Mahmoodi, Vinus (vm2607)

Current Positions:

Assistant Professor at Columbia University Medical Center

Clinical Researcher at the Early N3 Lab at CUIMC

Lab Director at Muslim Perinatal Lab at Teachers College, Columbia University

Postdoctoral psychologist - Seleni Institute - Perinatal Mental Health clinical training

• Clinically -Focused on pregnancy planning, conception, pregnancy, and postpartum mental health
• Perinatal loss - miscarriage, stillbirth
• Infertility

PhD in Clinical Psychology - Palo Alto University/Stanford University

Pre-Doctoral Internship - Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Icahn School of Medicine

• • Specialized training in childhood trauma treatment
  • Rotations in child psychology, childhood trauma, psychological assessments, and inpatient psychiatric care

M.S. in Clinical Psychology - Palo Alto University/Stanford University

B.S. in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry - University of San Francisco

Dr. Mahmoodi's clinical interests are in perinatal mental health, including perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, perinatal loss, and infertility. She is also specialized in childhood trauma and Muslim mental health. Her current clinical practice is at a Muslim mental health clinic, Khalil Center, which focuses on the wellbeing of Muslims, utilizing traditional psychological interventions as well as Islamically-integrated psychotherapy, and trauma treatment. She will shift her clinical practice at Columbia University Irving Medical Center's Faculty Practice in Oct 2021, where she will focus on reproductive mental health. 

Dr. Mahmoodi's research interests focus on the perinatal mental health, specifically low-resource populations in the United States and abroad. She is an Affiliate Scholar with the Global Mental Health lab where she collaborates on research focused on perinatal mental health and IPT treatment. Dr. Mahmoodi is also a research fellow with the AlKaram Institute where her areas of interest relate to the influence of spirituality and religiosity on the transition to motherhood and expectations among Muslim women living in the United States. 

Current Projects:

1. Conceptualizations of perinatal Loss in Muslim women in the United States - investigating an Islamically-integrated approach to addressing grief and distress related to miscarriage and stillbirth.  

2. Matrescence in Muslim women in the United States - investigating elements of faith that contribute to maternal flourishing and supporting women through their transition into motherhood.

3. COVID-19 and Muslim women's perinatal experiences -investigating the mental health and risk/protective factors of Muslim women associated with the COVID-19 pandemic 

For students interested in working in the Muslim Perinatal Lab, please email project coordinators, Sarah Aljebrin (ssa2202@tc.columbia.edu) and Alisa Barsch (acb2299@tc.columbia.edu).

Teaching Schedule Autumn 2023

CCPX 4132-001

Perinatal Mental Health - Tuesdays 5:10-6:50pm

CCPX 4038-002

Comparative Psychotherapies - Thursdays 9-10:50am

Although both courses are at capacity, students tend to "shop" for classes the first week of the semester. Prior to reaching out to instructor or course assistants, please wait to see if there is an opening in the course in the weeks leading up to the start of the semester. During the first week of the semester, if you still don't have a spot, reach out to the course assistants to put yourself on the course waitlist.

Perinatal Mental Health - Alisa Barsch (acb2299@tc.columbia.edu)

Comparative Psychotherapies - Meenakshi Kothari (mk4426@tc.columbia.edu)

IPs and Letters of Recommendation

At this time, I am only able to accommodate students involved in my lab or have an established relationship with me.