Who We Are

Leadership Staff

Elissa Brown, Ph.D.
Executive Director and Founder
browne@stjohns.edu
Tel: 718-990-2355
Fax: 718-990-8228

Vanessa Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Assistant Director of Community Programs
rodrigv2@stjohns.edu
Tel:  718-990-5479
Fax: 718-990-1586

Komal Sharma-Patel, Ph.D.
Assistant Director of Research
sharmak@stjohns.edu
Tel:   718-990-5545
Fax: 718-990-1586

Trish Batchelor, B.A.
Intake and Administrative Coordinator
batchelp@stjohns.edu
Tel: 718-990-2367
Fax: 718-990-1586

Program staff includes post-doctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduate volunteers.

Students

• Katharine Bernstein, M.A.
• Cynthia Cabral
• Felicia Corbett, M.A.
• Christina Grice
• Jayleen Leon, M.H.C.
• Samara Montilus
• Alana Moses
• Stephanie Ross
• Kavita Tahilani, M.A.

Alumni

• Beryl Filton, Ph.D.
• Jennifer Herring, M.A.
• Colleen Lang, Ph.D.
• Ashwin Mehra, M.A.
• Valentina Nikulina, Ph.D.
• Nazli Rodriguez, M.A.
• Mary Russell, M.A.
• Candice Siu, Ph.D.
• Alison Tebbett, M.A.
• Jennifer Yedlin, Ph.D.
• Natalie Zervas, Ph.D.
• Deborah Zlotnick, M.A.

Board of Advisors

• Lois Beekman Oliveira, Chair
• Elissa Brown, Ph.D., Executive Director  
• Alan Brown, Esq.   
• Ed Bobrow
• Esther Calzada, Ph.D.
• Christina Daigneault
• Robin Goodman, Ph.D.
• Amanda Hack, M.B.A.
• Fifi Jacobs
• Cathy Lancellotti
• Andrea Linskey
• Pam Morrell
• Craig Mowry
• Delaney Oser
• Bridget Palmieri
• Amanda Salzhauer, M.S.W.
• Mel Schneiderman, Ph.D.
• Scott Schroeder
• Alan Schwarz
• Eyal Shemesh, M.D.
• Les Silverman
• Meg Sullivan
• Simon Van Booy

Program Advisors

• Esther Deblinger
• Carrie Epstein

Council Members

• Leda Dunn Wettre, J.D.