Our team is based out of the Psychiatry and Neurosciences Department in the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine. We are led by Drs. Kimberley Lakes and Lisa Fortuna.
Kimberley Lakes, PhD
Dr. Lakes is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience in the School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside. She is a licensed psychologist who studies interventions for children and families, with a focus on reducing barriers to early intervention and working with schools and communities to develop culturally relevant and accessible mental health interventions. Her school-based intervention research has been recognized with awards including the Aspen Brain Forum Prize in NeuroEducation Young Investigator Award. In 2023 she received a Fulbright Global Scholar Award (Ireland/South Africa) to support her research on contextual influences on child development and mental health at a global level. In her role as a professor, she currently directs several school-linked mental health centers in Southern California.
Lisa Fortuna, MD, MPH, MDiv
Dr. Lisa R. Fortuna is a board-certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist and Chair of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine. She trained at New Jersey Medical School and completed her research training at Harvard Medical School. Bilingual in Spanish and bicultural, she specializes in trauma care, substance use disorder treatment, and improving mental health services for children, youth, and families—especially in underserved communities. She partners with community organizations to expand access to culturally grounded, trauma-informed care. Outside of work, she enjoys running, spending time with her dog, and connecting with nature.
Mikaela Pulse, PhD, NCSP
Dr. Pulse is a credentialed school psychologist and postdoctoral scholar in the STAR (Strength, Tenacity, Acceptance, Resilience) program within the Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience. The STAR program provides training and direct clinical care. In her role at UCR, she also works at The Craig School (TCS), a non-profit private school that specializes in supporting the needs of neurodivergent children and their families and emphasizes a neuroaffirmative approach to education. At TCS, Dr. Pulse supports special education processes, provides mental health services, delivers social skills intervention, and teaches parent education courses. Additionally, she provides trainings on these topics to residents and fellows within STAR. Dr. Pulse has previous experience as a special education teacher that informs her clinical care, teaching, and research. Her research interests include investigation of the needs of children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental differences and designing interventions to address their mental and behavioral health needs. Through direct services, teaching, and research, she aims to help students flourish emotionally, socially, and academically.
Nancy Herrera, PhD
Empowering the healing and resilience of historically minoritized communities is informed by Dr. Herrera’s background as a counseling psychologist and researcher. As a Counseling Psychology doctoral student at UW-Madison, her research centered on understanding the health and wellness of the Latino community. She bridged such experience during her predoctoral internship at the University of Texas at EL Paso’s (UTEP) Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). While at UTEP, Dr. Herrera specialized in supporting the well-being of primarily bilingual, first-generation to college Latinx students with a history of interpersonal trauma, PTSD, and/or domestic violence while living on the Texas-Mexican border. Her current position as a Psychiatry & Neuroscience Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of California, Riverside, has allowed her to bridge her goals of pursuing an active academic researcher position and passion for supporting the mental health of minoritized youth and families. Her fellowship has inspired my interest in neurodevelopmental disorders (including ADHD), psychological assessments, and the use of digital mental health intervention to address health inequities. The totality of her experiences has reshaped her career goals of pursuing an academic career encompassing technology and mental health among underserved Spanish-speaking communities.
Michelle Porche, EdD
Dr. Porche is a Professor in the School of Medicine, in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of California Riverside. Her faculty position at UC Riverside also includes responsibilities as Director of Faculty Research Development and Scholarly Activity. Her research agenda centers on addressing educational and mental health disparities for marginalized populations, including immigrant and refugee children and families. She has conducted research on the impact of trauma experiences that interrupt children’s academic trajectories, and on the needs of children at the intersection of special education and adverse childhood experiences. Through community-engaged approaches she has co-developed interventions to support children and families.
STAR Program Alumni
2025-2026 Psychiatry Trainees:
- Brett Ellison, DO
- Edder Duarte, MD, PhD
- Omar Abbas, MD
2024-2025 Psychiatry Trainees:
- Daniel Ward, MD
- Michael Garcia, MD
- Gagandeep Mand, MD
The STAR Program 