NEW HAVEN – Yale School of Medicine has received a $10 million gift from Bukhman Philanthropies, a London-based foundation founded by Daria and Dmitri Bukhman, to support the school’s Yale Child Study Center (YCSC) and that center’s two initiatives: Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence (YCEI) and the Anxiety and Mood Disorders Program.
The award will fund projects to develop evidence-based interventions and scale tools that strengthen the mental health and emotional well-being of children and young adults. The initiatives are led by Marc Brackett, PhD, founding director of YCEI and professor at YCSC; Wendy Silverman, PhD, Alfred A. Messer Professor at YCSC and professor of psychology; and Eli Lebowitz, PhD, associate professor at YCSC.
“We are grateful to Bukhman Philanthropies for their extraordinary gift,” said Dr. Nancy J. Brown, the Jean and David W. Wallace Dean of Yale School of Medicine. “It is an investment in children and families to promote emotional health. Their generosity will help our faculty translate science into practical tools — strengthening emotional well-being and development in young people, supporting parents, improving access to care, and advancing research that meets today’s challenges, including the realities of social media in a rapidly changing world.”
According to the World Health Organization, globally, one in seven (14.3%) 10-19-year-olds experience a mental disorder. Depression, anxiety, and behavioral disorders are among the leading causes of illness and disability in adolescents, and suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15-29-year-olds.
“In a fast-changing world shaped by rapid technological advancement, including AI, I believe that the qualities that make us truly human — emotional awareness, empathy, and connection — will become more valuable than ever,” Daria Bukhman said. “As parents, we have a responsibility to equip the next generation with the tools and support they need to lead meaningful, resilient, and fulfilling lives.”
Dmitri is co-founder of Playrix, one of the world’s leading mobile gaming companies. Daria is an educator, health coach and wellbeing expert.
