Staff

King Davis, PhD - Director

Dr. Davis is a former Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services serving from 1990 to 1994. During his tenure as commissioner, he was responsible for appointments to the state mental health planning council.He worked actively with this group for over 4 years. In Texas, he has been actively engaged with various planning councils in relationship to priorities of the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health. Over the past several years, he has been involved in an analysis of the transformation efforts in the various states. His research interests focus on mental health finance, organizational cultural competence, archival preservation of mental health records, integrated healthcare, and the impact of mental health policy as a vehicle for change in public mental health systems.

Jemel Aguilar, PhD - Research Associate

Dr. Jemel Aguilar's research focuses on health and mental health policy as it relates to African American and Latino(a) Communities. Dr. Aguilar is currently conducting research on the provision of health and mental health services in State prisons with a specific focus on chronic illnesses such as HIV and depressive disorders.

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Shetal Vohra-Gupta, PhD - Research Associate

Dr. Shetal Vohra-Gupta’s research focuses on economic and labor policy as it relates to women and families of ethnic minority groups. Dr. Vohra-Gupta is currently conducting research on the minimum wage policy and the safety net as it applies to women of color in poverty.  In addition, Dr. Vohra-Gupta also has in interest in international policies that affect women’s human rights.

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Albert Thompkins, PhD - Postdoctoral Fellow

Albert Thompkins research focuses on issues of mental health, economics, and disparities.  He has conducted research on the economic cost of mental illness in America and was a supervisor of case managers at the Mental Health Cooperative in Nashville, TN. Currently he is working on a SAMHSA funded project investigating the mental health training practices of African American clergy.

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Celeste Henery, PhD - Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr. Celeste Henery's research focuses on issues of mental health, race, and gender.  She has conducted anthropological research on the mental wellness of black women in Brazil and is currently working in the US investigating racialized notions of madness and the silence and secrecy around mental illness in black families.

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