As part of the Women’s Mental Health Team, she provides psychological evaluations and treatments for perinatal women and conducts research to better understand the social and cultural etiology of mental illness. Dr. Sawssan has been an assistant professor in the Departments of Psychology and Human Development at the California State University and is a Voluntary Clinical Instructor at University of California, San Diego, Department of Family Medicine. She completed her postdoctoral training in developmental issues and health disparities and is passionate about studying the relationship between sociocultural risk and protective factors and health and championing culturally competent clinical work for Arab and Muslim populations.