Alesha Cid-Vega

Alejandra (Alesha) Cid-Vega is a Clinical Psychology PhD student in the Health Division at the University of Miami. Alesha earned a BA in Performing Arts and Global Health from Sarah Lawrence College and an MA in Psychology from The New School in New York. Before joining the lab, she served as lab manager and graduate research associate at the New School Center for Global Mental Health, where she led efforts to adapt and implement scalable psychological interventions developed by the World Health Organization using innovative approaches such as film and media, cultural contextualization, and training lay providers in low-resource and humanitarian settings. Alesha has been in technical roles in global mental health projects in Latin America and the Caribbean, Uganda, and Switzerland. She was a Mental Health Fellow at the International Rescue Committee and is currently a Community Mental Health Innovation Fellow supported by the Arcamind Global Institute and the Miller-Dwan Foundation. Originally from Spain, Alesha is bilingual in Spanish and fluent in French.

Her research focuses on the adaptation and implementation science of mindfulness programs to enhance mental wellbeing and holistic fitness in high-demand and vulnerable populations. She is particularly interested in trauma, autobiographical memory, and mind-body approaches. Outside of research, she enjoys social dancing, yoga, traveling, and reading.