Leadership Team
Marie-Christine Nizzi: President
Marie-Christine is a GSAS Alumna. She earned a first Ph.D. in Philosophy from the Sorbonne University (Paris, France), before completing her Ph.D. in Psychology at Harvard University, and her Clinical Internship in Neuropsychology at the Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. At Dartmouth, she currently leads a project aiming to better support the experience of free will in paralyzed patients.
An international and interdisciplinary scientist, Marie-Christine builds on her multicultural experience to inform her research on the self. How do we form our identities in diverse cultural contexts? And how can we build a more resilient sense of self when facing adversity? She was named "2018 Harvard Horizons Scholar" for her work with U.S. Veterans and face-transplant recipients.
As a clinician, Marie-Christine works with expats., with people who have a history of trauma or loss, and with those who simply seek to grow into their best self. Specific areas of expertise include working with parents who have a baby in the NICU and with adults battling a terminal illness. A trained Neuropsychologist, she also has experience conducting neuro-cognitive assessments in both English and French.
Tell her about your favorite cross-cultural experience or which aspects of your identity are most meaningful to you. In Harvard Square, her favorites include L.A. Burdick and Toscano!
Caifang Zhu: Director of Community Services
Caifang was born and brought up in the picturesque countryside of a 1000-year-old water town close to Shanghai in East China. He continued to dream a lot about his hometown many years after he went to Beijing to attend college（Beijing International Studies University） and even years after he went to USA for his advanced studies.
For his MTS at Harvard Divinity School (2001-2004) where he was also a TF at East Asian Studies, he majored in Religions and minored in Psychology. After a one-year clinical internship at St Mary's Medical Center in San Francisco, he went on to get his Ph.D. in East-West Psychology at California University of Integral Studies. Since Harvard, he has been deliberately integrating psychology, especially counseling psychology, and spirituality in the form of meditation and Tai Chi. This effort has resulted in his model called Meditation-Initiated Integrative Therapy (MIIT) which he uses dominantly in his private practice and training at his own organization known as Beijing Counseling and Meditation Center.
An internationally published scholar-practitioner of wellness for decades as he is, Dr. Zhu is confident that he is a perfectly imperfect guy.
Ngozi Okose: Director of Diversity, Culture, and Inclusion
Dr. Ngozi Okose is a psychotherapist, a college professor, a mental health advocate, a mentor, and a community organizer/leader.
Her professional training is interdisciplinary, spanning the broad areas of Education, French, Language Arts, Counseling and Strategic Management. Dr. Okose also has specialized training in trauma and disaster mental health, cognitive therapy, and postdoctoral training in psychological assessments. Dr. Okose obtained her post graduate degrees from the University of Ibadan, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and Harvard University. She also obtained language training at Université de Nice in France.
She started her career as a core faculty member of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, taught undergraduate and post-graduate level courses in counseling, coordinated counseling programs, and provided counseling services to the university community. Dr. Ngozi Okose is currently in private practice in Houston, Texas. A multilingual with 18+ years of clinical experience in the USA, she provides counseling services to people of different life stages across all continents, including crisis counseling to expats, immigrants and refugees. With the belief that one cap does not fit all, she tailors personalized care to her diverse clients.
Dr. Okose mentors budding mental health professionals through supervision and preceptorship. She is a child advocate and a courtroom expert witness on issues of child placement and custody in the State of Texas. Dr. Okose champions mental health enlightenment programs and is a dynamic speaker on issues of mental health to diverse communities including alumni associations, youth groups, and community/social/church organizations. She also has affiliations with many professional organizations; platforms that she uses to present culturally sensitive informative papers and champion discussions on global mental health.
In her pastime she likes to sew, or enjoys activities with husband and children
Embree Thompson: Scientific Director
Embree is a graduate of Harvard College (BA ‘18, Kirkland House) where she studied Molecular and Cellular Biology and Economics. She is currently a medical student at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, and hopes to pursue her passion for women’s health and the promotion of health equity for underserved populations, particularly women of generational African-American descent.
Prior to her medical school studies, Embree worked at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston as a research assistant in a gynecologic oncology quality of life lab, helping women cope with the physical, emotional, and psychological burden of cancer through digital health innovations. As an undergraduate, Embree served as a peer liaison for the Consent Advocates and Relationship Educators (CARE) group.
Talk to Embree about interdisciplinary approaches to health care, how much you miss in-person dance performances due to COVID, dance in general, journaling, your favorite Peloton instructor, book recommendations, or the last independent film you watched.
Charlotte Dowden: Director of Operations
Charlotte is a Harvard FAS alumna where she conducted research for the Nock Lab and additionally helped teach neuroanatomy and behavior for HSS. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 2014 with a Bachelor's of Science in Psychology. Currently, Charlotte manages international clinical trials in oncology, primarily concentrating on concomitant toxicities that arise during chemoradiation therapy in head and neck cancer patients.
Charlotte's passion for mental health blossomed during her undergraduate studies where she conducted research in middle school children of underserved communities regarding the self, racial-identity, and success. This passion continued where she then worked at Massachusetts General Hospital as a the New England research coordinator for Autism Speaks, Autism Treatment Network. This allowed her to help provide best supportive care for pediatric ASD patients, community resources and programs for their families, and focus on mental health research.
Talk to Charlotte about your favorite travel destination, punk rock bands, research articles, piano, or your best local restaurant.
Adithi Jayaraman: Intern
Adithi is a Sophomore at Dartmouth College where she is studying Psychology, Neuroscience, and Anthropology. She hopes to one day use her knowledge of these fields to improve the quality of life for people with mental illnesses. Her passion for mental health and drive to help those who struggle with mental illnesses are rooted in her own journey with mental health. Adithi strives to help make a world where mental health is no longer stigmatized and people with mental illnesses feel loved and supported.
In addition to being an intern at HAMH, Adithi is also a research assistant at Dartmouth’s Psychological and Brain Sciences department. She is currently working on a study that is investigating whether and to what degree memory impacts perception. She is also assisting with a study focused on assessing the quality of life and sense of agency of patients with Locked-in Syndrome.
Outside of the academic world, Adithi is dedicated to service. If she can truly help just one person, she believes she has done her job. In 2013, Adithi and her sister founded EdGift, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young women in India and the U.S. to become leaders in their communities. She also started volunteering at the Cerebral Palsy of New Jersey at the age of 4. There, she worked with children of varying ages with Cerebral Palsy, leading activities and games. Adithi’s experiences working with these inspiring children furthered her passion for service, propelling her to engage in other service opportunities, like HAHM.
In her free time, Adithi enjoys eating delicious food, watching sports events, and pranking her friends and family!