Chase Bryer is a doctoral candidate in Behavioral and Social Health Sciences at the Brown University School of Public Health. His dissertation research is focused on Two-Spirit and Indigenous LGBTQ+ aging with HIV. Prior to Brown, Chase was selected as a Kathryn M. Buder Scholar at the Buder Center for American Indian Studies where he focused on understanding the historical and contemporary issues facing Native communities from cultural, policy, and practice perspectives. Chase holds an MSW from Washington University in St. Louis and a BA in Human Rights and Media from the University of Oklahoma.
Jacob Cousin, a Pine Ridge Indian Reservation native and 2016 Valedictorian of Mahpiya Luta (formerly Red Cloud), pursued his studies at Brown University as a Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholar, earning a BA in Science, Technology, and Society with a focus on Culture and Health, particularly Alternative Medicine. In 2024 he achieved a Masters of Public Health with a focus on Health Behavior. He is currently a Research Assistant at the Brown University School of Public Health, as well as a Policy Analyst/Political Advisor for the Oglala Sioux Tribe Vice President. Jacob’s work centers on preserving Native dance traditions and integrating them into health interventions. He manages study preparation, recruitment, and survey creation, emphasizing the incorporation of Indigenous art into scientific discourse. Jacob’s journey underscores the belief that the fusion of Culture and Health, embodied in Dance and Movement, is not merely academic but a lifelong dedication to enhancing community well-being.
Cristina Fuentes Antoniazzi, PhD in Drama Theatre and Performance at the
University of Huddersfield, UK, actor-researcher, mindfulness expert and
communications consultant.
On a professional level, Cristina combines knowledge from different disciplines
(theatre, psychology and meditation). She uses cutting-edge techniques to improve
individuals’ and groups’ communicational skills in her workshops and individual
sessions.
In her PhD she researched how mindfulness can enhance presence, developing a
Mindfulness-Based Performer Training (MBPT) model which synthesizes the
dynamic and multilayered phenomena of applying mindfulness onstage.
Cristina has experience working with a broad range of individuals and
organizations in Chile and the UK. For further information please visit
www.cristinafuentes.cl
Agustina is from Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is a clinical psychologist specialized in cognitive and contemplative therapeutic approaches, and working within a team focused on the treatment of those suffering from substance-abuse and addiction. She is trained in Compassion Focused Therapy and Mindfulness. She is currently participating in a research project in a school in Buenos Aires, creating a program of contemplative practices based on the Healthy Minds Program, with 11-year-old children.
Serene Singh is a Rhodes Scholar pursuing a Doctoral degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Oxford. Her research centers on the experiences of women on death row in the United States, focusing on topics of femininity, gender identity, and life in confinement. With a commitment to understanding their material realities, Singh aims to contribute to academic knowledge and recommend reforms for this marginalized population.
Singh’s dedication to women’s rights and justice system improvement is exemplified by her nonprofit work, empowering women to build confidence and raise their voices. She holds a Master’s postgraduate degree in Public Policy from Oxford, where she was the youngest student in a global cohort. As a Truman Scholar, Fulbright recipient, and Boettcher Scholar, Singh graduated with Summa Cum Laude honors in Political Science and Journalism from the University of Colorado, with a minor in Leadership Studies.
Outside of academia, Singh has made significant contributions to youth development and social impact causes. Serving as a Dalai Lama Fellow and a project development coach for the Renee Crown Wellness Institute, she provides one-on-one support to fellows in ideating, designing, and executing their passion projects for global change. Singh’s accomplishments include winning the title of National All-American Miss 2020-2023, authoring the acclaimed children’s book “The Queen Machine,” and establishing The Serenity Project, a 501c3 nonprofit focused on empowering marginalized women through fashion shows and confidence coaching. She has also collaborated with Mrs. Obama and the Girls Opportunity Alliance, advocating for girls’ education. Singh’s dedication to challenging stereotypes and promoting diversity is evident in her historic Sikh advocacy efforts at the University of Oxford, where she organized the first Sikh Langar and invited the first turbaned Sikh speaker to the Oxford Union.
Serene hopes to propel her extensive academic background, research focus on women on death row, dedication to advocacy, and involvement in impactful initiatives to pursue a career in justice and civil rights in the United States upon completing her Ph.D. from Oxford University.
Rahma Muhammad Mian is a yogi and academic. She teaches critical media and cultural studies to undergraduates at the Social Sciences and Liberal Arts program at IBA, Karachi. Rahma has over 14 years of experience working in journalism, communications strategy, and media development. From 2003-2012 she was an editor, reporter, and producer for some of Pakistan’s leading news organizations. She has also developed and implemented communication strategy for Unicef’s polio program in Sindh and for Aga Khan University’s examination board nationally. In media development, Rahma’s work has focused on media ethics, civic, and news technology. From 2012-2016, Rahma created, managed, and led programs focusing on media advocacy and public education, open data journalism, news technology, civic technology, and open government. She developed media and technology curricula, data driven media projects, and lead collaborations and partnerships between media organizations, government, universities and development organizations.
Rahma also works as a somatic therapist and yoga teacher. Rahma’s trauma and chronic pain focused body and breathwork practice is grounded in her Vipassana and Brahmavihara practice. Beginning in 2015, she has sat Vipassana retreats in Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Burma and US, learning from monastics and teachersrooted in the Theravada tradition.
Rahma is trained in Ihsaas, a trauma-informed, somatic healing programme designed primarily for Muslim women as well as western trauma and somatic focused trainings. She is also trained in Hatha yoga (RYT-200) from South India and practices Qi Gong and Reiki.
An active part of the local wellness and Vipassana community, Rahma is one of the co-founders of Karachi Sangha, and the annual Karachi Wellness Festival.
Ann Friedman, Ph.D., a psychologist, is the Director of Curriculum for the Mind Body Spirit Institute of The Jung Center of Houston. Ann received her Certification in Mindfulness Facilitation from the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA in 2015, and her Certification in Cognitively Based Compassion Training from the Center for Contemplative Studies and Compassion Based Ethics at Emory University. She has also completed courses for children and teens through Mindful Schools, A Still Quiet Place and .b. She is a Certified Clinicial Trauma Professional (CCTP).
Ann teaches mindfulness to adults and youth individually and through class as The Jung Center, at The Houston Health Museum, and Rothko Chapel. She provides trainings for businesses, nonprofits, schools, and accounting and law firms internationally. She taught across Southeast Texas following Hurricane Harvey and was sent by UNICEF and Mental Health America of Greater Houston to Florida and Puerto Rico following hurricanes. Ann taught in a middle school in Oklahoma through HealthCorps.
She has worked with various trauma groups, including Afghan refugee women through Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston (2022-23) and homeless youth at Covenant House through a study of the University of Texas Nursing School (2020-2023).
For ten years, Ann served as Adjunct Professor in the U.H. Counseling Psychology Graduate Program. She holds both a Doctorate in Counseling Psychology and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from U.H. She completed her Internship in Clinical Psychology at U.T. Medical School and her Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Clinical Neuropsychology at Baylor College of Medicine.
An active community volunteer, Ann is married to attorney J. Kent Friedman. They have five children and eight grandchildren. Ann loves to spend her time in nature and to read.
