WRAP’s Research Program

The Psychosis Research Group at Boston Medical Center (BMC)/BU

WRAP’s Research Program (BU and BMC’s Psychosis Research Group) is comprised of psychosis researchers who are dedicated to helping our patients lead meaningful, productive lives. BMC and the WRAP team are committed to serving vulnerable populations by providing accessible integrated care to all patients in our community.

Our evidence-based clinical care also informs our research priorities; the research we do is conducted with the goal of improving care for our patients and reducing disparities and inequities in specialty psychosis care. 

As such, we are engaged in collaborative and integrative research focused on evaluating both novel and existing models of care. 

To learn more about all of the clinical services we offer, please visit our BMC page: https://www.bmc.org/wrap

Active Studies/Programs:

Meet the Research Team:

Dr. Hannah Brown, MD (BU Faculty Profile) is the Director of the WRAP clinical and research programs, Vice Chair of Research of the Division of Psychiatry at BMC, and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine. 

She earned her MD from Harvard Medical School, completed residency training in adult psychiatry, and completed a Fellowship in Schizophrenia at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is a recipient of a 2013 NARSAD Young Investigator Grant, the American Psychological Association Early Academic Career Award on Schizophrenia Research, and the 2014 Dupont-Warren Fellowship awarded through Harvard Department of Psychiatry. She has served as PI for multiple clinical and translational research studies across MGH and BMC. She has published over 30 peer reviewed articles, book chapters, and invited commentaries on schizophrenia. 

She has mentored multiple medical students, residents, fellows, and early faculty members, including K award and other grant recipients. She is the recipient of the 2021 Excellence in Mentorship Award from the Department of Psychiatry at BMC.

Dr. David Henderson, MD (BU Faculty Profile) currently serves as Psychiatrist-in-Chief, Division of Psychiatry, at BMC and Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry, at Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine. Dr. Henderson serves as Co-Director of the NIMH T32 MGH-BUSM Global Mental Health Clinical Research Fellowship. He has worked internationally for the past 20 years in resource-limited settings, and areas impacted by mass violence, disasters and complex emergencies. Dr. Henderson has conducted global research and training programs. In the United States, he has conducted more than 30 randomized clinical trials in severely mentally ill populations. Dr. Henderson has also directed a schizophrenia research training fellowship, and mentored trainees and junior faculty who have progressed to K awards and secured other independent funding.

 

Dr. Emily Kline, PhD (BU Faculty Profile) is the Director of Psychological Services, family therapist, and researcher in the WRAP program and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine. She is a licensed psychologist trained in both child and adult intervention. She has published over 30 peer reviewed papers and several book chapters on early psychosis prediction, detection, diagnosis, and treatment. She is director of the MILO program.

 

 

Dr. Brittany Gouse’s MD MPH (BU Faculty Profile) is the Assistant Clinical Director of the WRAP program and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine. She earned MD-MPH through the State University of New York Upstate Medical University and Syracuse University dual degree program. She completed both her Residency in Adult Psychiatry and Fellowship in Public Psychiatry at BU-BMC. Through her Fellowship in Public Psychiatry, Dr. Gouse specialized in the care of individuals living with schizophrenia and other forms of serious mental illness and currently sees patients for psychopharmacology in the WRAP program. Dr. Gouse’s research is predominantly in epidemiology, with a focus on studying the drivers of morbidity and premature mortality in schizophrenia. She co-directs WRAP’s Advancing Coordinated Care through Epidemiologic Studies in Schizophrenia (ACCESS) initiative.  She is the recipient of the 2023-2025 BU Clinical and Translational Science Institute KL2 Award and the 2023-2025 American Psychiatric Association Research Fellowship.

Dr. Bediha Ipekci, PhD (BU Faculty Profile) is a licensed psychologist and Assistant professor of psychiatry at Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine & BMC. She is also a MILO trainer. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Massachusetts Boston, her doctoral internship at BMC’s Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology, and a post-doctoral fellowship on complex PTSD and psychosis at BMC. Dr. Ipekci’s research and clinical expertise are in early intervention in psychosis, trauma, and refugee mental health.

 

 

Danielle Walker, NP is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner with years of experience working with diverse populations in various settings. She currently provides medication management for individuals who experience psychosis in the Clozapine and Injection Clinic within WRAP. In addition to the services in WRAP, Danielle also provides medication management within the general outpatient psychiatry department. Her research interests include examining the impact of violence exposure in young adults, especially in those who experience psychosis. In her free time, Danielle enjoys spending time with family and frequenting local restaurants.

Jessica Lewczyk, NP (BU Faculty Profile) is a psychiatric nurse practitioner with years of diverse experience. She currently provides medication management for individuals of all ages who experience psychosis, with particular interest in first-episode care. She also directs the Clozapine and Injection Clinic services. Her research interests include disparities in FEP care and outcomes, psychosis and gender diverse individuals, impacts and experiences of racism in psychosis. In addition to her work the with WRAP program, Jessica is involved in the Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery, providing care for transgender, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming individuals. In her free time, Jessica enjoys running, biking, traveling, and generally exploring the great outdoors.

 

Dr. Samantha LaMartine, PsyD (BU Faculty Profile) obtained her doctoral degree in clinical psychology from the University of La Verne. She completed her American Psychological Association accredited pre-doctoral internship at the Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology and her postdoctoral training at Boston University-Boston Medical Center. With a specialization in treating individuals living with schizophrenia and other severe mental illnesses, as well as mood and trauma disorders, Dr. LaMartine currently practices in the Wellness and Recovery after Psychosis program and Integrative Behavioral Healthcare at Boston Medical Center. Dr. LaMartine’s research primarily focuses on schizophrenia spectrum disorders, with an emphasis on addressing mental health disparities and enhancing access to care for Black people and communities of color. Dr. LaMartine is also dedicated to exploring the experiences of violence among minoritized and marginalized groups, aiming to foster more equitable mental health care and support.

Dr. Sohenga C. Depestre, PsyD is the joint clinical research fellow for the Psychosis Treatment and Recovery Fellowship and the Integrated Behavioral Health Fellowship at BMC. Dr. Depestre works in a number of clinical settings throughout BMC including the Wellness and Recovery After Psychosis (WRAP) program, the General Internal Medicine (GIM) primary care clinic, and inpatient medical units. Her research and clinical interests include first-episode psychosis; integrating expressive arts, particularly music, into clinical practice; and improving clinical training experiences and supervision and the next generation of clinicians. She is a proud Haitian-American bilingual provider and is passionate about improving population health outcomes by thinking creatively about systemic change. When she’s not working, you can find her spending time with family, friends, and thinking when she can finally get a dog!

Luisa Camacho, MPH is the project management specialist for the WRAP clinic. She coordinates the ACCESS studies and clinical trials. Luisa has a master of public health from Boston University, with a certificate in community assessment, planning, design, implementation and evaluation. 

 

 

 

Heather Thibeau, BS is the lead research assistant for MILO studies with Dr. Emily Kline. Her interests focus on family support and intervention. She found her love for psychology while studying at Stonehill College in Easton, MA. She has worked in research at Bradley Hospital in Providence, RI and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Previously, she co-developed an MI intervention for adolescents at risk of developing substance related disorders. In Fall 2023, she will continue her studies at Boston University in the Master of Clinical Research program.

 

Tithi Baul, MPH (BU Faculty Profile) is the Director of Evaluation in the Department of Psychiatry at Boston Medical Center. She has Bachelor’s of Science in Physiology and Neuroscience from University of California, San Diego and a Master of Public Health in Biostatistics from Boston University.  Tithi has been responsible for directing, planning, and identifying metrics and data sources needed to evaluate several clinical programs within the Department of Psychiatry. Her expertise includes both qualitative and quantitative research methods. She is an analyst for WRAP’s ACCESS initiative. 

Tithi has also been dedicated to training the next generation of researchers and clinicians interested in mental health research. Since her time at BMC, Tithi has mentored several medical students, residents, fellows, graduate students, and research staff members in both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Outside of work, Tithi enjoys writing, spending time outdoors, and plein air watercolor painting.

Nandini Agarwal, MPH is a research data analyst in the Department of Psychiatry at Boston Medical Center and for ACCESS. She is a 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 and 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!

Toshiaki Komura, BS is an MPH student at Boston University majoring in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. He currently works on the data analysis for ACCESS. He has been working on clinical research projects in social and environmental determinants of health, such as health disparities by socioeconomic factors and spillover associations of chronic disease within households. In his free time, he enjoys traveling and herbal tea blending

 

 

Cindy Xu is an undergraduate student at Northeastern University majoring in biology and minoring in psychology. Cindy is a research assistant for the PCORI and MCII studies.

 

 

 

 

Ashley Mack, MS is completed her practicum and capstone for her Master of Science in Clinical Research at Boston University School of Public Health with the WRAP team. Ashley is a research assistant for the PCORI and Exercise/Nutrition studies.

Recent Publications:

Contact: 

For general inquiries, please contact luisa.camacho@bmc.org