James Muruthi, PhD

Dr. James Muruthi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Counseling and Family Therapy at Drexel University. He completed his Ph.D. in Family Science at the University of Georgia, GA, and previously held the position of Assistant Professor of Family and Human Services at the University of Oregon. Dr. Muruthi’s research focuses on family aging, health, and wellness, emphasizing marginalized individuals. His research program uses mixed methods to understand how social and human capital can be leveraged to address health disparities in aging populations, particularly among aging Black people and their families. His work aims to inform the development and evaluation of community-specific interventions for better health and well-being.

He is involved in several active research projects, including studying psychological distress and poverty among rural Kenyans with funding from the Mental Health Research Institute. He is also investigating syndemics and health disparities in the Black population, family caregiving in Black and African families, and the effects of poverty on psychological health in Kenya. Dr. Muruthi actively runs a research group that recruits motivated students, especially those from underrepresented groups such as international, first-generation college, gender and sexual minorities, and low-income students. His international collaborations and fieldwork include Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, and Canada.

Overall, Dr. James Muruthi is a dedicated scholar whose research has significant implications for improving the health and well-being of Black aging individuals and their families. His strength-based and community-lead approaches to mental health research are crucial for creating effective interventions to reduce mental health disparities among aging Black people living in low-resourced areas.