About Us

Improving Life with CF
A Palliative Care Partnership

Anna Georgiopoulos, MD

Consulting Psychiatrist, Cystic Fibrosis Program
Massachusetts General Hospital

Dr. Anna Georgiopoulos is a psychiatrist and researcher with expertise in ADD, depression, and anxiety among individuals with chronic illness. One of Dr. Georgiopoulos’s specialty lies in working with adults and youth with cystic fibrosis.

Lara Dhingra, PhD

Director of Clinical Studies & Disparities Research

MJHS Institute

Dr. Lara Dhingra is a clinical psychologist with expertise in multidisciplinary palliative care and health services research. Her research focuses on innovative models of palliative care for individuals with chronic illness and their caregivers.

Stephanie DiFiglia, PhD

MJHS Institute

Research Advisor

Nivedita Chaudhary

Massachusetts General Hospital

CF Team Project Manager

Ruobin Wei, MPH

Massachusetts General Hospital

CF Team Research Coordinator

Tara Mullen, BA

Massachusetts General Hospital

CF Team Research Coordinator

Deborah Friedman, PhD

CF Clinical Psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital
Co-Site Lead

Lael Yonker, MD

CF Pediatric Pulmonologist at Massachusetts General Hospital
Co-Site Lead

Russell Portenoy, MD

Department of Family and Social Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Co-Investigator

Rachel Linnemann, MD

CF Pediatric Pulmonologist at Emory University

Co-Site Lead

Brandi Middour-Oxler, DNP

CF Transition Nurse Practitioner at Emory University
Co-Site Lead

Maria Berdella, MD

CF Pediatric Pulmonologist at Mount Sinai Beth Israel

Co-Site Lead

Pat Walker, MD

CF Adult Pulmonologist at Mount Sinai Beth Israel
Co-Site Lead

Janice Wang, MD

CF Adult Pulmonologist at Northwell Health

Site Lead

Cathy Kier, MD

CF Pediatric Pulmonologist at Stony Brook Health

Co-Site Lead

Denis Hadjiliadis, MD

CF Pulmonologist/Palliative Medicine Fellow,

University of Pennsylvania

Expert Consultant

Martha Markovitz, LCSW

CF Social Worker, University of Southern California

Expert Consultant

Francine Fischer

Parent Caregiver of Adult with CF

Community Member

Melissa Shiffman

Adult with CF

Community Member

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is a teaching hospital, a founding member of Partners HealthCare, Inc., and an affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Founded in 1811, MGH is a premier research and clinical institution, including the internationally recognized MGH Cystic Fibrosis Center, a combined pediatric and adult cystic fibrosis (CF) program serving nearly 250 individuals with CF. Care at MGH’s CF Center focuses on both physical and mental health promotion for individuals with CF and their caregivers. The Center’s multidisciplinary team of clinical researchers has developed and disseminated innovations in best practices to improve the quality of mental health care for CF worldwide.

The MJHS Institute was established in 2014 by the New York-based, not-for-profit MJHS Health System. Closely aligned with a large clinical organization, MJHS Hospice and Palliative Care, the MJHS Institute’s mission is to advance specialist palliative care through professional education and research. Its multidisciplinary faculty oversees interprofessional on-site training programs and a robust online education resource. The Institute’s research is focused on health services research, clinical trials, population health studies using large administrative datasets, and surveys of populations with serious chronic illness.