Maya Magarati, PhD

Maya Magarati, PhD is a Research Scientist at the University of Seven Directions Center for Indigenous Public Health and Indigenous Wellness Research Institute. At Seven Directions, Dr. Magarati leads the CDC/NNPHI-sponsored “Opioid Overdose Prevention in Tribes” program of activities that include publication of the Environmental Scan (2019) and the Models of Tribal Promising Practices (2020), provision of Technical Assistance, and opioid-specific Community of Practice/Gathering Grounds, resources, and tools. An Opioid Technical Advisory Group (OTAG) advises and guides these works. OTAG is comprised of national, regional, urban, and community-level prevention, treatment, research and evaluation professionals and cultural experts.

Dr. Magarati spent the last 10 years conducting community-engaged culture-centered research, evaluation and technical assistance projects around alcohol, substance use and mental health in Indian Country including Tribal Colleges and Universities. She received a Master's in sociology under the Fulbright program followed by a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Washington. She is a current Robert Wood Johnson Foundations’ Interdisciplinary Research Leaders program fellow.

She is indigenous Magar from Nepal’s Himalaya region.