Our People

Dr. Holly Wilcox is a Professor in the Department of Mental Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with joint appointments in the Department of Health Policy and Management as well as the Johns Hopkins Schools of Medicine and Education.  Holly uses research to advance public health approaches to suicide prevention, including policies, early intervention, and chain of care approaches. Holly serves as President of the International Academy of Suicide Research (IASR) and on the Scientific Council of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). Holly is an Affiliate Investigator with the Centre for Research Excellence in Suicide Prevention of the Black Dog Institute in Australia. 

Dr. Adams researches the intersection of gender, race, and mental health to examine socially-determined mental health disparities in Black communities. 

Dr. Álvarez is a health services researcher and psychologist whose work focuses on mental health equity for adolescents and young adults. Kiara holds a joint appointment in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. She has particular interests in the prevention of youth suicidal behavior, the mental health and well-being of Latinx and immigrant youth and their families, and the integration of behavioral health care across clinical and community settings serving youth.

Dr. Bearman is an Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.  Between 1995 and 2014 he served as Executive Director of the American Association of Suicidology (AAS). Prior to this he attained the rank of tenured full professor of psychology at American University (1969-1991) and was named Director of the National Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide at the Washington School of Psychiatry (1991-1995).   He is a Past-President of the AAS (1984-1985) and of the International Association for Suicide Prevention (2009-2013).  He is the AAS’s 1982 Shneidman Award recipient (for Outstanding Contributions in Research in Suicidology), and 2006 Louis I. Dublin Award recipient (for outstanding service and contributions to the field of suicide prevention).  A Diplomate in Clinical Psychology and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the International Academy for Suicide Research, Dr. Berman maintains a private practice of psychological and forensic consultation in Chevy Chase, MD.  He has published over 135 professional articles and book chapters and has edited/authored 8 books.

Dr. Cwik is a Licensed Psychologist and an Associate Scientist and Associate Director at the Center for American Indian Health in the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. She has a joint appointment in Psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Dr. Cwik has conducted research in suicide, substance use and trauma, focusing on preventing Native American mental health disparities for the past 10 years. Dr. Cwik’s research, in collaboration with the White Mountain Apache Tribe, has helped to identify unique risk factors impacting these disparities, the importance of protective factors including cultural identity, and promising interventions associated with a reduction in the Apache suicide rate. Mary has expertise in community academic partnerships, developing mental health interventions for different cultural contexts, training community mental health specialists, screening, surveillance (Apache model recognized by SAMHSA, Indian Health Service/IHS and the Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry), mixed methods designs, RCTs, and Emergency Department settings. Dr. Cwik has received two teaching excellence citations and serves on the APA Committee on Human Research, Suicide Prevention Resource Center steering committee, and Zero Suicide National Implementation Team for American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Dr. Haroz researches the implementation of mental health and suicide prevention programs, particularly in partnership with Indigenous communities.

Dr. Nestadt's research focuses on the epidemiology of suicide. He is interested in the role of practical factors, such as firearm access and opiate use, in the risk of suicide death. His methodological expertise includes large scale regression based data analysis, post-mortem clinical evaluation, and evaluation of determination of manner of death. He also works with the OCD genetics group and the broader suicide prevention workgroup at Johns Hopkins.

Dr. Triplett is the clinical director for the Department of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital, as well as faculty in the Department of Emergency Medicine. He specializes in suicide risk evaluation as well as geriatric psychiatry.

Dr. Frattaroli translates evidence about injury and violence prevention into policies and practices that will create safe places for people to thrive.