This article describes my developing interest in cultural psychiatry. This is both a challenging and yet a privileged opportunity to reflect on my research and clinical work over the last 25 years. I describe cultural and interpersonal influences on my thinking and interests, and the development of my research career moving from health services research of specialist services, to primary care research to public mental health research. Specifically, social and cultural influences on risks and responses to mental illness are discussed, as are pathways to care, the recognition of mental illness, and public health and cultural psychiatry research.