Surasya Guduru

Surasya Guduru (she/her/hers) is a Levine Scholar at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte studying psychology, international studies, and political science. Surasya worked with Dr. Rachel Presskreicher at the Weill Cornell School of Medicine’s Department of Population Health Sciences on two projects: 1) a qualitative assessment of public government financing and support of access to eating disorder-centered care and 2) a review and commentary of collaborative care models around the globe. She engaged in a qualitative analysis of SAMHSA’s National Mental Health Services Survey (NHMSS) dataset in order to assess the profile of mental health treatment centers accepting public insurance, developing a framework for a “secret shopper”-style protocol. She also conducted extensive literature reviews and a critical policy analysis of the role collaborative care services play in promoting equitable approaches to mental health challenges worldwide. Beyond these valuable experiences, the GMHP Summer Internship provided Surasya with a deeper understanding of systemic barriers to global mental health concerns, inspiring mentorship, familiarity with various lenses and frameworks to address health inequity, and an added conviction to channel her voice and narrative in the movement towards healthier and stronger societies. Surasya will return to work with Dr. Presskricher in the fall to continue her research and prepare materials for publication.