Ayorkor Gaba

Ayorkor Gaba, PsyD, serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (UMass Chan). She directs the Behavioral Health Equity Advancement Lab (B-HEAL) and leads the Equity Division at the Massachusetts Center of Excellence in Specialty Court. Dr. Gaba's academic affiliations include the T.H. Chan School of Medicine at UMass Chan where she conducts research at the intersection of behavioral health and social justice.

Dr. Gaba earned her BS in Psychology and PsyD in Clinical Psychology from Rutgers University. Her educational background provided the foundation for her specialized work in clinical psychology with a focus on marginalized populations.

Her research program centers on reducing health disparities and advancing health equity through implementation science approaches. Dr. Gaba specifically investigates how to improve behavioral health services for historically marginalized populations including African American/Black and Latino/a/x individuals and families, people involved in the criminal legal system, and women. She examines co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders within specialty court settings, with particular attention to racial/ethnic disparities in service delivery and outcomes. Her work integrates social justice principles with systems thinking to address social determinants of health that contribute to inequities in behavioral healthcare.

An analysis of her recent publications (2019-2024) reveals a strong emphasis on implementation science within criminal justice settings, particularly specialty courts. Her research consistently examines racial and ethnic disparities in behavioral health services, with growing attention to digital health interventions and gender-specific considerations in treatment. The publications demonstrate methodological diversity including clinical trials, implementation studies, qualitative analyses, and systematic reviews focused on equity-oriented interventions.

Dr. Gaba actively contributes to advancing discourse around race, ethnicity, and culture in psychiatric research and practice, as evidenced by her co-authorship on methodological guidance for reporting on these critical dimensions in research.

As Director of the Behavioral Health Equity Advancement Lab (B-HEAL), Dr. Gaba leads a research team focused on developing and testing interventions that address health inequities. Her lab works closely with the Massachusetts Center of Excellence in Specialty Courts, particularly on initiatives related to the Equity Division which she directs. This collaborative structure enables her team to implement and evaluate evidence-based practices in real-world criminal justice settings while centering equity considerations throughout the research process.