Who We Are

The UW Medicine PERC Center is a leader in research, education, and clinical care working to improve mental health and substance use care for and pregnant and postpartum individuals. We bring together experts with decades of experience across multiple disciplines to transform mental health and substance use delivery systems through excellence in clinical consultation, education, and health services research.

Center Faculty


Amritha Bhat, MD, MPH

Director, PERC Center

Dr. Bhat is the Co-Director of the Center for the PERC Center and Associate Professor in the University of Washington Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences.

Deb Cowley, MD

Co-Director, PERC Center

Dr. Cowley is the Co-Director of the Center for the PERC Center and Professor Emeritus in the University of Washington Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences.

Nadejda Bespalova, MD

Dr. Bespalova is an Acting Assistant Professor in the University of Washington Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. She specializes in substance use disorders and mental health in the perinatal period.

Center Staff


Jamie Adachi, MPH

PERC Center Manager

Jamie earned her Master of Public Health from Emory University and serves as the PERC Center Manager and oversees all of the center’s various clinical consultation, education and health services research initiatives.

Alicia Kerlee, MSW

Program Coordinator

Joanne Quiray, BA

Research Study Coordinator Lead

Yesenia Navarro-Aguirre, PhD candidate

Research Study Coordinator II