Sozosei Lab for Decriminalizing Mental Illness

The Sozosei Lab for Decriminalizing Mental Illness launched in 2025 to advance research and evidence-based strategies that reduce the criminalization of people with serious mental illness.

Housed at the New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), the Sozosei Lab is led by Drs. Leah Pope, Ph.D., Amy Watson, Ph.D., and Michael T. Compton, M.D., M.P.H.

The objectives of the Lab for Decriminalizing Mental Illness are to:

1. Develop and support a pipeline of diverse scholars working in areas pertinent to the Lab’s goals,
2. Convene researchers and practitioners to address urgent knowledge gaps, and
3. Develop and disseminate research on evidence-based and effective strategies for decriminalizing mental illness that informs policy and practice.

The work of the Lab will build on a National Strategic Research Framework developed by Drs. Watson, Pope, and Compton in partnership with an advisory board of 25 leading scholars and unveiled at the 2024 Sozosei Summit.

In the first year, the Sozosei Lab will focus on two core priorities:

1. Launching the interdisciplinary Sozosei Fellows program to strengthen the pipeline of diverse researchers dedicated to decriminalizing mental illness.
2. Expanding the reach of the National Strategic Research Framework through targeted dissemination and stakeholder engagement.

For more information about the Lab, email us at [email protected]