Dr. Dean Coffey is a licensed clinical psychologist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) with a faculty appointment as an Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the University of Southern California through the Keck School of Medicine of USC. As an Incredible Years Certified Agency Mentor, Dr. Coffey provides training and group supervision for parent group leaders.
Dr. Avril (Apple) Sepulveda is a board-certified pediatric occupational therapist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Apple recognizes the value of mental health in fostering families through program development. She is also on the Board of Directors for 2020 Mom, a national nonprofit that bridges the gaps in maternal mental health through collaboration and education.
Jed David is an Occupational Therapist at Children's Hospital Los Angeles and a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Fellow. Jed was born in Cebu, Philippines and was raised in the Los Angeles area. His hope is that the next generation of Filipino community members will continue to be connected to their Filipino roots and have a sense of kapwa.
Dr. Horacio G. Lopez is a board-certified pediatrician practicing in the community of Filipinotown. He completed his degree in medicine at the FEU-UNR Foundation in Manila, Philippines and has been practicing in Los Angeles for over 20 years. Dr. Lopez is a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar and is involved in decreasing mental health problems amongst Filipino families in Los Angeles.
COLLABORATING FACULTY/STAFF
Michele Kipke, PhD
Wendy Mack, PhD
Lawrence Palinkas, PhD
Karen Camero, MD
Amila Adili, MPH
MEET OUR STAFF AND CURRENT INTERNS!
Jasmine Celine Cuevas Raymundo, MPH, PTA, CBIS, Research Coordinator
Jasmine is a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant, Certified Brain Injury Specialist, and the Research Coordinator for FFHI. She received her bachelor’s degree in Human Biology from the University of Southern California in 2016 and then went on to receive a degree to become a Physical Therapist Assistant. She decided to shift careers in 2022, to serve communities in need of more health education. She attained her Master of Public Health degree from the University of Southern California, and recently graduated earlier this year in May, 2024. Her goal is to work with organizations whose aims are to improve health outcomes in vulnerable communities. She stated that she is very excited to work with FFHI as the work that FFHI does is extremely important in the Filipino community. FFHI helps cultivate strong family dynamics amongst Filipino communities which will ultimately benefit the health of future generations of Filipinos.
Kyra Aligaen, Research Assistant
Kyra Ashley Aligaen (she/her) is a student at the University of Southern California enrolled in the Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy's Bachelor to Doctorate Program, with a minor in International Health, Development, and Social Issues. Through her studies, Kyra aims to serve communities around the world with limited access to essential rehabilitation services due to healthcare challenges and imbalances. As the daughter of Filipino immigrants and a proud Filipina-American, Kyra is eager to explore ways to best serve and give back to her community throughout her career. Kyra is a research assistant for the Filipino Family Health Initiative, where she is responsible for creating outreach materials that consider the cultural context and address youth mental health awareness. She joined the FFHI team to promote well-being among Filipino youth and families and to spark conversations about mental health. Kyra is passionate about supporting and promoting Pinoy culture through her work and is motivated by FFHI’s mission to assist and uplift fellow Filipinos.
Dylan Mesina, Research Assistant
Dylan is currently a research assistant at FFHI, graduating Magna Cum Laude from the University of Southern California (2024) with a B.A. in Cognitive Science and a minor in Musical Studies (Classical Alto Saxophone Performance), hoping to practice transactional law in IP, medical malpractice, or public interest in the near future. Although the intersectionality of human cognition and music pedagogy do not ostensibly pertain to his career trajectory, he believes that the core principles and infrastructure that lied under his education are essential to navigating the health and legal atmosphere. Raised in Burbank, California with his younger sister by his two Filipino parents, he understood from a young age the struggles behind climbing the proverbial social ladder and achieving the “American Dream.” Dylan has always prioritized community impact, and his passion has emboldened him to become a more involved citizen, subsequently landed him here with Dr. Javier in an effort to promote and advocate for early mental health interventions among Filipino youth both in LA and the PH.
Kat Alcantara, Research Intern
Katrina Monica Alcantara is a research intern at the Filipino Family Health Initiative (FFHI). Holding a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree from St. George's University (2024) and a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from the University of the Philippines Manila (2014), Katrina previously worked in the public health field from 2015 to 2020. She aspires to become a pediatrician, motivated by FFHI's mission to improve the lives of Filipino children, with a special emphasis on mental health and parenting support. Through her work, Katrina aims to cultivate a supportive environment that empowers families to thrive.
Katelyn Edelwina Yap Legaspi, MD, Research Intern
Katelyn is a research intern here at FFHI. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Health Sciences (cum laude) from Ateneo de Manila University in 2017. She went on to receive her
Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of the Philippines College of Medicine in 2022. Currently she is a Junior faculty at San Beda University College of Medicine and mentor at TopNotch Medical Board Prep. She aspires to be a pediatrician. She loves being involved in FFHI because of the impact it has. The efforts of the group have increased performance and improved relationships in the lives of the parents and children we interact with. It is a wonderful thing to be a part of.
Erika San Antonio, MD, Research Intern
Erika San Antonio was born and raised in New York as a first-generation Filipino American. She entered the CUNY School of Medicine BS/MD program out of high school and moved to LA for pediatric residency at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. She is now a second-year resident and undecided in terms of future career plans. She became involved with FFHI after Dr. Javier was assigned as her clinic coach. She found it so inspiring to have a Filipina mentor and it was a gateway to helping the Filipino community and their health. She is so grateful to have found this community and hopes to continue to keep growing with these amazing, incredible people.
OUR ALUMNI INTERNS
Paul Leo Cunanan
Warren Aguiling
Jessica Castro
Sharmaine Cerezo
Annette Faria
Emily Lee
Sam Macam
Coycoy Martinez Puyat
Justin Shin
Jocelyn Castro
Kamil Bantol
Johanna Angeles
Angela Reyes
Taryn Liu
Jocelyn Supan
Allan Samson
Dana Paycao
Moira Desphy
Michele de Belen
Reginald Macapagal
Dani Gies
Frank Aliganga
Angelica Lansang Walker
