$10 million gift from Dmitri and Daria Bukhman to medical school aims to advance global mental health care for children

In a landmark commitment to advancing global mental health care for children, Bukhman Philanthropies has made a $10 million gift to the Stanford School of Medicine to scale groundbreaking trauma research and expand access to early, effective mental health interventions worldwide.

The funding—among the largest philanthropic investments to date in pediatric trauma care—will accelerate the work of Victor Carrión, MD, the John A. Turner Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Stanford and director of the Early Life Stress and Resilience Program.

Carrión’s pioneering research has reshaped how educators and clinicians understand the effects of early trauma and how children can learn to heal and build resilience.

“For too many children across the world, mental health support remains beyond reach,” Carrión says.

“This partnership with Bukhman Philanthropies enables us to move faster, to take what works and make it accessible to youth in schools and communities everywhere.”

At the center of the initiative is Cue-Centered Therapy (CCT), a model developed by Carrión that helps children ages 8 to 18 recognize how traumatic memories and environmental “cues” shape emotional and behavioral responses.

Through structured exercises and guided reflection, CCT equips young people with coping mechanisms that lower symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The approach blends psychological science with practical tools that can be integrated into everyday life—a combination that has made it a model for scalable, school-based mental health care.

Daria Bukhman, co-founder and chair of London-based Bukhman Philanthropies, notes that the foundation was drawn to Carrión’s work for its measurable outcomes and extraordinary potential for adaptation across cultures and geographies.

“At a time when young people are struggling, investing in mental health care is essential,” she says. “We were deeply impressed by how Dr. Carrión’s approach turns research into direct, tangible support for children living with trauma. Our goal is to expand that support where it’s needed most.”

That need is urgent. According to the World Health Organization, one in seven adolescents globally experiences a mental health condition, yet most lack access to appropriate treatment.

Even in high-income countries, mental health systems remain overstretched, and stigma often discourages families from seeking help.

The Bukhmans’ gift aims to close these gaps by combining research innovation with accessible outreach.

The funding will also expand Stanford’s Building Resilience in Schools (BRIS) initiative, which was first piloted in Puerto Rico, a region that has endured successive natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic.

BRIS introduces mindfulness-based exercises in classrooms and provides CCT sessions for students identified as needing additional support.

Researchers collect biological samples, such as cheek swabs, to track changes before and after treatment, helping identify molecular markers linked to both trauma and recovery.

These insights promise to deepen understanding of how stress affects the body—and how resilience can be strengthened through early intervention.

In addition, a portion of the gift will underwrite the creation of a mobile gaming app based on CCT principles.

The app will use interactive storytelling and adaptive gameplay to teach users how to identify emotional triggers, manage stress responses, and practice healthy coping strategies.

By translating therapeutic models into engaging digital formats, the project aims to reach children in settings where trained therapists are scarce or where stigma and cost serve as barriers to care.

For Daria and Dmitri Bukhman—the foundation’s founders—the Stanford partnership reflects both a personal conviction and a broader philanthropic vision.

Known for their quiet but strategic approach to high-impact giving, the Bukhmans have focused their family foundation on areas where human potential can be nurtured from the earliest stages of life.

Their core priorities include neonatal and maternal health, early mental well-being, and advancing literature and education.

“The Bukhmans see mental health as fundamental to every other measure of human flourishing,” says a Stanford representative involved in the initiative. “Their support is enabling not just research, but hope—especially for children whose lives have been shaped by trauma.”

As Stanford’s team expands its research footprint, the gift is expected to serve as a model for global collaboration in youth mental health. By bridging cutting-edge science with compassionate care—and combining digital innovation with the insight of trained clinicians—the project aims to build new infrastructure for emotional healing that can be replicated across borders.

For the Bukhmans, whose philanthropy often operates at the intersection of science, empathy, and long-term impact, this initiative carries deep resonance.

It underscores the belief that healing children’s minds can change the trajectory of families, communities, and future generations.