Psychology & Religious Studies

B.A.
New York University, New York
1992

Theology

M.A.
Fuller Theological Seminary, School of Theology, Pasadena
1996

Clinical Psychology (APA Accredited)

Ph.D.
Fuller Theological Seminary, Graduate School of Psychology, Pasadena
1999

Pre-Doctoral Clinical Psychology Internship
Boston University Medical Center, Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology (CMTP), Boston
1999

Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship in HIV/AIDS
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York
2000

District of Columbia Licensed Psychologist

PSY# 1001192

Affiliate Professor, Howard University Hospital, College of Medicine

Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences

Adjunct Professor, University of Global Health Equity, Rwanda

Department of Community Health and Social Medicine

Psychopathology and Mental Illness (Undergraduate Honors Seminar)

Cultural contexts are pivotal in shaping our identification, experience, expression, and treatments of mental illness across the human lifespan. This course unpacks the messy relationship between culture and psychopathology, recognizing that culture encompasses social roles, local norms, transnational migration, and new information technologies (yep TikTok). The complicated interplay of these interactions influences the dignified treatment of people from diverse backgrounds living with mental illness. We will embark on the study of mental illness, that is psychopathology, by critically examining the phenomenology, epidemiology, classification, illness experience, and treatment for 8 major clinical syndromes. We do so by integrating universal and culture-specific approaches to understanding mental illness. The objectives of this course will be to stimulate your curiosity about culture-bound definitions of mental illness (and wellness) and its prevention and treatment – three ambitious and rewarding tasks we will approach through lectures, discussions, writing, and readings.  By our mutual commitment to learn together, by the end of the course, you will be able to:

1. Identify and evaluate key and emerging theories of cross-cultural psychopathology.
2. Understand the expressions of and available treatments for 8 clinical syndromes within different cultural contexts.

3. Describe emerging questions and applications of cross-cultural psychopathology to global mental health.

    

Adult Neuropsychological Assessment (Doctoral)

This course introduces the theory and practice of neuropsychological assessment – a specialized field of clinical psychology that measures and interprets the relationships between human central nervous system functions (with a focus on the brain), cognition, emotion and behavior. The goal of assessment is to identify patterns of performance across different cognitive and behavioral domains that meaningfully influence people’s lives. You will learn the standard test battery, collaborative therapeutic neuropsychological assessment model (CTNA), and “hypothesis testing” approaches to assess for attention, processing speed, memory, language, executive functioning, visuospatial, reasoning, and motor function in adults. Particular attention will be given to race, ethnicity, gender, and social class - all of which can interactively influence cognitive function and test performance. Taken together, the underlying principle of this course is that neuropsychological assessment is not a “one-size-fits-all” practice because values, experiences, and social expectations of behavior can differ across settings, and these differences bear significantly on how we interpret and use our assessment findings.

Cognitive Psychology (Undergraduate)

This course presents an overview of research on and applications of cognitive psychology, “a study of how people perceive, learn, and think about information” (Sternberg, 2009). We will investigate everyday activities, and in doing so, much of our ordinary mental abilities would seem a bit more extraordinary. Cognitive psychology takes us behind the scenes of the simplest daily experiences - perception, attention, memory, language, reasoning, decision-making, and problem solving - and demonstrates the ridiculously complex processes that make it all happen. The objectives of this course will be to stimulate curiosity about how we juggle and apply information and knowledge, and to critically examine (and appreciate) major theories that have helped explain how we carry out everyday activities

Ethical Principles and Conduct in Health Service Psychology (Doctoral)

What values inform how psychologists practice as practitioners, scientists, and teachers? What constitutes proper professional conduct? Is the motivation “to do the right thing” sufficient? How do psychologists address “moral distress” when professional ethics and law collide? Handelsman and colleagues (2005) proposed that addressing these knotty questions (with real-world implications) requires more than simply applying a set of rules or algorithmic formulas, but calls for adapting a new professional “ethical culture” that is defined by a system of symbolic meanings (e.g., Ethical Standard 2.04) anchored in social institutions (i.e., American Psychological Association) and patterns of interpersonal interactions (psychologists and person receiving psychological services).  Just as many of you are adjusting to the rich culture at Howard this year, you will similarly begin the process of “ethical acculturation.” The goal of this course is to help you begin this process. By our mutual commitment to learn together, by the end of the course, students will be able to:

1. View ethics as a way to promote the highest professional ideals rather than as prohibitions that must be followed;
2. Act in accordance with the APA Ethical Principles for Psychologist and Code of Conduct, relevant laws, regulations, and policies governing health service psychology; and to

3. Recognize ethical dilemmas as they arise and apply ethical decision-making processes in order to resolve the dilemmas.

    

HIV and Applied Principles of Community Psychology (Undergraduate)

The disproportionate burden of HIV/AIDS in global cities coupled with a decrease in HIV mortality and morbidity have created an opportunity to apply principles and values of community psychology to help guide our understanding of the complex interplay of environmental and individual-level drivers that influence HIV primary prevention and care for persons living with HIV.  Community psychology, the study of person-environment interactions, offers a unique perspective on how social structures, neighborhoods, and individuals shape HIV prevention and care delivery particularly for communities living in urban poverty. Specific theories of participatory-action research, multi-level community interventions, structural dimensions of HIV stigma, HIV syndemic framework, and public health policy implications will be critically examined and discussed. 

Distinguished Faculty Award (Outstanding Teaching, 2024-25)

Howard University, College of Arts & Sciences 

Distinguished Faculty Award (Outstanding Scholar 2019-20)

Howard University, College of Arts & Sciences

Public Health Advisor (2023-24)

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services

Fulbright Specialist, 2022

University of Global Health Equity, Rwanda

Fulbright Specialist, 2016

University of Ibadan, Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Nigeria

Fulbright Specialist, 2013

University of Chiang Mai, Department of Pediatrics, Thailand

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH; 1R15 MH117631-01)

Improving Child Mental Health Service Utilization in Ibadan Nigeria Using a Community Based Participatory Research Approach (with Community Partner: University of Ibadan). Principle Investigator. 9/11/2018 – 9/10/2021

Georgetown-Howard Universities Center for Clinical and Translational Science (GHUCCTS) Pilot Grant, 2021

Living with HIV Across the Lifespan Shapes Treatment Views of Black Adults with Perinatal HIV Infection

Place security and mental health: Two sides of the same coin among young adults with perinatally-acquired HIV and exposure in New York City

Kang, E., Mellins, C.A., Kim, W., Dolezal, C., Quick, P., Reyes, V., Emerenciano, H.,  Poku, O.B., Kluisza, L., Hosaka, K.R.J., Robbins, R., & Abrams, E.A. (2025). Place security and mental health: Two sides of the same coin among young adults with perinatally-acquired HIV and exposure in New York City. AIDS & Behavior (Online first, 23 December 2025), https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-025-04989-0

Youth engagement synergy in mental health legislation and programming

Kang, E., Kindler, C., Amour, A.T.S.,  Locus, K., Hosaka, K.R.J., Leslie, M.C., & Patel, N.A. (2025). Youth engagement synergy in mental health legislation and programming. Special issue: Home and Community Based Services for Youth and Families in Crisis (K. Gordon-Achebe, R. Legha, and M. Durham, Editors). Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 33(4), 741-754

Is outgroup prejudice passed down generationally in Rwanda after the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi?

Is outgroup prejudice passed down generationally in Rwanda after the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi?

Family members who witnessed the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi arguably shape their children’s narratives of the events and subsequent formation of outgroup prejudice. An understanding of whether vestiges of the genocide are transmitted to future generations informs ongoing peacebuilding efforts. We, therefore, examined the relationship between child and guardian attitudes toward one’s outgroup among households of survivors or génocidaires and investigated whether this relationship was potentially affected by social interactions with members of outgroups (survivors or génocidaires) outside the family.

If we build it, they will come

If we build it, they will come:  Caregiver decision to use an accessible outpatient psychiatric service for children and adolescents in Nigeria in Social Science & Medicine, 279(2021)

If child and adolescent psychiatric (CAP) services were accessible in lower-middle-income countries (LMIC) such as Nigeria, what individual and socio-cultural factors would influence caregivers’ willingness to use these services when they are needed? To address this question, we conducted structured interviews with a stratified random sampling of 442 adult caregivers of children aged 5 to 19-years who lived within 10 km of an established CAP outpatient service in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Navigating stigma trajectory and mental health among young adults living with perinatal HIV in New York City

Navigating stigma trajectory and mental health among young adults living with perinatal HIV in New York City

Based on data from a longitudinal study in New York City examining mental health and health risk behaviors among 182 AYAPHIV, we examined if increased perceived HIV stigma predicted mental health, future orientation, HIV-disclosure, and healthcare transition over time (2003–2018). Findings from linear mixed-effects modeling indicated that older age predicted poorer mental health, less future orientation, more HIV-serostatus disclosure, and adult medical services utilization. Perceived stigma was the only significant predictor of mental health and mediated the association between age and mental health—highlighting the importance of addressing stigma across development for AYAPHIV while addressing systems that perpetuate them.

Knowledge of HIV transmission and illness stigma

 Knowledge of HIV transmission and illness stigma: A relationship revisited in rural Rwanda 

We examined the relationship between quantitative and qualitative measures of HIV knowledge and four forms of stigma (individual attitudes, felt normative, social distance, and stigma perceived by PLHIV) among 200 rural residents in Rwanda. Forty-two percent qualitatively reported concurrent accurate and partial knowledge of HIV transmission. Being more knowledgeable about HIV transmission was associated with less desire for social distancing from PLHIV. Our findings highlight the continued importance of reinforcing an accurate understanding of HIV transmission and correcting misinformation by drawing on quantitative and qualitative assessments of HIV knowledge as critical arms of HIV stigma reduction programs in low prevalence rural regions.

Exposure to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and survivor attitudes towards génocidaires

Exposure to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and survivor attitudes towards génocidaires: 20-year post-script

This cross-sectional study examined predictors of attitudes and relatedness toward génocidaires among survivors of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. A survey of 448 eligible adults in selected households from 5 districts in Rwanda was conducted in 2013–2014. Structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques were used to test the theorized relationships among age, gender, exposure to genocide events, stressors attributed to the genocide, traumatic stress, and a hypothesized latent factor of attitudes toward génocidaires (positive outgroup stereotypes, beliefs/perceived social norms, revenge toward génocidaires, and social distance).

Poverty indicators and mental health functioning among adults living with HIV in Delhi, India

Poverty indicators and mental health functioning among adults living with HIV in Delhi, India

Poor mental health functioning among persons living with HIV (PLHIV) has gained considerable attention particularly in low-income countries that disproportionately carry the global HIV/AIDS burden. Fewer studies, however, have examined the relationship between poverty indicators and mental health among PHLIV in India. Based on this cross-sectional study of 196 HIV-seropositive adults who received medical services at Shalom AIDS Project in Delhi, India, structural equation modeling and mediation analysis were employed to estimate the associations between poverty indices (household asset index, food security, unemployment, water treatment, sanitation), HIV-health factors (illness in the past 3 months, co-morbid medical conditions), and psychological distress. In the final model, ownership of fewer household assets was associated with higher levels of food insecurity, which in turn was associated with higher psychological distress. Also, the household asset index, food insecurity, and unemployment had a larger effect on psychological distress than new opportunistic infections. These findings build on increasing evidence that support concerted efforts to design, evaluate, and refine HIV mental health interventions that are mainstreamed with livelihood programming in high poverty regions in India.

Factors associated with high rates of antiretroviral medication adherence

Factors associated with high rates of antiretroviral medication adherence among adolescents living with perinatal HIV in Thailand

Antiretroviral medication adherence behaviour among Thai youth with perinatal HIV in Thailand has received growing attention. However, few studies have examined individual predictors of antiretroviral adherence using multiple self-reports. A convenience sample of 89 Thai youth (interquartile range 14–16 years) with perinatal HIV at three paediatric programmes in Chiang Mai completed a structured questionnaire and reported their antiretroviral adherence in the past one, seven and 30 days using count-based recall and a visual analog scale. 

Disadvantaged neighborhood influences on anxiety and depression in children with perinatally acquired human immunodeficiency virus

Disadvantaged neighborhood influences on anxiety and depression in children with perinatally acquired human immunodeficiency virus: How life stressors matter

This study examined the influences of disadvantaged residential neighborhood on anxiety and depression, and potential resources that buffer against internalizing problems when youths were exposed to neighborhood stressors.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) stigma

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) stigma: Spoiled social identity and Jürgen Moltmann’s trinitarian model of the imago Dei

This paper examines Jürgen Moltmann’s trinitarian model of the imago Dei which suggests that humanity bears the image of the mutually supporting persons of the Trinity. A relationship that is characterized by radical equality that fosters participation in that fosters participation in all facets of suffering—an impetus set by the hope established by Christ’s resurrection. It is this divine imago that incites the church to deliberately contradict identities that are spoiled by HIV with one that is of dignity and hope.

Influences of stigma and HIV transmission

Influences of stigma and HIV transmission knowledge on member support for faith-placed HIV initiatives in Chinese immigrant Buddhist and Protestant religious institutions in New York City

This paper examined how knowledge of HIV transmission and stigma potentially influenced attendees’ support for their institutions’ involvement in HIV programs.

Faith-based HIV care and prevention in Asian immigrant communities in New York City. Rhetoric or reality?

Faith-based HIV care and prevention in Asian immigrant communities in New York City. Rhetoric or reality?

This paper will review the process of contextualizing HIV within theological and cultural frameworks that are meaningful for ethnic Chinese church leaders and members. The authors specifically propose two points of integration between public health and ecclesial functions: (1) HIV stigma-mitigation initiatives as informed by Christo-centric teachings of compassion and justice, and (2) HIV prevention and care reframed as social responsibility and informed by the Christian tradition of evangelism. Systems and practices that hinder and promote the involvement of Chinese churches in HIV prevention, care, and stigma-reduction will be discussed.

Standing between two worlds in Harlem

Standing between two worlds in Harlem: A developmental psychopathology perspective of perinatally acquired human immunodeficiency virus and adolescence

This paper highlights the importance of considering influences of both perinatal HIV and the culture of poverty on adolescent development, and of adopting multilevel interventions and research to address how interactions among biologic, environmental, and HIV-related stressors (serostatus disclosure, medical treatment adherence, illness stigma) influence the development of adolescents with perinatal HIV.

Are psychological consequences of stigma enduring or transitory?

Are psychological consequences of stigma enduring or transitory? A longitudinal study of HIV stigma and psychological distress among Asians and Pacific Islanders living with HIV illness.

This 2-year longitudinal study examined the relationship between five HIV-stigma factors (social rejection, negative self-worth, perceived interpersonal insecurity, financial insecurity, discretionary disclosure) and changes in psychological distress dimensions (self-esteem, hopelessness, dread, confused thinking, sadness, anxiety) among a convenience sample of 44 HIV-seropositive Asians and Pacific Islanders in New York City from 2002 to 2004.

Multiple dimensions of HIV stigma and psychological distress among Asians and Pacific Islanders living with HIV illness

Multiple dimensions of HIV stigma and psychological distress among Asians and Pacific Islanders living with HIV illness

Asians and Pacific Islanders (APIs) living with HIV/AIDS in the US are particularly vulnerable to HIV-related stigma largely due to ingrained socio-cultural norms that strongly associate HIV transmission with activities perceived to be immoral. This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between five HIV-stigma factors and psychological distress among 54 HIV-seropositive APIs. Social Rejection, Negative Self-Worth, Perceived Interpersonal Insecurity, and Financial Security were all significantly associated with psychological distress.

The "Demon Plague"

The "Demon Plague" and access to care among Asian undocumented immigrants living with HIV disease in New York City

This paper describes the cultural attitudes, behaviors, and perceptions that affect access to and utilization of care among Asian undocumented noncitizens living with HIV/AIDS (UNWHA) in New York City. Sixteen semistructured interviews with HIV-positive UNWHAs revealed that their access to care was influenced by community misperceptions of HIV transmission, discriminatory attitudes towards persons living with HIV, competing immigration related stressors, and difficulty navigating service systems.