Gregory L. Fricchione, MD
Director

Gregory L. Fricchione, MD is Director of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. He also serves as Associate Chief of Psychiatry at MGH and is a Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

He is a 1978 graduate of the New York University School of Medicine and did his postgraduate training in psychiatry at NYU-Bellevue and in psychosomatic medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. From 2000 to 2002, he served as Director of the Mental Health Task Force at the Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia, while on leave of absence from HMS. While there he worked with Mrs. Rosalynn Carter and former President Jimmy Carter on public and international mental health issues and policy. Dr. Fricchione has published over 80 journal articles and has co-authored 4 books.
He has overall responsibility for the clinical, educational and research missions of BHI.

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Herbert Benson, MD
Director Emeritus

Herbert Benson, MD is the Director Emeritus of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine and the Mind/Body Medical Institute Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.
A graduate of Wesleyan University and the Harvard Medical School, Dr. Benson is the author or co-author of more than 175 scientific publications and eleven books.

He assists in the direction of the clinical and research activities of the BHI.

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John Denninger, MD, PhD
Director of Clinical Research

John Denninger, MD, PhD, is Director of Clinical Research at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. He also serves as Associate Director of the MGH-McLean Adult Psychiatry Residency Training Program, Staff Psychiatrist at the MGH Depression Clinical and Research Program and Instructor Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. After receiving his undergraduate degree from Harvard University, Dr. Denninger completed his MD/PhD—with dissertation work on the biochemistry of the nitric oxide receptor—at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He completed his internship and residency in the MGH/McLean Adult Psychiatry Residency Training Program and served as Chief Resident in Psychopharmacology at Massachusetts General Hospital. He has received a Master of Medical Sciences from the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology as part of the Clinical Investigator Training Program. Dr. Denninger has received many awards for his research and teaching, including the NCDEU New Investigators Award and the Harvard Medical School Students Award for Teaching. Dr. Denninger strives to bridge the gap between research and clinical practice by using the insights gained from one to inform the other. His research interests in mind body medicine and depression include biomarkers, the role of neuroplasticity/neurogenesis, and the neurobiology of contextual processing, social functioning and social cognition.

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George Bush, MD, MMSc
Director of Neuroimaging Research

George Bush, MD, MMSc, is Director of Neuroimaging Research at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. An Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and an Associate Researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital, he also serves as the Director of the MGH Cingulate Cortex Research Laboratory and Assistant Director of the MGH Psychiatric Neuroimaging Research Program. His research combines functional neuroimaging and intracranial recordings to study how cingulate cortex contributes to normal cognitive, decision-making, reward, motor, and emotional processing. This knowledge is then applied to elucidating the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, OCD, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, sleep disorders and Alzheimer’s dementia. For BHI, Dr. Bush is currently developing and refining functional MRI (fMRI) paradigms that seek to identify the neural circuitry underlying the relaxation response, altruistic (pro-social) decision-making and social attachment.

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Aggie Casey, MS, RN
Director, Cardiac Wellness Program

Ms. Casey is Director of the Cardiac Wellness Program and is a clinical nurse specialist at the Benson-Henry Institute (BHI). She is also the clinical director of Affiliate Programs. She joined the BHI in 1991 and has over 30 years experience in acute cardiac care, cardiac rehabilitation and health promotion.

She earned her MSN degree in nursing at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. Ms. Casey in an Associate in Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

Ms. Casey has co-authored two books: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure (2006) and Mind Your Heart: A Mind/Body Approach to Stress Management, Exercise and Nutrition for Heart Health (2004). She also recently co-authored: A Harvard Medical School Special Health Report: Stress Management, Approaches for preventing and reducing stress (2008). In addition, she has published several articles in peer reviewed journals.

Ms. Casey has trained numerous health professionals from around the country in mind body medicine and heart health, and has presented at national conferences. Her specialty areas include health promotion and mind/body medicine.

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Clinical Staff

Patricia Martin Arcari, PhD, RN
Director, Calm Mother, Happy Child Program

Dr. Arcari is director of the Calm Mother, Happy Child Program and a clinical nurse specialist. She joined the BHI in 1993 and also serves as clinical director of Affiliate Programs and a researcher at the BHI.

She earned her MS degree at Boston University and her PhD degree in nursing at Boston College. Dr. Arcari is an Associate in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and an Associate at Boston College School of Nursing. She was a University Fellow at Boston College.

Dr. Arcari's specialty areas include parenting, infertility and mindfulness meditation.

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Peg Baim, MS, NP
Clinical Director, Center for Training
Director, Lighten Up Program
Director, Medical Symptom Reduction Program

Ms. Baim is director of the Lighten Up Program and Medical Symptom Reduction Program, and a clinical nurse practitioner. She is also the clinical director of the Center for Training in Mind/Body Medicine and a researcher at the BHI.

Ms. Baim earned her MS degree and did postgraduate work in nursing at Boston College and has gained clinical experience at several major hospitals.

She is also an Associate in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and is an Adjunct Clinical Instructor of Graduate Programs in Primary Health Care Nursing at Simmons College.

Ms. Baim joined the BHI in 1990 and her specialty areas include cognitive applications of positive psychology and contemplative meditation.

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Rana Chudnofsky, MEd
Director, Education Initiative

Rana Chudnofsky is the Director of the Education Initiative at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Ms. Chudnofsky received her masters degree in Education from Harvard University in 1997 and is certified in Massachusetts in teaching where she earned dual undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

At the Benson-Henry Institute, as Director of the Education Initiative, Rana Chudnofsky brings Mind Body Medicine to clinical treatment centers, schools, and university systems. Ms. Chudnofsky is also a clinical trainer and Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School and teaches a master’s-level seminar at Lesley University. Most recently Ms.Chudnofsky has spoken at the “Harvard Mental Health Conference” offered by the department of Psychiatry and Cambridge Health Alliance and the “Learning & Brain Conference”, sponsored by Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at MIT and Harvard University Graduate School of Education. Ms. Chudnofsky is an accomplished entrepreneur, trainer and lecturer. In 1993 Rana Chudnofsky founded NextStep Technologies Inc., a software training firm, now specializing in technical and Java training.

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Molly Deisroth-Kim, MS, CES
Staff Exercise Physiologist
Cardiac Wellness Program

Molly Deisroth-Kim is an ACSM Certified Exercise Specialist with the Cardiac Wellness Program. Ms. Deisroth-Kim received her master’s degree in Exercise Physiology and Cardiac Rehabilitation from Springfield College. She has been in the cardiac rehabilitation field for more than twenty years including experience with the Dr. Dean Ornish Program.

Her specialty areas include health promotion, yoga and stretching for cardiac patients and bringing mind/body awareness to physical activity.

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Leslee Kagan, MS, NP
Director, Mind/Body Program for Menopause and Mind/Body Program for Infertility
Co-Director, Medical Symptom Reduction Program

Ms. Kagan is the director of Women’s Health at the Benson-Henry Institute (BHI) for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. She is a clinical nurse practitioner who facilitates the Mind Over Menopause, Infertility and Medical Symptom Reduction Programs. She is also part of the research team at BHI.

She earned her BS degree from the State University of New York at StonyBrook and completed her MS degree and postgraduate nurse practitioner training at Pace University and Harvard Community Health Plan.

With the BHI since 1998, she has 20 years experience in providing health care for women in institutions such as Harvard Vanguard Medical Center and Somerville Hospital.

Her work in menopause has been recognized by the North American Menopause Society and she is first author of Mind Over Menopause, The Complete Mind-Body Approach to Coping with Menopause, (Harvard Health Publications; Simon and Schuster). She is also a contributing author to Our Bodies Ourselves: Menopause, (The Boston Women’s Health Collective; Simon and Schuster 2006).

Ms. Kagan has trained numerous health care professionals around the country in mind body medicine and women's health, and has presented at national conferences. Her specialty areas include preventive medicine, and the application of mind/body techniques to infertility and menopause. She is an Associate in Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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Laura Malloy, LICSW
Director of Yoga Programs
Trainer, Education Initiative

Ms. Malloy is Director of Yoga Programs and a trainer for the Institute's Education Initiative program. She is a licensed independent clinical social worker, specializing in working with children and their families.

She earned her BA in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and her MSW from Salem State College. Ms. Malloy is also a certified Kripalu yoga teacher and will obtain a certification in yoga therapy from the Rocky Mountain Institute for Yoga and Ayurveda in August of 2008.

Her specialty areas include yoga for stress reduction and health promotion, and bringing mind/body stress reduction strategies into school settings.

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Darshan Mehta, MD
Associate Director of Medical Education
Staff Physician

Dr. Mehta received his BA in Biology from Illinois Wesleyan University and an MD from University of Texas-Southwestern Medical School. He completed his residency in internal medicine at University of Illinois-Chicago Hospital. He recently completed a clinical research fellowship in complementary and integrative medicine at the Harvard Medical School Osher Research Center, during which he received Master of Public Health degree from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Dr. Mehta is a diplomate of the American Board of Holistic Medicine, and has completed professional training in mindfulness-based stress reduction at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Dr. Mehta is also a staff physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

His educational and research interests include curricular development in complementary and integrative medical therapies, mind/body educational interventions in health professions training, and promotion of professionalism in medical trainees. He directs medical resident rotational electives at BHI-MGH. Dr. Mehta sees patients in a consultative role for use of complementary and integrative medical therapies, as well as mind/body interventions for stress management and stress reduction.

Dr. Mehta is active in the Massachusetts Medical Society, and is a member of the American College of Physicians and the American Medical Association.

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Elyse R. Park, PhD, MPH
Chief of Behavioral Health Research

Elyse R. Park, Ph.D. MPH, is Chief of Behavioral Health Research for the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, an Assistant Professor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and a Clinical Associate in Psychology at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Park received a Ph.D. in clinical health psychology from Yeshiva University in New York and completed a behavioral medicine fellowship at Brown Medical School in Rhode Island. She received her MPH from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Dr. Park has extensive experience designating and evaluating behavioral intervention trials. She is also experienced in qualitative research development and uses qualitative research to inform quantitative survey design. Her research interests extend across physician and patient behavior change, telephone-delivered interventions, and the role of culture and risk perceptions on cancer preventative behaviors and treatment decision-making. She has published more than 45 original articles in a variety of peer reviewed journals.

At the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Park is currently the lead investigator for several mind-body behavioral trials, assessing the feasibility and potential efficacy of integrating the relaxation response into community-based trials with high school students, hospital based group treatments for infertility, and outpatient mental health clinic group treatments. Other projects include development of a valid and reliable postpartum stressors scale and creating an evidenced-based RR/resiliency treatment manual for dissemination.

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Eva Selhub, MD
Staff Physician

Dr. Selhub is medical director of the Health and Wellness Center at the Benson-Henry Institute. She is also a clinical trainer and researcher at the BHI.

Dr. Selhub received her BA degree from Tufts University and her MD degree from the Boston University School of Medicine. She completed her residency in internal medicine at the Boston Medical Center in Boston, MA. She is on staff at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and is an Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Tufts Medical School.

Dr. Selhub also is as an integrative health consultant who merges Eastern and Western approaches into her practice, and a professional guest lecturer and teacher.

She is a member of the Massachusetts Medical Society, the American Holistic Medical Association, and The Forge Institute.

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Ellen K. Shannahan, MS, PT
Physical Therapist/Exercise Specialist
Lighten Up Program

Ellen K. Shannahan is a licensed physical therapist and exercise specialist with the Lighten Up program. Ms. Shannahan received her Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy at Ithaca College. She has over 14 years of experience at major Boston teaching hospitals and has been a clinical lab instructor at Simmons College. Ms. Shannahan has served on the Board of Directors of the American Heart Association in Boston and was the Chairperson of its Healthcare Site Committee. She has also been involved with the American Physical Therapy Association national conference.

Her specialties include promoting mind body awareness through exercise and physical activity and health integration.

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Ellen A. Slawsby, PhD
Director, Mind/Body Chronic Pain Service
Staff Psychotherapist

Dr. Slawsby is director of the Mind/Body Chronic Pain Service and provides individual therapy, specializing in individuals with chronic illness, chronic fatigue, or pain. She received her MA and PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

With the BHI since 1996, she is also a researcher and clinical trainer at the Benson-Henry Institute and an Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School. Dr. Slawsby has published and presented research on chronic medical illness and infertility.

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Narmin Virani, RD, LDN
Dietitian, Cardiac Wellness Program

Ms.Virani is the clinical dietitian for the Cardiac Wellness Program and other programs of the Health and Wellness Center.

She earned an undergraduate degree in nutrition from the University of Mumbai, India, and Texas Woman's University and completed a postgraduate dietetic internship at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She also holds a certificate of training in adult weight management from the American Dietetic Association.

Her specialty areas include nutritional management of cardiac and diabetes patients, weight management, and digestive disorders such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

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Ann Webster, PhD
Director, Mind/Body Program for Cancer
Staff Psychologist

Dr. Webster is the director of the Mind/Body Programs for Cancer and for HIV+/AIDS. She is a health psychologist and a researcher and clinical/corporate trainer for the BHI.

With the BHI since 1987, she earned her PhD degree in health psychology at Albert Einstein School of Medicine/Yeshiva University. She is an Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School and an Instructor at the Albert Einstein School of Medicine and the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy.

Dr. Webster has received several awards, most notably from the AIDS Action Committee and the Northern Lights Alternatives, for her work with HIV+/AIDS patients. She also was a finalist for the Compassionate Caregiver Award from the Kenneth B. Schwartz Center.

Dr. Webster sits on the boards of The Medical Foundation, the Community Research Initiative, and the Institute for Body, Mind, and Spirituality at Lesley University.

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