Executive Committee Members
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C. Adamo earned his doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Utah and currently serves as Clinical & Science Lead at Jimini Health. Adamo's research and practice passions include digital mental health, Artificial Intelligence, implementation and dissemination science, and romantic relationships. When he's not busy advancing innovation in the delivery of evidence-based mental healthcare he's probably hosting a themed gathering.
Donovan identifies as a queer, genderqueer, neurodivergent person. They are currently in their 4th year of their Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at Georgia Southern University, where they are pursuing clinical training to enhance specialization in the treatment of trauma- and stressor-related disorders and working with LGBTQIA+ individuals. Their research interests are broadly related to trauma treatments, minority stress, Complex PTSD, LGBTQIA+ experiences, and various areas where these interests intersect. Relatedly, Donovan is a Research Coordinator for the Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research where they have overseen projects related to community mental health for LGBTQIA+ populations, treatment of traumatic stress, neurological disorders in veteran populations, and the All of Us Research Program. In their free time, they enjoy using their degree in Culinary Arts from Le Cordon Bleu to cook and bake all the things!
Tessa Palafu
She/Her/Hers
Membership Chair
Tessa Palafu
She/Her/Hers
Membership Chair
Tessa Palafu is an Implementation Research Assistant at The Baker Center for Children and Families, Implementation Research Division. Tessa recently graduated from Hawaiʻi Pacific University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Political Science. Her research interests include understanding Historical Trauma in Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) populations, developing culturally grounded approaches to mental health services for NHPI, and implementation science. She is looking forward to serving on the Oppression & Resilience Special Interest Group Committee and helping to increase representation of NHPI researchers at ABCT. A fun fact about Tessa is that she likes to read fantasy novels in her free time.
Andrew Jeon, JD, PhD
He/Him/His
Andrew Jeon is the acting section director of outpatient mental health at VA Puget Sound's American Lake division. His clinical interests are in anxiety disorders and exposure and response prevention. He is a graduate of the clinical psychology and law program at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. In his free time, he enjoys reading contemporary fiction and watching horror movies.
Ellen Murphy, MS
They/Them/Their
Ellen is a clinical psychology Psy.D. student at Georgia Southern University. Their research interests broadly include disability justice, LGBTQIA2S+ resilience, and religious trauma. Ellen is most passionate about clinical work with marginalized populations, and they have experience working in community mental health, veterans affairs (VA), and neurodevelopmental and learning disorder assessment settings. In their time off, they love spending time outdoors - hiking, skiing, swimming, climbing, kayaking, camping, biking, and anything else that connects them with nature
Monica Shah, PsyD
She/Her/Hers
Dr. Monica Shah is a licensed clinical psychologist and certified school psychologist based in Manhattan. Her clinical and advocacy work has spanned mental health and special education. She worked as a school psychologist in British Columbia before completing her doctorate at St. John’s University. Dr. Shah practices at Behavioral Wellness of
NYC and specializes in providing evidence-based treatments such as CBT, DBT, and REBT to individuals, families, couples, and groups across the age range. She is also engaged in efforts to bring psychotherapy knowledge and skills to communities through workshops and popular writing. Dr. Shah’s professional interests include the use of mindfulness and acceptance-based strategies with special populations, mentorship initiatives, mental health in historically minoritized communities, and increasing access to mental healthcare. She is committed to serving underrepresented groups and targeting systems-level issues. Additionally, she is the new ABCT Co-Chair of the SIG Leaders. Dr. Shah is also a part-time professional dance artist who performs in classical and contemporary Indian styles, currently creating dance work on mental health themes and using the arts in healthcare to promote social justice, as a fellow and
board member of the Aseemkala Initiative.
Subcommittee Teams:
Mentorship Subcommittee: Dr. Monica Shah, Dr. Andrew Jeon, Akanksha Das, Tessa Palafu
Outreach Subcommittee: Dr. C. Adamo, Tessa Palafu, Ellen Murphy
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Akanksha Das, MA
She/Her/Hers
Co-Chair
Akanksha is a South Asian daughter of immigrants and "Third Culture Kid" (TCK). She is currently completing her predoctoral internship at the Durham VA Medical Center, and a Clinical Psychology doctoral candidate at Miami University. Broadly, she is interested in understanding factors (individual and structural) that create conditions necessary for equitable well-being. To that end, she applies a multi-method approach and will be pursuing postdoctoral training in implementation science and community participatory methods to advance health equity at the Durham VA MIRECC fellowship. After graduating from Davidson College, where she majored in Psychology with a minor in Medical Humanities, Akanksha served as a research assistant at the Anxiety Disorders Center at Hartford Hospital. Fun fact: She has lived in 5 countries across 3 continents!
Alexandria Miller, PhD
She/Her/Hers
Co-Chair
Alexandria Miller is an Advanced Womens Health Fellow at the National Center for PTSD Women's Health Sciences Division in Boston, MA. She graduated from Suffolk University with a doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2023. Her research focuses on understanding the experience of oppression-based stress at the intersection of multiple minoritized identities. She is focused on liberation; to work towards that future, she is involved in the development and validation of mental health interventions to address oppression-based stress alongside larger systemic change and advocacy work.
In her free time, you will find her gardening and at farmer’s markets gathering ingredients as she cooks her way through her cookbook collection, singing with Boston Choral Ensemble, and creating community amongst her loved ones.
Natalie Holt, PhD
She/Her/Hers
Treasurer
Donovan Edward, MS
All Pronouns
Media & Marketing Chair
Natalie is a clinical psychologist at VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System. She earned her PhD from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Natalie’s clinical and research interests focus on improving availability and quality of behavioral health services for LGBTQ individuals, particularly those living in rural and underserved areas. Natalie serves as treasurer for the Oppression and Resilience SIG – reach out to her to make donations to the SIG!
