We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. As civilian areas and hospitals become targets of the assault, we are witnessing crimes against humanity. There is no justification for this indiscriminate attack meant to topple a nation. We pray for an end to this carnage - Staff of BCRHHR
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a program of the Immigrant and Refugee Health Center
at Boston Medical Center
Meet Our Team
We believe that our greatest success materializes when people share ideas and work together to achieve common goals.
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Interdepartmental collaboration and coordination is critical to our work as we aim to provide the highest quality of holistic and coordinated care.
Sarah Kimball, MD
Director of Immigrant Health Center (IRHC), BMC
Sarah Kimball, MD is a board-certified internist and is an Assistant Professor at Boston University School of Medicine. She completed her medical school training at Harvard University Medical School and did residency training in Internal Medicine at the Brigham and Women's Hospital Residency Program in Primary Care and Population Medicine. She joined the faculty at Boston University School of Medicine in 2014. Dr. Kimball has an expertise in immigration-informed medical care, where she has helped to research and build health systems that are responsive to the needs of im/migrant patients. She is currently the Director of the Immigrant & Refugee Health Center (IRHC) at Boston Medical Center, a comprehensive medical home that addresses the barriers that immigrants face to being holistically healthy. She has served previously as the Medical Director of the Boston Accountable Care Organization (BACO) Complex Care Management (CCM) program at Boston Medical Center. In addition to a love of primary care, Dr. Kimball's main interest is in teaching social justice and advocacy skills. She is an associate editor at the Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, with an expertise in Health Services Research. She was a founding member of the Society of Refugee Health Providers, and serves at the co-Chair of the Research, Evaluation and Ethics Committee.
Sandra Mattar, PsyD
Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Mattar is currently an Assistant Professor and Clinical Psychologist at the Boston University School of Medicine (Psychiatry)/ Boston Medical Center, Training Director of the Immigrant and Refugee Health Center, and a Psychologist at the Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights. She is also a Faculty/Supervisor at the Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology. Dr. Mattar is a licensed psychologist with more than 25 years of clinical and teaching experience combined. Dr. Mattar is a founding member of the Division 56 (Trauma Psychology) of the American Psychological Association (APA), and Past Chair of the Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs of APA. She also was a contributor of the APA Race and Ethnicity Guidelines. Dr. Mattar’s research interests are on the intersection of psychological trauma and culture; immigrants and refugee mental health; mental health disparities; multicultural and international psychology; culturally responsive education and training, and mindfulness and spirituality. She is currently an Associate Editor for the Journal of Psychological Trauma. Dr. Mattar also holds a Yoga Teacher certification.
Joelle Taknint, PhD, M.Sc
Behavioral Health Director of IRHC, Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights (BCRHHR)
Dr. Joelle Taknint is a Clinical Psychologist with Boston University School of Medicine/Boston Medical Center (BMC). At the Boston BCRHHR, she provides diagnostic assessments, develops psychological affidavits for asylum seekers, and provides psychotherapy for immigrant and refugee patients, many of whom are survivors of torture. Dr. Taknint also provides psychological testing for patients within BMC's IRHC and supervises psychology trainees. The majority of Dr. Taknint's research has investigated the impacts of discrimination on identity development and psychological well-being for immigrant individuals at various life stages. She also conducts program evaluation research, and has published and presented on topics related to international student needs, acculturation experiences within immigrant families, and social cohesion and community belonging in refugee receiving communities. Clinically she is interested in cultural responsivity in psychotherapy, therapeutic assessment, and cultural validity in psychological testing. Dr. Taknint completed her BA in Psychology at Macalester College, in St. Paul, MN, and her M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (Lifespan Development Specialty) at the University of Victoria in BC, Canada. Dr. Taknint completed her pre-doctoral clinical psychology internship at the Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology and her postdoctoral fellowship at Boston Medical Center. Dr. Taknint credits her own experiences growing up in a multi-ethnic family with an immigrant parent for piquing her initial interests in immigrant identity and health.
Elisa Portz
Career Counselor
Elisa is part of the Career Development Program (CDP) as a Career Counselor at the Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights (BCRHHR). In this role, she advises clients on achieving their employment and education needs and goals. Elisa helps clients with resume building, navigating their job search, and interview practice. She also advises clients on job-training, online learning, and ESOL resources that are key components of advancing their knowledge and education as it relates to their employment goals. Previously, Elisa served as an AmeriCorps member in their New American Integration Program. She was an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) teacher at a non-profit organization in Boston called Mujeres Unidas Avanzando (MUA). She is TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certified and received her BA in Human Services with a minor in Spanish from Northeastern University.
Resham Gellatly, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist, PI of ORR Grant
Dr. Gellatly is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and a clinical psychologist at Boston Medical Center, as well as Director of CBT Training for the BU School of Medicine Psychiatry Residency Program. Dr. Gellatly specializes in conducting mixed-methods research to investigate how culture and context impact the adoption and sustainability of evidence-based treatments in groups not equitably served by mental health programs and initiatives, including immigrants and refugees. Dr. Gellatly is the current principal investigator for a grant funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement, addressing, in part, the holistic treatment of survivors of torture.
Giulia Suvak, MIA
Program Manager , Immigrant & Refugee Health Center
Giulia Suvak is the Program Manager for the Immigrant and Refugee Health Center. She is a passionate advocate for sustainable economic development and social impact with a keen interest in finding private sector solutions to solving some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Her mission is to create positive change by helping businesses identify new market opportunities, foster job creation, and enhance the quality of life for underprivileged communities worldwide.
Clinical Social Work
Rudra Darai, DSW, LCSW
Dr. Rudra Darai is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights (BCRHHR). He has a Master of Clinical Social Work from Simmons University and a Doctor of Social Work from the University of Southern California. In his doctoral program, Dr. Darai is trained in program design, implementation, and evaluation based on design thinking and human-centered research. In 2005, Dr. Darai attended the Conflict Transformation Program offered by Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, Virginia. When indicated, he integrates a restorative justice approach into his clinical practice. Before joining the BCRHHR, Dr. Darai worked for Riverside Community Care, gaining expertise as an In-Home Therapy Clinician using family systems treatment approaches. In that role, he helped children and families with serious emotional disturbances and traumatic experiences and gained insight and tools to improve healthy family dynamics. Currently, he provides therapy to refugees and immigrants with varying trauma experiences utilizing trauma-informed treatment models, resiliency-based models, and a radical hospitality approach to encourage and foster hope, resiliency, and growth through life’s most challenging moments. His current interests include immigrant and refugee mental health research and program design. Besides English, Dr. Darai speaks Darai, Nepali, and Hindi languages. From Nepal, Dr. Darai also held the position of Founder Principal of Damauli College, located in his hometown, Damauli. He taught Creative Thinking and English Literature at Tri-Chandra Multiple Campus in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Kathryn Price
Senior Research Assistant
Kathryn Price is the Senior Research Assistant working with Dr. Gellatly for the grant funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement at IRHC and BCRHHR.
Nuha Alshabani, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Nuha Alshabani is a Clinical Psychologist who specializes in culturally responsive and trauma-focused research, treatments, and assessments. She completed her PhD in Counseling Psychology from The University of Akron (2022) and her predoctoral internship in Health Service Psychology at Denver Health Medical Center (2021-2022). Dr. Alshabani completed the Trauma in Context Fellowship at Boston Medical Center (2022-2023).
A special acknowledgment to our dedicated Refugee Patient Navigators (RPNs)—an integral part of our team. Their commitment enables us to advance our mission and provide compassionate care to the communities we serve.
Marie Nzeyimana
Administrative Coordinator & Volunteer (RPN) Program Manager
Marie Nzeyimana provides administrative support for IRHC and BCRHHR projects and is responsible for overseeing the operational workflow of the office. Marie is also the volunteer program manager and supervisor for the Refugee Patient Navigator (RPN) program. Marie is dedicated to building strong relationships and empowering both her colleagues and the communities she serves. With a solid background in project management, communications, and community outreach, she has successfully led large-scale research initiatives, collaborated with diverse teams, and developed educational resources for patients and healthcare providers.
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