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Lawrence Yang, PhD
Executive Director
Dr. Yang currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. His training and expertise in psychometrics and measurement issues is directly relevant to his work with the PANSS Institute. Dr. Yang received his Ph.D. from Boston University with a specialization in Clinical Psychology, completing his clinical internship at Massachusetts Mental Health Center/ Harvard Medical School. He is also a graduate of the NIMH funded Psychiatric Epidemiology Training Program.
Dr. Yang has received over half a dozen fellowships and awards during his graduate, post-graduate, and professional career, including the National Security Education Plan-Graduate International Fellowship to validate a psychosocial instrument to assess schizophrenia in Beijing, China from 1998-2000. He recently received a 5-year mentored research scientist award (K-01) from the National Institutes of Mental Health to examine how socio-cultural factors- in particular, family environment and stigma- relate to course of illness of schizophrenia in Chinese immigrant populations.
Gil Zalsman, MD Senior Clinical Associate Dr. Zalsman is a child psychiatrist and the Director of the Child and Adolescent Division at Geha Psychiatric Hospital in Israel and holds the title of Lecturer at the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University. Dr. Zalsman’s research has focused on psychosis, suicidal behavior, and research on the genetics of adolescent mental disorders. He has further expertise in the conduct of clinical research interviews in child and adolescent populations and has completed several research fellowships at the Yale Child Study Center and in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University. While conducting research in the United States and Israel, Dr. Zalsman has received funding from public and private sources to support his work. He has served as Senior Clinical Associate for the PANSS Institute for the past year and has led training at investigator’s meetings around the world.
Hong Ngo, MA Director of Training & Operations Ms. Ngo is currently completing her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Fordham Universiity. Her research is devoted to preserving the integrity of research in cross-cultural settings and development of culturally appropriate interventions for ethnic minority populations. She has presented to audiences on cross-cultural issues in Global Clinical Trials and has led training programs throughout North America, Asia, and Europe. Ms. Ngo completed her Bachelor's degree at Williams College and her Master's degree in Psychology at Columbia University. 
Evgenia Ivanova, MA, MS Assistant Director of Global Affairs Ms. Ivanova has been involved in psychology and counseling since 1996. She has worked as a clinical social worker at the First Psychiatry Hospital of Moscow, and has applied her clinical experience to advance global research and clinical trials methodology. She has published the results of her research on the relationship between community and mental health and has taught both sociology and psychology. Ms. Ivanova joined the PANSS Institute as Assistant Director for Global Affairs, leading training programs for Russian PANSS raters. Ms. Ivanova has a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology and is completing her PhD in Sociology at the Moscow State University, Russia. 
Sun Hui Cho, MA Assistant Director of Training Ms. Cho has been involved in teaching, counseling services, and children's health for over a decade. During this time, she has served as a guidance counselor and leader in settings around the world. She has been involved in project management, community mental health research, and has also had the opportunity to teach at various levels from grade five through post-graduate studies. She has been involved in professional translation work since 2002. Ms. Cho joined the PANSS Institute as a Lead Training Coordinator and expert on Korean language and culture, providing consultation for training Korean-speaking PANSS raters. Ms. Cho earned her M.A. in Counseling at Covenant Theological Seminary and has been involved in longitudinal research at Columbia University and Washington University-St. Louis. 
James Lefkowitz, BA Film/TV Media Director James Lefkowitz is a graduate of New York University's Tisch Film School of the Arts. Prior to joining the PANSS Institute as Media Director, he has worked with major production companies including E!, New Line, PBS, Sony, Miramax, NHK Japanese TV, ZDF German TV, and Sci-Fi Channel. He brings a wealth of international experience to TPI, having worked in countries such as Korea, India, Russia, Cuba, Mexico, Haiti, Jamaica, Italy, France, the UK, and in dozens of locations throughout the US. His credits include the production of several feature films and documentaries. With experience in all fields of media, Mr. Lefkowitz directs TPI's media development efforts, from live event broadcasting to production of the highly acclaimed "PANSS Training" DVD Series. |
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