Research Team

Huynh-Nhu (Mimi) Le
Professor, Clinical/Community Psychology

Dr. Le is a professor in the Clinical Psychology PhD program in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the George Washington University. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of California, Los Angeles, her doctoral degree at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, and her predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowships at the University of California, San Francisco, and Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital.  Her primary area of research focuses on developing and evaluating preventive intervention trials for perinatal depression in a variety of populations and settings. She developed and co-authored the Mothers and Babies Course, an evidence-based intervention to prevent perinatal depression. Over the past two decades, she has conducted several cultural adaptations and trainings of the MBC for various populations and settings, including Spain and, most recently, sub-Saharan Africa. She is currently the co-chair of the Special Interest Group of the Prevention of Perinatal Mental Health Disorders for the International Marcé Society for Perinatal Mental Health.  

Note: Dr. Le will recruit a new student to her lab beginning in the 2024-2025 academic year. See Faculty Mentor Requirement for additional information.

Lauren Kobylski

Lauren is a second-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at GWU. She graduated from Boston College with an undergraduate degree in biology and women's studies. She then moved to New York City to pursue an MPH at Columbia University, where she studied sexual and reproductive health. Lauren has worked in a variety of community, academic, and hospital settings, including the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Women's Mental Health. There, she worked as a research coordinator on a variety of studies related to the treatment of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Her research interests center around prevention and intervention strategies to support perinatal mental health. At GW, Lauren supports a PCORI-funded project and is currently completing her second-year project, which focuses on risk and protective factors for perinatal suicidality.

Kiara (Anese) Barnett

Anese is a third-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at GWU. She graduated from the University of Vermont with an undergraduate degree in psychology. Following undergrad, Anese obtained a master's degree in community clinical mental health counseling. She has served children, families, and women in the perinatal period as a therapist throughout the DC metro area. Throughout Anese's academic and professional career, she has volunteered in research labs that have focused on resilience, health disparities within the African-American population, and parenting styles. Anese is also a volunteer with Postpartum Support Virginia. Her second-year project was a mixed-method study examining the role of racism in the decision-making process and emotional experiences of Black birthing women navigating prenatal care in DC. Anese is also completing an externship at Children's National in the child development clinic, where she conducts developmental testing for ages 0-4. Given Anese's interest in the NICU, she also trains with the NICU follow-up clinic assessing infants. At GW, Anese is a graduate research assistant on a PCORI-funded project, a large study on the prevention and treatment of depression among low-income Black women in Washington, DC.

Bukola Rinola

Bukola is a fourth-year undergraduate student at George Washington University, majoring in public health on a pre-medical track with a micro-minor in health equity. She is also an MPH candidate at the Milken Institute of Public Health concentrating on Maternal and Child health. She is passionate about Black maternal health and addressing health disparities and inequities that disproportionately impact the reproductive health of Black women. She is also interested in learning more about the interconnectedness between a mother's health and its impact on the child's health outcomes. In the Mothers and Babies lab, she provides an array of administrative support on a PCORI-funded project. She is also one of the research assistants who work alongside the graduate students in data analysis, synthesizing, and interpretation of data on their respective projects.

Kaylin Cox

Kaylin is a fourth-year undergraduate student at George Washington University studying Public Health and Law and Society. She is also currently a part of the Milken Institute of Public Health BS/MPH program, a dual program obtaining a master’s degree in public health and a concentration in Health Policy. While in school, she enjoys researching health disparities in drug rehabilitation and maternal health. Kaylin’s hobbies include reading and writing, and she is currently the President of Black Defiance, a Black feminist organization on the George Washington University campus. In the Mothers and Babies lab, Kaylin is one of the research assistants who provides support on data analysis, synthesizing, and interpretation of data on the mixed-method study examining the role of racism in the decision-making process and emotional experiences of Black birthing women navigating prenatal care in DC.

Naimah Saleem

Naimah Saleem, LPC, R-DMT, PMH-C, is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Dance/Movement Therapist with over eight years of experience in the behavioral health field. Naimah is currently a Perinatal Behavioral Specialist on a PCORI-funded project. She holds a Perinatal Mental Health Certification from Postpartum Support International and has completed perinatal-specific EMDR training. Naimah received her Master of Science from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, in Dance/Movement Therapy and her Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling and Wellness from New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development. She has facilitated individual and group therapy in various settings, including schools, inpatient psychiatry, partial hospitalization programs, hospitals, and community-based behavioral health agencies in Washington, DC and New York. Naimah is passionate about fostering healing and ending mental health stigma in the African-American community. She is honored to continue empowering, educating, and supporting the perinatal population through research and clinical practice. At GW, Naimah is a research assistant on the mixed methods study focusing on risk and protective factors for perinatal suicidality.

 Anne-Sophie Jeanty

Anne-Sophie Jeanty is a second-year pre-med student at George Washington University, majoring in Psychological and Brain Sciences with a strong interest in mental health, particularly in the context of family and infant well-being. Her work at Total Health Medical Center as a medical assistant leverages her trilingual proficiency in English, French, and Spanish, enhancing her effectiveness in patient care. Dedicated to community service, Anne-Sophie actively volunteers at a local nonprofit organization, supporting the educational and extracurricular needs of children in the Latino community. She also expresses her creativity through writing, having published a trilingual children's book that integrates educational and cultural themes. In the Mothers and Babies lab at GWU, Anne-Sophie applies her academic interests as a research assistant. She is involved in a project focusing on perinatal suicidality, which aims to improve mental health care for mothers and infants.