Dr. Sarah Valentine is a Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Professor in Psychiatry at Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. Valentine’s program of research focuses on the adaptation and implementation of evidence-based treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in safety net hospital and community-based settings. She specializes in the use of community engagement to adapt and promote the sustainability of interventions in settings where marginalized groups receive their care.

Nuha Alshabani is a Clinical Psychologist who specializes in culturally responsive and trauma-focused research, treatments, and assessments. She completed her PhD in Counseling Psychology from The University of Akron (2022) and her predoctoral internship in Health Service Psychology at Denver Health Medical Center (2021-2022). Dr. Alshabani completed the Trauma in Context Fellowship at Boston Medical Center (2022-2023).

Dr. Sherifat Ademola is a Resident Psychiatrist (PGY-4) at Boston Medical Center. She studied psychology at the University of North Carolina and completed her graduate and medical training at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. She is passionate about global psychiatry and various psychotherapy modalities such as DBT, CPT and CBT. She also has interests in trauma-informed care, with a particular focus on how systemic and sociopolitical injustices impact mental health in marginalized communities. Lastly, Dr. Ademola hopes to focus her career on psychoeducation and community empowerment.

Nandini Agarwal is a Research Data Analyst in the Department of Psychiatry at Boston Medical Center. She is public health professional specializing in biostatistics and epidemiology with a focus in mental health and substance use research. She has experience in program design, planning, monitoring in evaluation in India and the United States, primarily providing mental health services for marginalized and underserved communities. As a data analyst at the Department of Psychiatry she assists in program evaluation, mixed method research and data management for ongoing projects/programs. When not working, she loves to read fiction, play basketball and pet dogs!

Molly Becker was an advanced practicum student for the RESTORE Center. She has several years of clinical experience working with patients experiencing anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and chronic health conditions. At Suffolk University, where she attended the Clinical Psychology doctoral program, she researched reproductive trauma in marginalized women. She enjoys reading, drawing, and playing the piano in her free time.

Deanna Biddy is a Community Health Worker for the RESTORE Center and the Treatment for Antepartum PTSD Study (TAPS). She has a background in health coaching, health education, promotion, and as a birth doula. She uses these experiences to provide culturally informed, trauma-focused skills coaching, outreach, education, and resources to care for patients at RESTORE. She is committed to patients receiving equitable care. In her free time, she sings in Convivium Musicum, a choir for Renaissance music, and sings professionally at Trinity Parish of Newton Centre.

Gerson Borrero is a doctoral psychology practicum trainee at the RESTORE Center. He is passionate about providing culturally responsive treatment for folks who carry minoritized identities (particularly racial and ethnic identities, as well as minoritized sexual orientations and gender identities) who also present with trauma and mood (anxiety, depression) concerns.

McKenna Chandler was a Program & Research Assistant Co-op at the RESTORE Center, where she aided in the program’s research initiatives, that target populations rooted in oppression, discrimination, and stress. Her responsibilities included patient outreach, admin duties, data management, and other research-based tasks. McKenna was a second-year student at Northeastern University, pursuing a BS in Psychology. She is strongly interested in improving healthcare efficiency and studying the social determinants of health.

April Chang is a Research Assistant Co-op at the RESTORE Center, where she primarily focuses on supporting research efforts and contributing to studies centered on improving the quality and delivery of PTSD treatment for marginalized communities. Her responsibilities include patient outreach, data collection, data management, and various other research and clinical administration tasks. April is a fourth-year student at Northeastern University, pursuing a BS in Psychology. She has experience with trauma-informed care in children's residential settings and is passionate about improving mental health awareness and breaking down stigma in families, especially in marginalized communities.

Nicole Ciccone, LICSW, is the Project Director for Boston Service for Trauma and Resources for families (Boston STAR) and is a Clinical Social Worker providing outpatient therapy services at Boston Medical Center. Nicole has a background in crisis and trauma-focused therapy interventions and has worked in the communities of Boston proper. Nicole graduated with her Masters in Social Work in 2014 from Boston University. Nicole has been dedicated to providing evidence-based and culturally competent services to individuals and their families.

Grace Crossley worked as a Research Assistant Co-op for the RESTORE Center, where she worked on the Oppression-Based Stress Lab, supporting the health equity pilot and the Reconnect group. She was involved with the Immigrant and Refugee Health Center, focused on improving healthcare access and equity for underserved populations. Passionate about integrating mental health with patient care, she is pursuing a Bachelor's in Spanish and International Affairs on the pre-med track at Northeastern University. She is dedicated to advancing health equity through culturally competent care and measurement-based initiatives that enhance well-being in marginalized communities.

Aalihya Del Real was a Program & Research Assistant Co-op at the RESTORE Center, where she aided in the treatment of PTSD rooted in oppression, discrimination, and stress. Aalihya was a second-year student at Northeastern University, pursuing a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice and Psychology. She is passionate about addressing health disparities and achieving social justice in her community.

Bevin Edwards is a Licensed Social Worker and MPH research intern in the Adult Outpatient Psychiatry department at Boston Medical Center. Bevin has a background in Intensive Foster-Care and Adoption where she supported children with PTSD and their foster families. Bevin recently joined the RESTORE data management team as part of her practicum where she focuses on data management and analysis of measurement-based care data. Bevin is passionate about increasing access to care in disadvantaged communities and is eager to support research initiatives that impact the delivery of evidenced-based interventions for PTSD in routine care.

Maria Fantozzi is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Outpatient Behavioral Health Clinician for the Restore RESTORE Center and the Boston Services for Trauma and Resources for Families (STAR). She is a graduate of Boston College School of Social Work's Latinx Leadership Initiative.

Sydney Fitzgerald is currently pursuing an MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Boston University. With a degree in Public Health from Florida State University, Sydney has a strong foundation in research methodologies and is well-equipped with social determinants of health knowledge. Sydney is passionate about health equity and assisting underserved communities.

Maya Garg was a Research and Program Assistant for the Boston STAR program as a part of her Clinical Psychology Capstone Internship at Tufts University. She supported the clinical evaluation efforts for the Boston STAR program by assisting with patient outreach, communicating with clinicians, data management, and other research tasks. Maya was a senior, who pursued a BS in Clinical Psychology with a minor in Child Study & Human Development. She continues to be passionate about developing accessible mental health interventions for communities of color.

Joselyn Gil is the Clinical Coordinator for the RESTORE Center, focusing on providing resources to patients, data management, clinical operations, and serving as a liaison between patients and staff. She graduated from Northeastern University with a BS in Mathematics and Psychology with an interest in working with marginalized groups to improve their access to treatments. Joselyn has a background working in trauma-related settings and is dedicated to assisting patients receive the care they need. In her free time, Joselyn likes to sing, dance, and cook!

Lillian Gomes is a Cultural Broker and Community Health Worker for Boston STAR and the Treatment for Antepartum PTSD Study (TAPS). As a first-generation Cape Verdean American, Lillian’s background is rooted in her culture, communications, theatrical arts, social-emotional learning and youth engagement. These experiences have equipped her with the skills to provide equitable, culturally appropriate, trauma-based care and resources when supporting patients enrolled in Boston STAR. When Lillian is not at BMC, she is still in communication with her community as she continuously explores her home state of Massachusetts and beyond - or you can find her spending time with her massive family.

Anisah Hashmi is a 4th-year Psychiatry Resident at Boston Medical Center. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies, with a focus on Islamic Feminisms and a minor in French and Arabic. She briefly worked as a freelance journalist through positions at NPR and Altmuslimah.com. However, Hashmi has devoted much of her time to social justice work, with a 5-year background in union and community organizing through past positions at the League of Women Voters, UAW, SEIU, Arab American Family Association, and the Michigan Coalition for Human Rights. She has learned through her combined experiences that comprehensive mental health care must confront socioeconomic determinants of health. In her free time, she is completing a fellowship in psychoanalysis and representing her co-residents as a delegate for Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR-SEIU), a national labor union for resident physicians.

Iman Ibrahim was a Research Assistant Co-op for the RESTORE Center, where she focused on the Oppression Based Stress Service Line, working on Reconnect, a Black mental health program, and the health equity pilot program. Her work was dedicated to improving healthcare outcomes for marginalized groups. She is enthusiastic about using data to advance public health initiatives and improve care for underserved populations. Iman was a third-year student at Northeastern University, pursuing a Bachelor's in Public Health with a minor in Data Science. She remains passionate about addressing health disparities and contributing to the overall wellbeing of her community.

Ashley Jackson, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker, Outpatient Behavioral Health Clinician and Boston STAR Trauma Specialist for Boston STAR and the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department at Boston Medical Center. She received her MSW with a focus on Mental Health from the University of Washington School of Social Work in Seattle, WA. Ashley has a background working with youth and families and is dedicated to challenging the stigma and misinformation of mental health in communities of color. She is passionate about providing culturally responsive and trauma informed care.

Anna Kancharla was one of the Outpatient Behavioral Health Clinicians working within the RESTORE Center. She has specialized in helping patients struggling with PTSD and C-PTSD to target trauma specific goals in their recovery. Anna is clinically trained in multiple evidence-based approaches and is board certified in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. She graduated from Boston College with a Master's of Social Work in 2022 and Harding School of Theology with a Master's of Divinity in 2014. When she is not working, Anna enjoys spending leisure time with her family and miniature dachshund, Rosie.

Liza A. Katz, LICSW is an outpatient behavioral health clinician at Boston Medical Center in the Department of Psychiatry where she also serves as a supervisor to MHC and MSW interns. Liza is a psychodynamically trained, relational, and somatically oriented clinical social worker specializing in trauma informed therapy with children, adolescents, and adults. Liza completed her clinical training at Smith College School for Social Work and has practiced primarily in community-based settings in both rural and urban clinics.

Sophia Kozlowsky is a Practicum Student Clinician at the RESTORE Center and a third-year Clinical Psychology PhD student at Suffolk University. Sophia is dedicated to providing high quality, evidence-based trauma-focused therapy to her adolescent and adult clients. Her research interests center around PTSD, Posttraumatic Growth, the long-term outcomes and growth of adults who experienced childhood trauma, and how Oppression- and discrimination-based stress interact with growth and adaptation.

Zoe Lee is a Volunteer for the RESTORE Center. She formerly was a Program & Research Assistant Co-op who supported PTSD research and treatment among populations with experiences rooted in oppression, discrimination, and stress. Zoe is a third-year at Northeastern University working towards a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.  Zoe is passionate about the mitigation of mental health disparities in low-income communities PTSD research and treatment.

Maura Lester is a bilingual (English/Spanish) therapist for the RESTORE Center. She received her Master's in Social Work from Boston College through the Latinx Leadership Initiative and is originally from Nicaragua.

Dr. Brett Lewis is a 5th-year Resident Physician in both Family Medicine and Psychiatry at Boston Medical Center. Her interest in family medicine and psychiatry came through her work in indigenous and other historically marginalized communities that have been disproportionately affected by personal, structural, and historical trauma. Through combined training, she aims to help dismantle some of the barriers communities face to primary and psychiatric care and reimagine what healing can look like for individual patients and communities. She is particularly interested in treatment of ongoing stress and trauma faced by communities experiencing violence and oppression.

Aisha Lott was a Family Medicine-Psychiatry Resident at Boston Medical Center. She completed her undergraduate degree at University of California, Davis in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. She attended Georgetown University School of Medicine and also completed a master’s degree in Systems Medicine. She continued to explore her interests in fighting health inequities doing medical evaluations with asylum-seeking populations alongside Physicians for Human Rights as well as giving health talks to incarcerated populations. These experiences taught her to advocate for patients. In her spare time, she enjoys soccer, yoga, running, reading, and cooking.

Jessica McCaffery, LICSW, is an Adult Outpatient Therapist for the RESTORE Center. Jessica has experience working with populations including young adults, older adults, people experiencing homelessness, survivors of domestic violence, adults with cognitive disabilities, and families who have lost loved ones to community violence. Jessica's goal is to provide a space for patients to feel safe and heard, by practicing therapy through a trauma-informed lens.

Mako Niwa is a Research & Program Assistant Co-op at Boston STAR, where she supports evidence-based trauma treatment for children and adolescents expressing trauma-related symptomology. Mako is a third-year at Northeastern University pursuing a Bachelor's in Psychology. Drawing from her cross-cultural experiences across Japan, Thailand, China, the United States, and England, she is passionate about interdisciplinary and culturally sensitive approaches to psychological practice and research.

Sushmita Oruganti is a Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow at the Immigrant and Refugee Health Center and the RESTORE Center. Sushmita employs a psychodynamic and relational lens in clinical work. She also currently provides group therapy in addressing oppression-based and chronic traumatic stress. Her prior experience conducting neuropsychological assessments, providing therapy to adolescents and adults, and developing mental health programs for diverse, multicultural settings—including medical centers, peer groups, employee assistance programs, and assisted living facilities—has shaped her research interests. Outside of her clinical and research interests, she enjoys photography and immersing herself in artistic hobbies and activities.

Jean-Louise Reichman (Jean) is the Research Program Coordinator in the Department of Psychiatry at Boston Medical Center and serves as a Project Evaluator for the Boston STAR program. They specialize in research administration including overseeing study regulatory compliance, managing personnel, and providing IRB and grant support. With a background in community mental health, Jean transitioned to working in research during the Covid-19 pandemic, contributing to a project evaluating interventions to prevent the spread of the virus in group homes for individuals with serious mental illness. Outside of work, Jean enjoys cooking, crafting, playing video games, and spoiling their two cats.

Amanda Rodrigues was an Adult Outpatient Clinician for the RESTORE Center. Amanda cares about addressing the significant impacts trauma can have on a person's physical, mental, social and spiritual health. She is dedicated to identifying the impacts of trauma for each individual and collaborating with patients to choose a treatment plan that best suits their needs. She has had the fortunate privilege of working with people of many diverse experiences and identities, and deeply cares about exploring the additional impact of intersectional identities and oppression. Having dedicated a lot of time to her own healing journey, Amanda recognizes the courage required to share and explore painful experiences with a stranger.

Kalo Sokoto is a Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow for the RESTORE Center and provides both trauma-focused clinical and research services. She did her predoctoral psychology training at Boston University's Center for Multicultural Psychology. As an intersectional psychologist from Kenya, Kalo is familiar with the collective psycho-socio-cultural impact of imperialism and is an advocate for decolonizing psychology primarily through institutionalizing liberatory principles in psychology training, research, and clinical practice. Kalo co-authored a manuscript on decolonized psychology training at CMTP to be published in the American Psychologist.

Lawrence Stevenson has worked in trauma response, racial equity, and violence prevention for the last decade. He holds a BS in Psychology and Public Services from the Commonwealth Honors College at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is a Doctoral candidate in Counseling Psychology at the Boston College Lynch School of Education. He is a Graduate Research Assistant at the Institute for the Study of Race and Culture and the RESIST lab. His research interests lay at the intersection of racial trauma and community violence.

Allison Tarbotton is a Research Assistant Co-op at the RESTORE Center, where she primarily supports the Oppression-Based Stress Lab’s health equity pilots and Reconnect group. She brings experience in women’s and maternal health, as well as in community and primary care settings serving underserved populations. Allison is passionate about advancing health equity by addressing the structural and cultural forces that perpetuate health disparities. She is currently a fourth-year student pursuing a BA in Public Health and Master of Public Health (MPH).

Elle J. Walters was a Program Assistant Co-op at the RESTORE Center, where she primarily focused on supporting research efforts, contributing to studies, and advancing the lab's work in PTSD and measurement-based care. Her responsibilities included patient outreach, data collection, data management, and various other research tasks. Elle was a third-year student at Northeastern University, pursuing a BS in Psychology and Criminal Justice. She has a particular interest in victim support and mental health education, especially within marginalized communities and among young adult populations.

Cooper Ward was a Research Assistant Co-op for the Boston STAR Program, where he focused on supporting research for trauma-informed care of children and adolescents. His responsibilities included data collection and analysis of the program, patient outreach, and the assistance with the coordination of clinical assessments. Cooper was a second-year student at Northeastern University, pursuing a BS in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice. He has a strong interest in forensic psychology, substance use/addiction, and eating disorders, as well as an interest in pursuing work that provides oppression-informed care for the LGBTQ+ community.

Chevaughn Wellington completed her Psychiatry Residency at Boston Medical Center where she provided clinical care through the RESTORE Center. She is a first-generation physician of Jamaican descent. She hopes to become an expert in trauma care with the goal of facilitating healing for communities of color. She loves Black sitcoms, the arts, the beach, and tropical fruits!