Mia Atoui is a Clinical Psychologist and the Co-founder and President of Embrace, a leading mental health NGO in Lebanon. Mia has a Master’s degree in Public Health and a Master’s degree in clinical psychology from the American University of Beirut. She has worked in the field of mental health in Lebanon for the past 10 years and is a published researcher in the field. Since 2013, she has been active in addressing stigma, awareness and accessibility of mental health care in Lebanon working in coordination with the Ministry of Public Health and multiple local and international organizations to lobby for equity of care in mental health, quality rights for persons with lived experience with mental illness, and implementing projects across sectors with the aim of improving mental well-being of individuals and communities. She has extensive experience in suicide prevention in Lebanon and has been leading and advocating for Lebanon’s National Emotional Support and Suicide Prevention and Helpline in Lebanon - Embrace LifeLine (1564). She is an active member in civil society and conducts trainings to local communities and organizations across Lebanon to build the capacities of first responders and health professionals in detection and prevention of mental illness, suicide, and psychological resilience among various vulnerable groups in the community.

Since 2017, Rayan has been actively supporting Embrace and contributing to its growth. He provides assistance with Embrace’s strategic, financial, and business activities, building on his business acumen and experience in management consulting, corporate strategy, and tech. He holds a master’s in business administration from the Harvard Business School (2021) and a bachelor’s in business administration from the American University of Beirut (2014).

Lila Khederlarian is a healthcare researcher who leverages techniques in statistics and data science to enable data-driven decision making. She holds master's degrees in Cognitive Neuroscience and Healthcare Analytics & Informatics from UCL and KCL respectively. She is currently a Senior Associate of Data and Operations at a biotech start up in London where she manages the development and implementation of AI systems and solutions across the organisation. Prior to that Lila held various positions within the research department at Embrace where she supported on academic research efforts and was involved in the development and implementation of monitoring and evaluation plans for various projects.

Dr. Pia Zeinoun is currently the Vice President of Embrace, who along with the Embrace team has contributed to the strategic expansion of the organization. Dr. Zeinoun has initiated and led several projects including the establishment of the Embrace research hub, and most notably the Embrace Mental Health Center in 2021 – a full multidisciplinary clinical center and university-affiliated training program. From 2016 to 2021, Dr. Zeinoun served as Assistant Professor of Psychology at the American University of Beirut’s Department of Psychology, while prior to that she co-founded and led the Psychological Assessment Center at the AUB Medical Center since 2013. Clinically, Dr. Zeinoun specializes in the evaluation and treatment of children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental and acquired disorders. Her research includes more than 30 peer-reviewed publications focused on cross-cultural and indigenous measurements of clinical symptoms and personality. Her education includes graduate training at the Johns Hopkins/Kennedy Krieger Institute in Maryland, USA, a PhD in Psychology from Tilburg University in the Netherlands, while prior to that she had a Fulbright sojourn at Illinois State University, where she obtained a master’s degree in Clinical & Counseling Psychology. She is a member of the Lebanese Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, and International Test Commission, and serves as an associate editor academic journal.

Farah Yehia is a doctor in Health Services Research and Policy and a Healthcare Consulting Manager based out of the UAE. Her work focuses on healthcare system transformations in the GCC and her research interests lie in mental health policy, health economic impact assessment, and pharmaceutical drug pricing. Prior to joining Johns Hopkins, Dr. Yehia worked for 3 years on mental health system reforms in Lebanon at the American University of Beirut Medical Center and co-founded “Embrace” where she worked closely on the inception of the region’s first suicide prevention helpline. She has also served as a Research Affiliate for the Knowledge-to-Policy Center at the American University of Beirut since 2013 helping deliver evidence-informed recommendations to policymakers on priority public health issues. She holds numerous publications in refereed journals including JAMA Internal Medicine and the Annual Review of Public Health and has presented her research at multiple academic conferences including the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR), the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) and Academy Health. She is also a member of the Delta Omega Honorary Society and former president of the Arab Public Health Organization at Johns Hopkins.
Farah earned her PhD from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2020 and her Master’s in Public Health and Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the American University of Beirut.

Dr. Natali Farran was a member of the General Assembly at Embrace from 2019 until 2023 while mainly being involved in outreach activities within Lebanon. She is a human rights activist with a focus on mental health and education. Dr. Farran is a practitioner and researcher, and The Padmal de Silva Prize winner for integrating scholarly work with clinical practice. Clinically, Dr. Farran works as a psychologist at the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability in London with survivors of severe acquired brain injuries who experience complex needs, and she is a member of The British Neuropsychological Society and The International Neuropsychological Society. She was trained in specialist trauma therapy for survivors of extreme human cruelty with the Helen Bamber Foundation. Dr. Farran’s research focuses on developing accessible tests in neuropsychology for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) groups, and she has published in several peer-reviewed journals including The Clinical Neuropsychologist, Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, and the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology. She completed her undergraduate degree in psychology in Beirut, and continued as a two-time merit based scholar for her postgraduate studies. She finished a master’s degree in Applied Neuropsychology at the University of Bristol, and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) at King’s College London.

Dr. Myriam Zarzour is a psychiatrist with a diverse background in the field of mental health. She received her training in both Lebanon and France, earning her degrees from Saint Joseph University and Paris University in 2020.

Dr. Zarzour's professional journey involves roles as a clinician, an attending physician at Hotel Dieu de France hospital, an instructor at Saint-Joseph University faculty of medicine, a researcher, and a mental health consultant for local and international NGOs. She is also a member of the executive committee of the Lebanese Psychiatric Society (LPS).

Her interest in community mental health and her passion to improve mental health services in Lebanon led her to join Embrace in August 2020 as a volunteer psychiatrist in the aftermath of the Beirut blast. Over time, Dr. Zarzour assumed a more prominent role within Embrace, where she now serves as the Head of Clinical Excellence at the Embrace Mental Health Center.

Dr. Zarzour also holds a master's degree in Neuroscience from Bordeaux University in France. Additionally, she has pursued specialized training in addiction psychiatry, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and reconsolidation therapy for psycho-trauma treatment.

John Ounjian is a seasoned and results-oriented professional with over 12 years of expertise in overseeing and curating financial data while conducting astute business and financial analyses to achieve organizational objectives.
Possessing a Master of Science in Blockchain & Digital Currency from the University of Nicosia and a Bachelor’s in Finance from Lebanon, John is a Certified Reporting Professional. He holds additional certifications in data modeling, business intelligence, and automation solutions from various reputable enterprises.
Since 2021, John has played a pivotal role in the transformation of Embrace Finance & Accounting teams, contributing to the revitalization of data structures and reporting systems. His proactive engagement includes valuable assistance in enhancing financial reporting processes, showcasing his commitment to optimizing organizational efficiency and driving impactful results.

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