Natalia is a bi-lingual and bi-cultural social worker and a postdoctoral fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital working at CHOIR and the Center for Aging and Serious Illnesses (CASI). Natalia earned her MSW and a PhD in Social Work at the University of Puerto Rico (2014) and University of Houston (2022), respectively. Natalia's research career is driven by over five years of clinical experience in a variety of inpatient and outpatient mental health settings in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Phoenix, Arizona.

Natalia's research seeks to conduct cultural and linguistic adaptations of mental health-focused Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) and evaluate the quality and effectiveness with Latinx and Spanish-speaking populations. Her research seeks to address mental health disparities by improving the adoption of EBPs among social workers, and consequently, their delivery to racial/ethnic minorities and older populations in low-income and under-resourced community settings.

More specifically, Natalia is interested in the implementation and translation of scientifically driven mind and body interventions (i.e., mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy), and the use of social workers to address the psychosocial needs of aging Latinx individuals with chronic health and mental health conditions and their families.

Dr. Julia Hooker is a postdoctoral fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital/CHOIR and a T32 research fellow at Harvard Medical School. She completed her PhD in Clinical Psychology at Syracuse University, and her pre-doctoral internship in the Lifespan Health track within CHOIR at HMS/MGH. Julia's work within CHOIR is focused on testing and delivering mind-body interventions for chronic musculoskeletal pain. Additionally, Julia’s research centers on managing pain and preventing the development of chronic pain among individuals recovering from acute injuries, and implementing technology-assisted interventions in this population. At CHOIR, Julia serves as a clinician for Dr. Vranceanu's Toolkit for Optimal Recovery (TOR) study, a virtual mind-body intervention to prevent persistent pain and disability following acute orthopedic injury, as well as the THRIVE study promoting activity and mind-body skills use among sedentary individuals with chronic pain. In addition to her research and clinical interests, Julia enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking, traveling, playing mandolin, watching movies, and completing crossword puzzles.

Heena is a clinical psychology fellow at MGH CHOIR (formerly known as IBHCRP) and a second year T32 Research Fellow in Integrative Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Heena’s research aims to improve psychosocial function and quality of life through mind-body approaches among individuals with neurodegenerative disease, with a particular focus on multiple sclerosis. Heena is passionate about using holistic approaches to optimize resilience in neurological conditions and establishing interdisciplinary connections to support integrative care. In addition to her academic interests, Heena finds pleasure in cooking Whole30 versions of her favorite dishes and practicing mindfulness with her puppy Rohan.

Kate McDermott is a postdoctoral fellow at MGH CHOIR. She completed her graduate training at Florida State University and her pre-doctoral internship at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. Dr. McDermott’s research focuses on emotional processing in chronic pain and anxiety and the development of interventions to reduce pain interference and increase quality of life for individuals with chronic pain. She is also interested in the association between pain and substance use and was the recipient of a National Research Service Award (F31) from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Dr. McDermott is passionate about increasing access to care for patients who have historically had limited treatment options and is excited to serve as the project director of CHOIR’s GetActive+ study examining the adaptation of a mind-body intervention for older adults with chronic pain in underserved communities. In her free time, she enjoys walking, museums, humor writing, and spending time with friends and family.

Dr. Dominique Popescu is a Research Fellow at CHOIR and Harvard Medical School. She earned her doctorate in Integrative Neuroscience from Stony Book University and completed the post-doctoral Research Fellowship Program at Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She is the recipient of the Clinical Training Scholarship in Neurodisparities funded by the American Brain Foundation and the American Academy of Neurology. She is a Scholar in the 2023 R25 Dementia-Palliative Care Clinical Trials Training Program. Her research is dedicated to reducing disparities in brain health outcomes to increase the likelihood of enjoying healthy aging among all. Specifically, her research is centered around three main goals: 1) promoting brain health via investigating the impact of early life experiences on health outcomes later in life, 2) prevention of adverse brain health outcomes through innovative interventions informed by the social determinants of health contributing to disparities in risk factor prevalence, and 3) protecting cognitive abilities through the early detection of neurodegenerative diseases by advancing promising retinal imaging-based disease biomarkers. Outside of the office, Dominique is a sneaker-head who travels the world, runs, speaks French, rides a motorcycle, and adores her two Australian Shepherds (Vie and Arlo).

Dr. Ziyan Wu is a postdoctoral research fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital/CHOIR. She completed her PhD in Electrical Engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. She started in January 2022 as a postdoctoral research fellow in the Biobehavioral Pain Innovations Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Wu has led the neuroimaging aspects of several NIH projects exploring the biobehavioral and neural mechanisms contributing to chronic postsurgical pain, as well as the response to pain treatment in adolescents and adults. She transitioned to MGH’s CHOIR center following the lab's relocation in April 2024.

Besides her research activities, Dr. Wu places a high value on service and mentoring. She has mentored graduate students from the University of Oxford, the MS in Medical Sciences (MAMS) Program at Boston University, and undergraduate students at the University of Bath and Simmons University, guiding them on their theses and projects. Her long-term research goals include identifying neural mechanisms, psychosocial factors, and biomarkers that contribute to brain functions and behaviors.

Beyond her professional interests, Ziyan enjoys watching movies and solving jigsaw puzzles.

Madelyn is a predoctoral intern in the Lifespan Health track at Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital. She is a doctoral candidate in Clinical Science at Washington University in St. Louis. Her research is focused on using mobile health tools (e.g., ecological momentary assessment, passive sensing) to improve understanding, prediction, and treatment of chronic pain and co-occurring problems. Her work is supported by an F31 from the National Institute of Mental Health, as well as organizations including the American Psychological Association and the American Psychological Foundation. At CHOIR, Madelyn is a study clinician on Active Brains and Recovering Together and an active collaborator on studies involving chronic pain and/or mobile health data. Outside of work, Madelyn loves spending time outdoors, cooking, and trying new restaurants.

Courtney is a predoctoral intern in the Lifespan Health track within CHOIR at Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital. She is a graduate student at Michigan State University's (MSU) clinical science program with a specialization in women and gender studies. Her research interests focus on elucidating neurocognitive mechanisms of anxiety to specify health outcomes and treatment targets within female populations. Courtney is also interested in integrating psychology, medicine, and community partners to improve health outcomes and research practice. She is particularly interested in this intersection for Black communities. She has secured several lines of funding to support her research from the National Institute of Mental Health (Diversity Supplement, F31) and the MSU College of Social Science. Courtney's role within CHOIR involves being a study clinician on Active Brains and Recovering Together. Outside of work, Courtney enjoys spending time with friends and family, cooking, and listening to music.

Suzie is a predoctoral intern in the Lifespan Health track within CHOIR at Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital. She is a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley in the clinical science program. She received her B.S. in Biology from Chapman University and her Master of Public Health from Boston University. Her research focuses on emotional changes and neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with neurodegenerative disease. She is also interested in interventions for individuals with dementia and their caregivers. Within CHOIR, Suzie is a study clinician on Active Brains and Recovering Together. Outside of work, Suzie enjoys swimming, Pilates, yoga, and spending time with family and friends.