About Us
Dr. Joyce Javier
Joyce Javier, MD, MPH, MS is an Associate Professor in the department of Health Systems Science at the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine. She is a primary care pediatrician and physician scientist whose research over the past 23 years has focused on optimizing the well-being of Filipino American youth. Her work has been funded by the National Institute of Health NIMHD, Eunice Kennedy National Institute for Child Health and Development, the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Team Kapwa
Team Kapwa is a multidisciplinary team of health professionals and
community partners whose vision is to create a culture of mental health
and healthy parenting in the Filipino community. We are honored to be chosen for the first cohort of the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Fellowship, a national leadership program aimed at creating an environment of health for all.
Team Kapwa includes:
Joyce Javier MD, MPH, MS (leader), Dean Coffey PsyD, Jed David MS, OT, Horacio Lopez MD, Aviril Sepulveda OTD, OTR/L, and multiple community partners/members.
TEAM MEMBERS
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!
Jasmine Celine Raymundo Osumo, 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 in May of 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.
Dylan Mesina, Research Associate I
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.
Nikki Catangay, MPH, Research Associate I
Nikki Catangay is a Research Associate at the Filipino Family Health Initiative (FFHI). She earned her Master of Public Health in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from the University of California, Berkeley, where she also completed her Bachelor’s degree in Public Health with a minor in Data Science. Nikki is passionate about using data to inform public health action through research, collaboration, and education. Her experience spans environmental health research at the California Department of Public Health, community-centered work with labor organizations in the Philippines, and teaching epidemiology as a Head Graduate Student Instructor. Nikki first joined FFHI as a Master’s practicum student intern in summer 2025 and is excited to continue advancing culturally grounded approaches to mental health in Filipino communities.
Kendall Dimson, MPH, Research Associate I
Kendall Dimson is a Research Associate with the Filipino Family Health Initiative (FFHI), where her work focuses on outreach, recruitment, and study coordination, alongside a strong interest in leveraging data-driven strategies to advance equitable public health solutions. She earned her Master of Public Health in Biostatistics and Epidemiology from the University of Southern California (USC) and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley. In her prior work with USC’s Department of Population and Public Health Sciences and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Kendall contributed to a Hepatitis C linkage-to-cure initiative by integrating data analysis with case management to identify gaps in care and connect residents to treatment services. She also volunteered with Kesem, a national nonprofit supporting children impacted by a parent’s cancer. Kendall joined FFHI in January 2026 and is dedicated to promoting mental health and wellness in Filipino communities while advancing representation in the field.
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.
OUR FFHI ALUMNI INTERNS & PREVIOUS STAFF
Kary Calderon
Erica Shin
Lizbeth Correa Mendoza
Nikki Catangay
Katelyn Edelwina Yap Legaspi
Erika San Antonia
Kat Alcantara
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
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