Dr. Christina Lakshmi Persaud is a true New Yorker born in Chelsea and grew up in Forest Hills, Queens. She graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in Neuroscience and Behavior in 2006 and a Masters in Public Health (MPH) degree. She also earned a Masters in Biomedical Sciences degree at Tufts Medical University.

Dr. Persaud received her Doctor of Medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University and completed her psychiatry residency at Boston University Medical Center, where she was chief resident in her final year.

She is realizing her dream of connecting helping her fellow New Yorkers as an attending psychiatrist.

A provider of color and the first doctor in her family, Dr. Persaud covers a spectrum of psychiatric and psychological concerns, including but not limited to: anxiety, depression, mood disorders, PTSD, psychiatric effects of medical conditions (psychosomatic medicine), academic and professional stress, and navigating cultural dynamics.

Additionally, she breaks down the internalized stigma often held by patients seeking mental health care for the first time. “Therapy should be part of primary care,” Dr. Persaud says.

Like many during the pandemic, Dr. Persaud embraced telepsychiatry out of necessity. She was diagnosed with COVID in March 2020: “To keep working, I got into telemedicine. It’s been a godsend to me and the people I’ve been working with. I think telemedicine actually enhances the quality of care,” she says. As part of her COVID recovery, she is preparing to power walk the 2021 TCS New York City Marathon.Close