of Resilient Societies and Technologies (CREST) Initiative aims to become a beacon of interdisciplinary research, education, and outreach in pioneering initiatives that harness technology to empower our global community to thrive amidst adversity, adapt to challenges, and bolster health outcomes.
In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, public health authorities (PHAs) worldwide deployed innovative Exposure Notification (EN) applications to complement manual contact tracing (CT) efforts. With the sunsetting of these EN systems comes the need to identify the facilitators and barriers to EN applications and establish a consensus on prioritizing improvements to this technology. Project Identify aims to inform the design of future EN applications, guide EN implementation policies and best practices, and contribute to shaping the research agenda for the future of EN technology in the context of global outbreak responses.
This collective, led by UC San Diego (and co-led by our team at UCSF), is a network for outbreak data integration and modeling to support rapid public health action. This project brings together experts from four UC campuses, Los Alamos National Laboratory, the University of Washington, San Diego County, and the California Dept. of Health to develop innovative tools and networks for responding rapidly to emerging disease outbreaks.
Knowledge Curation & Policy
Evidence-based public health policies and actions are essential for improving health outcomes and preventing disease at its root. Developing effective policies requires systematically synthesizing scientific evidence, integrating community insights, and translating knowledge into actionable strategies for decision-makers. By curating and delivering relevant, accessible, and context-driven information, we can drive policy innovation and strengthen societal resilience—particularly in communities disproportionately affected by social injustices.
The Commission is dedicated to advancing pandemic preparedness through science, innovation, and clear communication, aiming to build resilient, interconnected communities ready for any threat. Learning from COVID-19’s challenges, we recognize the need for a holistic approach to health crises influenced by social, economic, and political factors.
In collaboration with California’s Office of the Surgeon General, this project evaluates the indirect impacts of COVID-19, including stress-related health conditions from economic and social disruptions. RAPID aims to understand the pandemic’s broader effects on mental and physical health, focusing on six health conditions and assessing the effectiveness of seven interventions. The group is conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of ACEs and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Skill Building & Workforce Development
Strengthening institutional capacity and empowering public health professionals are fundamental to building sustainable resilience and healthier societies. A well-equipped workforce enhances a community’s ability to address persistent public health challenges, respond effectively to crises, and recover with greater efficiency. ARCH provides a diverse range of skill-building and professional development opportunities for graduate students, clinicians, trainees, and research professionals in health sciences and related fields, fostering leadership and expertise for the future of public health.
Designed for researchers and practitioners from disciplines including medicine, public health, and psychology, this workshop will walk you through the steps to craft a meticulous review protocol based on best practices in evidence-based decision-making. With hands-on practice, you’ll master the art of developing protocols tailored to your research questions and build the skills to conduct meta-analysis using real datasets. The workshop offers a thorough theoretical foundation and practical skills.
Our team is currently working on developing and piloting a comprehensive 6-month training program designed to equip mid-career leaders and aspiring leaders in the global health sector with trauma-informed skills and insights needed to navigate uncertainty and drive positive change in their organizations.
Our People
Faculty
- Mohsen Malekinejad, MD, DrPH
Director - Claire Brindis, DrPH
- Jess Ghannam, PhD
- George Rutherford, MD, MA
Staff
- Karen Horn, MBA, MPH
- Cesar Mendez Lizarraga, MD, MSc, MPH
- Summer Lewis, MPH
Student & Volunteers
Current
- Kavenpreet Bal, MS
- Erin Barker, MLIS
- Alyssa Bercasio, MS
- Christy Nguyen, BS
- Apisit Kaewsanit, MD, MS
- Atnasia Mekonnen, MS
- Nicole Skehan, MS
Past
- Lucia Abascal, MD, MS
- Sonya Chalaka, MS
- Sonia Gandhi, MS
- Kezia Mostak, MS
- Nathan Quinn, MS
- Saba Rahman, MS
- Julianna Lazzari
- Rafael Maravilla, MS
Advisors
- Eliah Aronoff-Spencer, MD, PhD, UC San Diego
- Tom Boyce, MD, UCSF
- Ingrid Cockhren, Med, PACEs CONNECTION
- Gail Kennedy, MPH, PACEs CONNECTION
- Elliot Marseille, MPH, DrPH, Health Strategies International
- Bill Lober MD, MS, University of Washington
- Omid Parhizkar PhD, World Bank
- Vahid Namdarizandi, MD, MS, TriHealth Good Samaritan Hospital
- James G. Khan MD, MPH, UCSF
Our Partners
Publications
- Digital exposure notification tools: A global landscape analysis
- Indirect COVID-19 health effects and potential mitigating interventions: Cost-effectiveness framework
- Interventions to enhance psychological resilience in forcibly displaced children: a systematic review
- Rapid Assessment of Pandemic Indirect Impacts and Mitigating Interventions for Decision-making (RAPID)
Student Projects
- “Effectiveness of Child Maltreatment Interventions: An Umbrella Review of Global Evidence,” Nathan Quinn, MS
- “Policy Mapping Analysis of Adverse Childhood Experiences Prevention Policies in California,” Aishwarya Thakur, MS
- “The Change in Child Maltreatment Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: a Systematic Review of Evidence in the United States,” Kavenpreet Bal, MS