Our Team

Shirley Yen, PhD

Principal Investigator
she/her

Dr. Shirley Yen is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School in the Department of Psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Dr. Yen's programmatic line of research focuses on the assessment of suicide risk in vulnerable populations, and the development of interventions to decrease risk for suicidal behaviors. Dr. Yen’s most recent project is the development of a brief, hybrid (in-person + digital) intervention, Skills to Enhance Positivity (STEP), that is designed to reduce suicidal behaviors in at-risk populations by targeting positive affect. The initial pilot studies of STEP, which involved youth admitted to the inpatient unit due to suicide risk, yielded promising results, and she is currently testing this intervention in a larger NIH-funded, multisite study. Along with MPI Dr. Lisa Uebelacker, Dr. Yen is also embarking on a multi-site study of a yoga-based intervention for teens with depression, with the specific goal of making yoga more accessible to diverse youth. Dr. Yen is also Training Director of the APA-accredited clinical psychology internship program at Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Harvard Medical School.  

Her favorite “STEP”: Writing down 3 good things at the end of the day, reflecting on past entries, and sharing some with friends the next day. 

  • Natalia Macrynikola, PhD

    Investigator & Clinical Psychologist
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    Dr. Macrynikola-Ryan is a licensed clinical psychologist and an investigator on the STEP team. Her work centers on digital mental health, suicide prevention, and the intersection between the two. Dr. Macrynikola completed her postdoctoral research fellowship at Harvard Medical School in 2024, where she also served as clinical director at the Division of Digital Psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, overseeing the refinement and implementation of a brief digital intervention designed to increase access to care. She earned her PhD in health psychology and clinical science from the City University of New York in 2022.  

    Her favorite “STEP”: Definitely mindfulness. In fact, when she’s not actively working on STEP, you’ll likely find her at Fenway Park, mindfully following the action and waiting to catch her first foul ball. 

  • Jackson Doerr, BS

    Clinical Research Coordinator
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    Jackson graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Northeastern University in 2022. His research interests center on adolescent suicide prevention, and he plays a major role in the lab in coordinating the multisite NIH-funded RCT currently under way to evaluate the efficacy of the STEP intervention. He is currently attending Simmons University for a degree in Social Work. In his free time, Jackson enjoys playing soccer, softball or going rock climbing at Boston area gyms.

    His favorite “STEP”: Photo savoring, scrolling through his photo reel and focusing on the positive emotions that old photos elicit.

  • Emily Berthiaume, BS

    Clinical Research Coordinator
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    Emily earned her bachelor’s degree in health sciences with a minor in pharmaceutical sciences from Northeastern University in 2023. She has a passion for utilizing adjunctive interventions to support individuals for whom conventional treatments have fallen short. She is also particularly interested in working with sexual and gender minority youth, as well as individuals with Serious Mental Illness (SMI). Emily is currently pursuing a master’s degree in social work while continuing her research.  

    Her favorite “STEP”: Incorporating mindfulness through art, particularly through watercolor painting! 

  • Vignesh (Vig) Kumar, BA

    Clinical Research Coordinator
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    Vignesh (“Vig-nay-sh” or Vig) is a researcher, educator, and designer on ways to improve youth mental health. He grew up in the charming college town of Columbia, Missouri, where his two younger sisters now live—his close bonds with both of them are a primary reason behind his interest in youth mental health. He completed his undergraduate degree in Human Biology at Stanford University (‘25), where he developed a course on healthy friendships and worked at the OurVoice Initiative (a community-engaged research team). He believes that connection is healing, so he aspires to become a clinical psychologist who studies, practices, and teaches it.

    His favorite “STEP”: Savoring good food over long, meaningful conversations with friends (and sometimes strangers).

  • Will Streit

    Clinical Research Coordinator
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    Will is set to graduate Boston College with a bachelor's degree in psychology in May of 2026. He is personally invested in the Teenthrive study through his yoga practice, and is passionate about the use of complimentary medicine in the treatment of mental health. Will is intrigued by the cultural norms around practices like yoga and mindfulness, and understanding how to encourage widespread practice. Using his study of Spanish, he is especially interested in making these tools more accessible to all. Will has spent a year of his undergraduate experience in Barcelona, Spain, where he developed his passion for cultural understanding, languages, and tapas!  

    His favorite “STEP”: Expressing gratitude, especially expressing it in difficult moments, challenges, and uncertainty.