Joanne Nicholson

Joanne Nicholson is a Professor at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management (Brandeis University) and an Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at UMass Chan Medical School. She holds leadership roles in the Institute for Behavioral Health and co-founded key research collaboratives like the Prato International Research Collaborative for Parent and Child Mental Health. Her work focuses on mental health, disability, family well-being, and innovative interventions such as the ParentingWell initiative and the WorkingWell mobile app.

Dr. Nicholson earned her Ph.D., M.S., and A.B. from Pennsylvania State University and Syracuse University. Her research spans maternal mental health, opioid use disorder, and technology-driven solutions for health equity. She actively engages communities in research, exemplified by the Virtual Community Engagement Studio (V-CES) and the IIDDEA initiative.

Her scholarship emphasizes intersectional approaches to health disparities, particularly for parents with mental illnesses or disabilities. Notable contributions include developing evidence-based practice frameworks like Family Options and the ParentingWell approach, which address gaps in healthcare coordination and service delivery. Nicholson has received prestigious awards for her career contributions to psychiatric rehabilitation and family-focused practice.