# Lab Members ## Lab Leadership Team [### Vikram Patel ](/people/vikram-patel) [vikram\_patel@hms.harvard.edu](mailto:vikram_patel@hms.harvard.edu)Mental Health for All Lab Co-Director Paul Farmer Professor and Chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School Professor in the Department of Global Health and Population at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Co-founder and Member of Managing Committee, Sangath, Goa, India Vikram Patel is the Paul Farmer Professor and Chair of Global Health and Social Medicine in the Blavatnik Institute's Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School . He co-leads the GlobalMentalHealth@Harvard initiative . His... ![patel](/sites/g/files/omnuum8326/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/mentalhealthlab/files/patel_photo_color_1.jpg?itok=ptfAZ12J) [### John Naslund ](/people/john-naslund)Mental Health for All Lab Co-Director Senior Research Scientist in Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School John A. Naslund, PhD, is an Instructor in Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Naslund holds expertise in mental health epidemiology, implementation science, social disparities research, and digital mental health. His... ![John Naslund](/sites/g/files/omnuum8326/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-03/John%20Naslund.jpg?itok=Be-hJzMT) [### Laura Bond ](/people/laura-bond)Senior Program Manager, EMPOWER Laura Bond, PhD, MA, is a Senior Program Manager of EMPOWER at the Mental Health for All Lab. Laura's research focuses broadly on implementation science and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) programming in underserved communities. Laura is... ![Laura Bond](/sites/g/files/omnuum8326/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/mentalhealthlab/files/bond_laura.jpeg?itok=hedEL6dV) ## Core Lab Members [### Carina Akemi Nakamura ](/people/carina-akemi-nakamura)Research Fellow Carina holds a BSc and an MSc in Pharmacy from the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil, and a PhD from the Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, UK. Carina was previously a postdoctoral research fellow at the Department of... ![Carina Akema](/sites/g/files/omnuum8326/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/mentalhealthlab/files/image001.jpeg?itok=xU5eFjax) [### Caitlyn Vergara ](/people/caitlyn-vergara)Research Assistant, EMPOWER Caitlyn Vergara is an advocate for public safety and mental health. A graduate of UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, she completed a capstone project with Google[x] on public perception of predictive policing models in California. As a research fellow... ![Caitlyn](/sites/g/files/omnuum8326/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/mentalhealthlab/files/a20240609_xiao_03_caitlyn_vergara_liu_cun_xiao_xiang_378.jpg?itok=0xrRYcl_) [### Emma Hill ](/people/emma-hill)Research Assistant, EMPOWER Emma Hill is a recent graduate of Simmons University, having received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a focus on child development and childhood psychopathology. She is particularly interested in the impact of early childhood experiences on later... ![Emma Hill](/sites/g/files/omnuum8326/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/mentalhealthlab/files/emma_hill_photo.jpg?itok=DGUIUSOb) [### Isaac Lara ](/people/isaac-lara-0)Research Assistant, EMPOWER Isaac Lara (he/him) is a well-being advocate, community builder, researcher, and proud father to a seven-year-old Yorkie. He is passionate about enhancing the mental well-being of our global community through community-based models of care and fostering a... ![Isaac Lara](/sites/g/files/omnuum8326/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/mentalhealthlab/files/dsc02029.jpg?itok=nzlRJ729) [### Julia Ruiz Pozuelo ](/people/julia-ruiz-pozuelo)Research Fellow OptimizeD Julia Ruiz Pozuelo, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Julia’s research interests lie at the intersection of psychiatry and development economics. Her work focuses on... ![Julia R.P Photo](/sites/g/files/omnuum8326/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/mentalhealthlab/files/foto-julia-ruiz-pozuelo.jpg?itok=57p9wpsb) [### Kathryn O'Neill ](/people/kathryn-oneill)Research Manager, Mental Health for All Lab Katy O’Neill is the Program Manager for two mental health programs at Harvard Medical School: the Mental Health For All Lab and the GlobalMentalHealth@MentalHealthForAllLab Initiative. As Program Manager of the Mental Health For All Lab, Katy oversees... ![Katy O'Neill](/sites/g/files/omnuum8326/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/mentalhealthlab/files/me.jpg?itok=Q4u043GU) [### Keshini Saggar ](/people/keshini-saggar)Research Assistant, EMPOWER Keshini Saggar is a graduate of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health's Master of Public Health program, specializing in Health and Social Behavior. Hailing from India, Keshini has a diverse background as a trained Dental Surgeon complemented by... ![Keshini Saggar](/sites/g/files/omnuum8326/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/mentalhealthlab/files/keshini_saggar-93.jpg?itok=Zb4L6Q4M) [### Mercedes Aguerrebere ](/people/mercedes-aguerrebere)Research Associate Dr. Mercedes Aguerrebere is a psychiatrist and graduate of Harvard Medical School’s Master of Medical Sciences in Global Health Delivery, where she studied as a Fulbright Scholar. She has more than a decade of experience in global health and mental health... ![Mercedes Aguerrebere Gomez Urquiza](/sites/g/files/omnuum8326/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-10/Captura%20de%20pantalla%202025-09-03%20142712.png?itok=9ctElAMG) [### Nida Zahid ](/people/nida-zahid)Research Fellow Dr. Nida Zahid is a postdoctoral research fellow who holds an MBBS, a Master’s in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and a PhD in Medical Sciences from Uppsala University, Sweden. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health. Dr. Zahid serves... ![Picture of a south asian woman](/sites/g/files/omnuum8326/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-11/Nida%20pic%20%281%29.jpg?h=72520df2&itok=RIgPN7Nu) [### Yashika Parashar ](/people/yashika-parashar)Research Assistant Yashika Parashar, MBBS MMSc, is a Research Assistant in the Harvard Medical School Department of Global Health and Social Medicine. Yashika is interested in further pursuing clinical research on safety and efficacy trials. With her background in oncology... ![A woman ](/sites/g/files/omnuum8326/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-04/parashar-yashika.jpg?itok=gnycgic6) ## Affiliate Lab Members [### Anushka Patel ](/people/anushka-patel-phd)Assistant Professor at MGH Dr. Anushka R. Patel is a trauma-focused clinical psychologist. She has completed three years of postdoctoral training in global mental health with a research emphasis (at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health) and a policy focus (at the WHO). She is... ![Anushka's photo2](/sites/g/files/omnuum8326/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/mentalhealthlab/files/anushkapatelheadshot.png?itok=ZH5e1AkL) [### Daiane Machado ](/people/daiane-machado)Research Fellow, Harvard Medical School Research Associate, Center for Data and Knowledge Integration for Health Daiane Borges Machado PhD (in Epidemiology and Population Health from LSHTM in the UK) is a research fellow at Harvard Medical School and a research associate at the Center for Data and Knowledge Integration for Health – CIDACS... ![machado](/sites/g/files/omnuum8326/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/mentalhealthlab/files/machado_daiane02_0_0.jpg?itok=crzb5j4A) [### Flávia Alves ](/people/flavia-alves)Research Fellow Flávia Jôse Oliveira Alves, PhD (in Epidemiology and Public Health from Collective Health Institute of the Federal University of Bahia, Brazil) is a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School and the Center for Data and Knowledge Integration for Health... ![A woman's picture](/sites/g/files/omnuum8326/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-04/Flavia%20Alves.jpeg?itok=5XDmEoui) [### Giuseppe James Raviola ](/people/giuseppe-james-raviola)Director of Program in Global Mental Health and Social Change at Harvard Medical School Director of Mental Health for Partners In Health Assistant Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School Giuseppe Raviola, MD MPH, is Director of the Program in Global Mental Health and Social Change (PGMHSC) at Harvard Medical School, Associate Director of the Chester M. Pierce, MD Division of Global Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and... ![Dr. Giuseppe Raviola](/sites/g/files/omnuum8326/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/mentalhealthlab/files/giuseppe_raviola_md_mph_dfapa.jpeg?itok=9XQV0aVp) [### Gloria Pedersen ](/people/gloria-pedersen)Director, MHPSS, Implementation Strategy Research & Partnership Director, MHPSS Implementation Strategy, Partners in Health Gloria A. Pedersen, DrPH, MSc is dedicated to using collaborative efforts for identifying, implementing, and testing methods for strengthening the quality and safety of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) delivery within task-sharing and pre... ![Gloria Pedersen](/sites/g/files/omnuum8326/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/mentalhealthlab/files/gloria_pederson.jpeg?itok=Z7zWw_NU) [### Konstanze Schoeps ](/people/konstanze-schoeps)Visiting Associate Professor Dr. Schoeps was recently awarded a Real Colegio Complutense at Harvard (RCCH) fellowship for a two-month research stay (May–June) at the MHFAL at Harvard Medical School. Her research focuses on social and emotional learning (SEL), particularly the... ![A woman wearing a blue top](/sites/g/files/omnuum8326/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2026-05/Dr.%20Konstanze%20Schoeps.jpeg?itok=RXyFe-ed) [### Mary Bitta ](/people/mary-bitta)Research Fellow Mary Bitta is an early career postdoctoral researcher in global mental health, currently based at the KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Program in Kilifi, Kenya. She obtained her doctoral degree from the University of Oxford, UK, where she examined the... ![Mary Bitta](/sites/g/files/omnuum8326/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/mentalhealthlab/files/mary_bitta.jpg?itok=qBLjDKz6) [### Moses Kachama Nyongesa ](/people/moses-kachama-nyongesa)Research Fellow Moses Kachama Nyongesa, BSc Nursing, MSc, PhD, is a Senior Project Manager with the Aga Khan University Institute for Human Development in Nairobi, Kenya, where he manages the research hub for UZIMA-DS ( Utili Ze health Information for Meaningful impact... ![moses_kachama_nyongese](/sites/g/files/omnuum8326/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/mentalhealthlab/files/moses_kachama_nyongese.jpeg?itok=MM2NkaQ6) [### Nadia Borja ](/people/nadia-borja)HGHI/SURGH fellow Nadia Borja is a rising senior at Harvard College, double-concentrating in Social Studies and Psychology with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy. She joins the Mental Health for All Lab this summer as an HGHI/SURGH fellow on the EMPOWER... ![A woman in a brown dress](/sites/g/files/omnuum8326/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2026-06/f2e1e3da-397d-4226-ab59-0558cdace423.jpeg?h=e05ba106&itok=nlqrV6-c) [### Sandersan Onie ](/people/sandersan-onie)Research Fellow Dr Sandersan Onie is a research fellow at the Mental Health for All Lab. He is interested in suicide prevention at scale and is currently leading the Indonesian National Suicide Prevention Strategy, which led to a change in Indonesian health legislation... ![sandersan_onie](/sites/g/files/omnuum8326/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/mentalhealthlab/files/sandersan_onie.jpg?itok=NZ10YRpI) [### Shekhar Saxena ](/people/shekhar-saxena)Professor of the Practice of Global Mental Health at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health Shekhar Saxena is Professor of the Practice of Global Mental Health at the Department of Global Health and Population at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. A psychiatrist by training, he was in the faculty of AIIMS, New Delhi before he joined... ![Shekhar Saxena](/sites/g/files/omnuum8326/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/mentalhealthlab/files/shekhar_2.jpg?itok=AllJNAvj) [### Shireen Bhamani ](/people/shireen-bhamani)Research Fellow Dr. Bhamani is a nurse scientist with expertise in epidemiology and biostatistics. With over 17 years of experience, she has facilitated a wide range of courses including public health, mental health, epidemiology, biostatistics and research, to both... ![Shireen Bhamani](/sites/g/files/omnuum8326/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/mentalhealthlab/files/shireen_bhamani.jpg?itok=jdLDCGeC) ## Latest Lab News [### Publication: Breaking the Cycle - How Maternal Adversity Shapes Parenting Among Adolescent Mothers in Brazil ](/news/2026/05/publication-breaking-cycle-how-maternal-adversity-shapes-parenting-among-adolescent) May 12, 2026 This publication explores how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and intimate partner violence (IPV) shape parenting behaviors among adolescent mothers in Brazil. Drawing on data from 237 mothers aged 14-19 in southern Brazil's public primary care... [Anushka Patel](/people/anushka-patel-phd) [### Announcement: Welcoming Visiting Associate Professor Konstanze Schoeps ](/news/2026/04/announcement-welcoming-visiting-associate-professor-konstanze-schoeps) April 11, 2026 We are delighted to welcome Dr. Konstanze Schoeps , Associate Professor at the University of Valencia and licensed General Health Psychologist, to the Mental Health for All Lab (MHFAL) with Dr. Vikram Patel . She was recently awarded a Real Colegio... [ More arrow\_circle\_right ](/news)