Meet the  
REACH team –
Mental Health
Experts & Advocates

REACH’s strength is its people: clinicians, educators, researchers, and advocates united by one mission: transformative training that changes outcomes for children.

Our Leadership Team

Our leaders bring deep expertise in mental health, clinical training, and nonprofit management and a shared commitment to making evidence-based care accessible to every child and family.

Peter S. Jensen, M.D.

Founder

Peter S. Jensen, MD, is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and the founder of The REACH Institute. He brings decades of leadership in research and clinical innovation to advancing children’s mental health care, helping translate evidence-based practices into real-world settings. Formerly Associate Director of Child and Adolescent Research at the National Institute of Mental Health, Dr. Jensen led landmark studies, including the Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD (MTA). At Columbia University, he developed the model behind REACH’s Patient-Centered Mental Health in Pediatric Primary Care (PPP) program, which has trained thousands of clinicians nationwide. He continues to guide REACH’s work as Board Chair, faculty and Chief Scientist.

Lisa Hunter Romanelli, PhD

CEO

Lisa Hunter Romanelli, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and nationally recognized leader in children’s mental health. As CEO of The REACH Institute, she helps scale evidence-based training programs that equip primary care clinicians, behavioral health specialists, and school staff to better support children and families. Dr. Hunter Romanelli trained at Harvard, Rutgers, and Yale, and has been instrumental in expanding REACH’s impact nationwide. She is a 2023 Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation entrepreneur and a 2025 Elevate Prize recipient, and her work has been featured in national media including POLITICO and Fortune.

Meet the REACH Team

Behind every training, every coaching call, and every clinician we equip is a team working every day to strengthen mental health care across the country.

Ishmeen Badesha

Chief of Staff

Luciana Hall-Pearson

Director of Programs

Alex Coclanis

Director of Outreach and Growth

Juo-Hsi (Sylvia) Peng

Associate Program Director

Ingrid Swanson

Associate Program Director

Aidan Zola

Associate Program Director

Makynna Meegan

Associate Director

Kaylyn Springer

Communications Manager

Molly Macleod Prior

Program Associate

Our Board of Directors

REACH’s board brings together leaders from medicine, research, philanthropy, business, and public health – united by a belief that every child and family deserves timely, effective mental health care.

Peter Jensen, MD

Founder and Board Chair 
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist

Seth Finkel

Vice Chair 
Wealth Advisor
Neuberger Berman

Robert Marshall

Treasurer
Attorney

Robin Hulshizer

Secretary
Attorney
Latham & Watkins

Susan Alesina

Strategic Healthcare Advisor and Consultant

Alan Axelson, MD

Psychiatrist InterCare Solutions

Deborah Buccino, MD

Pediatrician, Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics

Paula S. Davis

Executive Recruiter, Heidrick & Struggles

Wynford Dore

Founder of  ZING Performance Ltd

Abhiroop Gandhi

Senior Vice President: Compliance, Quality and Enterprise Risk

Peggy Pollard

Director, Nurse ExecutiveOracle Government Services

Andrew Sagat

Managing Director
GTCR

Jami Schwartz

Marketing Leader
Airbnb

Réka Shinkle

Biopharma Strategic Advisor and Consultant

Our National Training Faculty

REACH’s trainers are renowned psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, and primary care clinicians who bring both clinical expertise and real-world experience to every workshop and coaching call.

Anu Partap, MD, MPH

My Butterfly and Me

Therese Zink, MD

Brown University

Valerie Houseknecht, MD

Kenyon College

Brooks Keeshin, MD

University of Utah

Kevin Stark, PhD

University of Texas

Carla Marin, PhD

Yale School of Medicine

Shane Jones, LICSW

University of Alabama

Corinne Catarozoli, PhD

Weill Cornell Medicine

Ceth Ashen, PhD

Private Practice

Lisa Hunter Romanelli, PhD

The REACH Institute

Michael Sweeney, PhD

Metropolitan Center for Cognitive Behavior Therapy

Christopher Layne, PhD

Nova Southeastern University

Wendy Silverman, PhD

Yale School of Medicine

Cathy Bryant, MD

Ascension St. Vincent

Laura Madoo, DO

Inova Health Systems

Michael Scharf, MD

University of Rochester

Jennifer Seawell-Wynn, MD

Private practice – Kids First Practice

Jackie Cotton, MD

Sentara Healthcare

Amy Dryer, MD

Private practice – The Pediatric Group

Jasmine Reese, MD

Johns Hopkins All Children’s

Bela Sood, MD

Virginia Commonwealth University

Alyx Holden, MD

Saskatoon Community Clinic

Alison Manning, MD

Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Hasbro Children’s Hospital, PediPRN

Ravi Ramaswami, MD

Lee Health

Rachel Zuckerbrot, MD

Columbia University Department of Psychology

Noor Jihan Abdul-Haqq, MD

Private practice – Peace of Mind Pediatrics

Tina Nicholson, MD

University of Calgary

Allan Stanford, MD

University of Arkansas Medical School

Natasha Sriraman, MD

Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters

Elizabeth Wallis, MD

Medical University of South Carolina

Ruth Stein, MD

Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Cori Green, MD

Weill Cornell Medicine

Laurence Greenhill, MD

Kaiser Permanente

Larry Amsel, MD

Columbia University Department of Psychology

Rachel Petersen-Nguyen, MD

Children’s Minnesota

Elena Man, MD

Private practice – Mind Body Seven

Scott Styles, MD

Private practice – Whitby Clinic

Lynn Crismon, Pharm.D

University of Texas at Austin School of Pharmacy

Roxanne Swiegers, MD

Harrison Healthcare – Calgary

Suzanne Reiss, MD

Geisinger Health Systems

Cathryn Galanter, MD

Stony Brook Medical School

James Wallace, MD

University of Rochester Medical Center

Kari Overstreet, DNP

Duke Health Integrated Practice / Duke Children’s Department of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health

Amy Kryder, MD

Carrillion Clinic and Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine

Mary DeGuardi, MD

United Health Services Pediatrics – Binghamton

Peter Dozier, MD

Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters

Maureen Montgomery, MD

State University of Buffalo (SUNY) School of Medicine, Kaledia Health System

Ron Marino, DO

Pediatrics NYU Winthrop Hospital and Stony Brook Medical School

Eugene Hershorin, MD

University of Florida Health Jacksonville

Brittainy Erby, MD

Medical University of South Carolina

Beth Smith, MD

Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

Nicole Cotton, MD

Morsehouse School of Medicine

Peter Jensen, MD

University of Arkansas Medical School

Ryan Byrne, MD

Private practice

Every Investment Gets More Children the Care They Need

From sponsoring a full training cohort to funding an individual scholarship, every dollar expands access to evidence-based mental health care in the communities that need it most.

Explore Ways to Give

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July 7, 2026

July is BIPOC Mental Health Month, an opportunity to recognize the unique mental health challenges that many Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities face. BIPOC youth and adults have a right to culturally responsive, evidence-based…

July 2, 2026

🎉 Registration is now open for the REACH 2026 Alumni Conference & 20th Anniversary Celebration! This September, we're bringing the REACH community together in New York City for a weekend of learning, connection, and celebration. Designed…

June 29, 2026

🚨 Registration for our July 15 CBT-A course closes this Friday, July 3 “This course provided excellent education not just on the facts about anxiety and CBT but also on the ways to impart this information…

June 19, 2026

Juneteenth is a time to reflect on our history, celebrate Black freedom and resilience, and recognize that everyone deserves access to compassionate, culturally responsive mental health care. If you or someone you know is looking for…

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Meet the REACH team – Mental Health Experts & Advocates

Peter S. Jensen, M.D.

Lisa Hunter Romanelli, PhD

Ishmeen Badesha

Luciana Hall-Pearson

Alex Coclanis

Juo-Hsi (Sylvia) Peng

Ingrid Swanson

Aidan Zola

Makynna Meegan

Kaylyn Springer

Molly Macleod Prior

REACH’s board brings together leaders from medicine, research, philanthropy, business, and public health – united by a belief that every child and family deserves timely, effective mental health care.

Peter Jensen, MD

Seth Finkel

Robert Marshall

Robin Hulshizer

Susan Alesina

Alan Axelson, MD

Deborah Buccino, MD

Paula S. Davis

Wynford Dore

Abhiroop Gandhi

Peggy Pollard

Andrew Sagat

Jami Schwartz

Réka Shinkle

REACH’s trainers are renowned psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, and primary care clinicians who bring both clinical expertise and real-world experience to every workshop and coaching call.

Anu Partap, MD, MPH

Therese Zink, MD

Valerie Houseknecht, MD

Brooks Keeshin, MD

Kevin Stark, PhD

Carla Marin, PhD

Shane Jones, LICSW

Corinne Catarozoli, PhD

Ceth Ashen, PhD

Lisa Hunter Romanelli, PhD

Michael Sweeney, PhD

Christopher Layne, PhD

Wendy Silverman, PhD

Cathy Bryant, MD

Laura Madoo, DO

Michael Scharf, MD

Jennifer Seawell-Wynn, MD

Jackie Cotton, MD

Amy Dryer, MD

Jasmine Reese, MD

Bela Sood, MD

Alyx Holden, MD

Alison Manning, MD

Ravi Ramaswami, MD

Rachel Zuckerbrot, MD

Noor Jihan Abdul-Haqq, MD

Tina Nicholson, MD

Allan Stanford, MD

Natasha Sriraman, MD

Elizabeth Wallis, MD

Ruth Stein, MD

Cori Green, MD

Laurence Greenhill, MD

Larry Amsel, MD

Rachel Petersen-Nguyen, MD

Elena Man, MD

Scott Styles, MD

Lynn Crismon, Pharm.D

Roxanne Swiegers, MD

Suzanne Reiss, MD

Cathryn Galanter, MD

James Wallace, MD

Kari Overstreet, DNP

Amy Kryder, MD

Mary DeGuardi, MD

Peter Dozier, MD

Maureen Montgomery, MD

Ron Marino, DO

Eugene Hershorin, MD

Brittainy Erby, MD

Beth Smith, MD

Nicole Cotton, MD

Meet the  
REACH team –
Mental Health
Experts & Advocates