Education
PhD, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2004
MPH, Columbia University School of Public Health, 1998
MIA, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs, 1998
Overview
My areas of expertise include designing and evaluating methods for assessing mental health across populations and contexts and investigating the effectiveness and implementation of innovative prevention and intervention strategies in collaboration with in-country service providers. I have been involved in trials of task-sharing mental health interventions in LMIC settings since 2001, leading trials with trauma-affected populations in Indonesia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda and collaborating on trials in Uganda, South Africa, Zambia, Iraq, Myanmar, and Colombia and Ukraine. The guiding principle of my research activities is enhance our understanding of what programs and interventions are most useful for which populations, and under what conditions are these interventions and programs most accessible.
My current research includes research of implementation strategies to improve mental health service uptake in Ukraine and DRC, development and rigorous evaluation of measures for assessing program implementation, use of innovative methods to identify risk and protective factors for psychosocial and mental health problems, as well as bringing programmatic learnings from LMIC contexts to Baltimore.
I am also deeply committed to training the next generation of global mental health researchers and lead an NIMH T32 funded training program in global mental health with a specific focus on interdisciplinary research and mentoring
Honors and Awards
2021 Advising, Mentoring & Teaching Recognition Award (AMTRA) for Outstanding Service by the Student Association of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
2016 Advising, Mentoring & Teaching Recognition Award (AMTRA) for Outstanding Service by the Student Association of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
2014 Global Health Faculty Advising Award by the Center for Global Health of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
2013 Best Research Presentation at the Sexual Violence Research Institute (SVRI) meeting in Bangkok, Thailand
2013 Golden Apple award for Excellence in Teaching by the Student Association of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
2012 Advising, Mentoring & Teaching Recognition Award (AMTRA) for Outstanding Service by the Student Association of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
2004 Paul V. Lemkau Award for excellence in doctoral research in the Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
2000 National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) Director’s Award for group excellence in customer service for technical assistance to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services following Hurricane Floyd.
2000 National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) Director’s Award for superior mission response in providing rapid assessment of critical health needs following disasters.