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Department of Mental Health

Master of Health Science (MHS) Students in Mental Health

Huda Alraddadi

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: Preventive Medicine residency program; 2020. Bachelor of medicine and Bachelor of surgery; 2014 Medical College, Taibah University. Faculty, Family and Community Medicine Department, Medical College; Taibah University.

                                                                           

Adviser: Jeanine Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: My research interests are currently focused on mental health, obesity, and physical activity. And I would like to study the relationships between these factors. 

Email: huda.s.alraddadi@gmail.com

 

 

Sindhoor Ambati

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: BA, Psychology; 2020; North Carolina State University.

BA, English; 2020; North Carolina State University. 

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: Suicide and substance abuse prevention with a focus on adolescent populations. My thesis project is a literature review looking at current suicide prevention programs within high schools and evaluating their efficacy. 

Email: Sambati1@jh.edu 

 

 

 

 

 

Zoya-maria Aoun

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: BA, Psychology, American University of Beirut; 2022.

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: My research interests center around the quality of delivery of mental health care within low-income communities, anxiety and eating disorders. Also interested in understanding the role psychological first aid interventions play in preventing post-traumatic stress disorders. 

Email: zaoun1@jh.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

Manya Balanchander

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: University of California, Santa Cruz, Intensive Psychology, BA, Community Studies, BA 2021.

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic), Nick Cuneo, MD (thesis)

Research Interests: My background in mental health and refugee resettlement informs my research interests in improving psychosocial support for these populations to be more trauma-informed throughout their displacement and resettlement processes. I am working with Dr. Cuneo on multiple projects working on improving the mental and physical health outcomes of asylum seekers and survivors of trafficking. 

Email: mbalach2@jh.edu

 

Robin Baumeister

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: MS, Biomedical Anthropology, 2020; Binghamton University  
BS, Biological Anthropology & BA, Music; Binghamton University; 2019.

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic), Calliope Holingue, MPH, PhD (thesis), Luther Kalb, PhD (thesis) 

Research Interests: The intersection of autism and/or ADHD and physical health outcomes in adults—including the examination of the roles of comorbid stress, trauma, and mood disorders—with the ultimate goal of symptom and pain management/recognition, improved access to resources, and increased health and quality of life for neurodivergent individuals. 

Email: rbaumei1@jh.edu

 

 

 

 

 

Judy Chen

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degrees:  BA, Nursing; 2021; Mackay Medical College

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: My research interests are issues associated with mental health in adolescents, especially depression, anxiety, and suicide. 

Email: pchen87@jh.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ruohan Chen

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: BS, Managerial Economics; BA, Psychology; Minor in Public health; University of California, Davis; 2023 

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: My research interest is currently focused on the impact of digital age on mental health among aging people. 

Email: rchen103@jh.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sarah Cole

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: BA in Psychology with a Neuroscience minor from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; 2020 

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: My main research interest is in suicide prevention, specifically in adolescent populations and marginalized communities. In addition, I am interested in the implementation of and addressing barriers to community-based suicide prevention programs such as school-based mental health awareness programs.

Email: scole46@jh.edu

 

 

 

 

Latisha Fernandez

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degrees: Bachelor of Science in Psychology, concentration in UX Research and Design, 2023, Oregon State University.

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic), Kathleen Bogart, PhD (Oregon State University).

Research Interests:  I am interested in researching moral injury, predictive processing, and the constructive theory of emotions as it relates to how people who have dementia or cognitive impairment cope, as well as the care medical providers and supporting staff provide.  I am also interested in improving the quality of healthcare and end of life care for people that have disabilities and their families.

Email: Lferna26@jh.edu 

 

 

 

 

Dustin Frank

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degrees: Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Criminal Justice from Creighton University; 2022. Associates of Applied Science in Comprehensive Sound Arts from Expression Center for New Media; 2022. 

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: Medication-assisted opiate treatment (suboxone, naltrexone) in post-conviction supervision: efficacy and utilization. Methamphetamine use disorder, neurotoxicity, and criminogenic risk factors: impulsivity, compulsivity, and inhibition reduction as well as interest in peer support, healthcare management, and corrections.

Email: dmf50077@creighton.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grayce Gatza

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: AA, Psychology; 2019; Waubonsee Community College. BA, Psychology (concentration in Forensic Psychology); 2021; Arizona State University. 

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: The cross-cultural prevention of domestic and sexual violence. Specifically, evaluating the prevalence of mood disorders, as well as trauma-and stressor-related disorders among survivor populations as it relates to treatment accessibility.

Email: ggatza1@jh.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elyse Gutekanst

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degrees: B.A. English, Minor in French, The George Washington University; 2010.

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: I am interested in studying the impacts of incorporating social emotional learning in school curricula and the use of trauma-informed interventions and accessible mental healthcare in schools to improve educational outcomes.

Email: egutekant1@jhu.edu

 

 

 

 

Zoena Howland

Year entered: 2023

Previous Degrees: BA, Culture and Communication (concentration in Inequity and Public Policy) and BA, Sociology; Ithaca College; 2019.

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: My research interests center around the efficacy of school, community, and workplace-based mental health interventions, specifically around suicide prevention and reducing barriers to help-seeking.  

Email: zhowlan1@jh.edu 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jessica Jung

Year entered: 2022

Previous Degrees: BA Public Health Studies and Natural Sciences, Johns Hopkins University; 2023.

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: Child and adolescent neurodevelopmental disorders. 

Email: yjung15@jhu.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fariha kazi

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degrees: BS, Anthropology and Human Biology, Emory University; 2020.

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: I am interested in psychosis, dopamine pathways in the brain, the impact of chronic stress on metabolic, psychotic, and substance use disorders, culturally competent community-based trauma informed care, and destigmatizing access to mental health treatment.

Email: fkazi1@jhu.edu

 

 

 

 

 

Bom Kim

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree:  BA, Public Health; 2023; Johns Hopkins University.  BA, Psychology; 2023; Johns Hopkins University.  

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: I am interested in exploring psychiatric disorders among hospitalized patients. Specifically, my current research interests are sleep disturbance, anxiety, and depression after hospitalization.

Email: bkim87@jh.edu

 

 

Wilson  Lam

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: BS, Kinesiology (minor: Health Promotion); 2016; George Mason University.

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: Mental health services and policy, health equity, psychiatric epidemiology, data harmonization, substance use disorder, suicide and depression, Medicaid, claims data, health informatics.

Email: wlam17@jhu.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

rachel Lebovic

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: BS, Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology, Emory University, 2023.

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: Adolescent mental health. Specifically, suicide prevention and crisis intervention in emerging adults (ages 18-25) as well as addressing barriers and inequities this population faces in receiving mental health care.

Email: rlebovi2@jh.edu

 

 

 

 

 

Jenna Ledbetter

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: BA, Psychology and Minor in Biology; 2022; Pitzer College. 

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: Analysis of existing public mental health programs and policies and development of new evidence-based programs utilizing biostatistics as an evaluation tool.

Email: jledbet3@jhu.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

sophie Lee

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: BA, Psychology, Johns Hopkins University; 2022.

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: Substance use disorder and providing global mental care services.

Email: sophie9936@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jiayu Liu

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: BA, Psychology; 2022; University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: Psychotherapeutic approach to borderline personality disorder. 

Email: jliu355@jh.edu

 

 

 

 

Lorraine Luo

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: BA, Psychology & Data Science minor; 2023; University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: I’m interested in substance use effects and public health approaches for addressing substance use disorder. I’m also interested in investigating psychological ways to prevent substance abuse.  

Email: lorraine0716@outlook.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maureen Matey

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degrees: 

BS, Biological Sciences (Cum Laude); Minor, Psychology; Certificate, Spanish Language; 2022; University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). AS, Biological Sciences; 2020; Montgomery College. BS, Biological Sciences (Cum Laude). Minor, Psychology; Certificate, Spanish Language; 2022; University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). AS, Biological Sciences; 2020; Montgomery College.

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: My research interests include the impacts of culture on the perceived stigma of mental illness, with an emphasis on various eating disorders as well as the influence of gender and sexuality on the prevalence of developmental and mental disorders and perceived differences in symptom presentation. 

Email: maureenmat127@gmail.com 

 

 

Kathleen McEvoy

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degrees: BS, Psychology 2019; Virginia Commonwealth University. BS, Health Science 2019; Virginia Commonwealth University.

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: My research interests revolve around women’s health, with a focus on child and maternal health. Additional interests of mine include research in mental health disorders and prevention (with a focus on substance use disorder), psychiatric epidemiology, and infectious disease.  

Email: kmcevoy7@jh.edu 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mary Meng

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degrees: BA, Psychology and Human Resource Management, Rutgers University; 2023.

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD   

Research Interests: I'm really interested in depression, anxiety and suicide in those with mental health issues.

Email: N/A

 

 

 

 

 

Kara Milliken

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: BA, Behavioral Biology and French; 2023; Johns Hopkins University.

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: Maternal mental health, as well as the impact of maternal mental illness on fetal and childhood development.

Email: kmillik1@jhu.edu 

 

 

 

Keoni Morris

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: BA, Criminology & Psychology, Florida State University; 2018. 

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research interests: Interested in the efficacy of mental health evaluations and treatment methods in under-resourced communities (e.g. persons involved in the criminal justice system).

Email: jmorr129@jh.edu

 

 

 

Abby Pollock

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: BA, Psychology, University of Maryland Baltimore County; 2019.

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research interests: My interests include mental health services and systems, health disparities, community health, and program implementation and evaluation. 

Email: apolloc8@jhu.edu

 

 

 

Ramzi Qannati

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: B.Sc., Mechanical Engineering (Hons), University of Bahrain; 2002 MBA, London Business School; 2020.

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: ‘Mens sana in corpore sano’ is Latin for a healthy mind in a health body. My research interest is about the understanding of issues affecting perinatal mental health, specifically the social and behavioral determinants to enable the development of methods to address those challenges specifically in low-income societies, low-resource communities, high stigma cultures, and fragmented healthcare ecosystems by leveraging technology such as mobile apps, virtual therapy, wearables, and Artificial Intelligence. 

Email: rqannat1@jh.edu 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

lana sabbah

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degrees: BA, Psychology & Biology minor, Smith College; 2023.

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: I am interested in investigating the correlation between war-based PTSD and cognitive function among youths in conflict zones.

Email: lanasabbah5@gmail.com 

 

 

 

Lena Schulhofer

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: BA, Psychology; BA, History; 2018; University of Virginia. MA, International Humanitarian Action; 2021; Rijksuniversiteit Groningen and University College Dublin (joint degree) 

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests:  My primary research interests include the intersection between mental health, stigma, violence prevention and transitional justice as well as the implementation and evaluation of effective and sustainable approaches to promote mental health and psychosocial well-being in humanitarian and post-conflict settings.  

Email: lschulh1@jh.edu 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Susan SeungEun shin

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: BA, Public Health Studies; Johns Hopkins University; 2023. 

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests:  Preventive interventions for mental disorders. Child and adolescent health and development.

Email: sshin43@jh.edu

 

 

 

bianca skelton

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: BA, Public Health, Johns Hopkins University; 2023.

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests:  Violence and suicide among youth and the overall impact of urban living on mental health. I am open and hoping to develop new interests during my time at the Bloomberg School of Public Health.   

Email: bskelto1@jh.edu

 

 

 

Ashley Smith

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: BA, Psychology and Early Childhood Education; Pine Manor College; 2021. MA, Clinical Psychology; Teachers College, Columbia University; 2023.

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests:  My research interests lie in the field of global mental health and include mental health in emergency settings, gender-based violence, trauma relating to displacement, holistic approaches to care delivery, and mental health care access and quality in low- and middle-income countries.

Email: Asmit428@jh.edu 

 

 

emma somers

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: BA, Cognitive Science, Johns Hopkins University; 2023.

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: ​​​​​Post-traumatic stress disorder presentations, causes, and treatments, as well as gender-based differences in all three of these aspects of PTSD. I am also interested in the impact of sexual trauma on youth and family dynamic on adolescents but am hoping to expose myself to new areas of mental health research through my coursework.    

Email: esomers3@jh.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

fiona sweeney

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: BA, Public Health Studies, Johns Hopkins University; 2023. 

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: My research interest is the intersection of disability and mental health psychopathology and treatment. My thesis is a qualitative analysis of the relationship between physical disabilities and body image/eating disorders.

Email: fsweene4@jhu.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LAuren Thompson

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: BS, Biology & Psychology, Virginia Tech; 2011. 

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: My thesis is analyzing maternal mental health & wellbeing in relation to infant feeding in the postpartum period, and access to lactation services in Psychiatric care.

Email: lthomp73@jh.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stuti Trivedi

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery; 2022; S.B.K.S Medical Institute and Research Centre.

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: I am interested in preadolescent and adolescent mental health, its social determinants and how it impacts an individual later in life.

Email: strive13@jh.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mauryah Turner

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: BS, Psychology; Howard University; 2023.

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: My research interest is women maternal health which will focus on the mental health challenge of postpartum depression. 

Email: mturne65@jh.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

annelise ware

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: BS, Psychology, Texas A&M University; 2023.

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: Methods of enacting systemic change to best promote child welfare in youth-serving organizations, particularly aesthetic sports. 

Email: aware9@jh.edu 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ariadni xydia

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: Neuroscience major at Johns Hopkins University; 2022. Minors in Psychology and Mathematics.  

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: I think I will continue my research on Alzheimer’s Disease. I will be conducting research using human induced Pluripotent Stem Cells that I will be culturing with the goal of differentiating them into neurons. My ultimate goal will be to study the mechanism of Alzheimer’s Disease in vitro and also study the prevalence of the disease in the Baltimore population. I also want to study the mental health of the people with Alzheimer’s and of their caretakers and the effect psychedelics might have on the treatment of the disease.   

Email: ariadnixidia@gmail.com 

 

 

maggie yang

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: BA, Public Health, Johns Hopkins University; 2022.

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: Mental health interventions: Effect of buprenorphine treatments on people with opioid use disorders. 

Email: myang66@jh.edu

 

 

yue yin

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: BE, Geological Engineering, China University of Geosciences; 2023.

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic); Holly C. Wilcox, PhD (thesis)

Research Interests: Suicide prevention, music therapy, mood disorders, personality disorders.  

Email: yyin40@jh.edu; qyfyyinyue@163.com

 

 

 

weiyang zheng

Year Entered: 2023

Previous Degree: BA, psychology, University of Minnesota, twin cities; 2021. BS, Economics, University of Minnesota, twin cities; 2021.

Adviser: Jeanine M. Parisi, PhD (academic)

Research Interests: I am interested in workplace mental health issues, and emotion regulation control addressing to suicide prevention.

Email: wzheng34@jh.edu