Our Team

Your Supportive Team of Experts

Staff

youthink brings together a unique blend of expertise across Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA):
  • Led by the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, our team of clinical, behavioral, and community-based health professionals work directly with young people ages 12-25 to make sure they have the resources to thrive, while our training and capacity building team works at a national scale to provide education, best practices, and hands-on support to schools, community-based organizations, and other partners meeting the everchanging needs of adolescents and young adults.
  • In partnership with the Innovation Studio, which inspires, incubates, and accelerates innovative processes and technologies that improve the health of patients and their families. This includes many programs focused on care model innovation, clinical education and simulation, connected care, and accelerators like KidsX.
Sarah Cohen, BA

Sarah Cohen, BA

Innovation Strategist

Mona Desai, MPH

Mona Desai, MPH

Hub Director and Coach

Belen Gonzalez

Belen Gonzalez

Logistics Lead

Frances LaSalle-Castro, MPH

Frances LaSalle-Castro, MPH

Hub Advisor and Coach

Efe M. Oghoghome, MPH, CHES®

Efe M. Oghoghome, MPH, CHES®

Health Communications Lead

Sophia Pennella, MPH

Sophia Pennella, MPH

Hub Manager and Coach

Mia Humphreys Pozo, MSW

Mia Humphreys Pozo, MSW

Associate Hub Director and Coach

National Advisory Board

At youthink, we’re proud to collaborate with experts in adolescent and young adult health from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and other organizations throughout the country. These professionals bring extensive experience, unique perspectives, and deep expertise in working with adolescents and young adults. Here’s a brief introduction to our National Advisory Board:
Barbara Ball, PhD

Barbara Ball, PhD

Research Scientist at the Texas Institute for Child and Family Wellbeing at The University of Texas at Austin

Clark Bils, Psy.M.

Clark Bils, Psy.M.

Research Assistant at Answer

Claudia Borzutzky, MD

Claudia Borzutzky, MD

Division Chief at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Leslie Clark, PhD

Leslie Clark, PhD

Director of Intervention Science at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Bridgid Mariko Conn, PhD, ABPP

Bridgid Mariko Conn, PhD, ABPP

Assistant Professor and Licensed Psychologist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Alejandra Cortez, LCSW

Alejandra Cortez, LCSW

Program Manager at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Trese Flowers, DPA (c), MPH, ICPS

Trese Flowers, DPA (c), MPH, ICPS

Program Manager at Morehouse School of Medicine

Rebecca Gudeman, JD, MPA

Rebecca Gudeman, JD, MPA

Senior Director of Health at the National Center for Youth Law

Miguel Martinez, MSW, MPH

Miguel Martinez, MSW, MPH

Former Senior Program Manager at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Keith Nathaniel, EdD

Keith Nathaniel, EdD

4-H Youth Development Advisor at University of California

Ashley M. Papias, BA

Ashley M. Papias, BA

Peer Advisor for Berkeley Hope Scholars

Cody Ragonese, MPH

Cody Ragonese, MPH

Associate Director of Programs at Equimundo

Eunetra Rutledge, BA

Eunetra Rutledge, BA

Director of Distribution at Peer Health Exchange

Arlene Schneir, MPH

Arlene Schneir, MPH

Former Division Administrator at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Deepa Shah, MHA

Deepa Shah, MHA

Former Innovation Manager at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Bhupendra Sheoran, MD, MBA

Bhupendra Sheoran, MD, MBA

Chief Strategy Officer at Intuist.ai

Lauren Vasquez, MS, CHES®

Lauren Vasquez, MS, CHES®

Senior Program Specialist at University of Michigan Adolescent Health Initiative