Devika Bhushan

As a pediatrician and public health leader, she also serves on Stanford’s adjunct faculty, as Chief Medical Officer at Daybreak Health, which brings personalized mental health support directly to youth in schools, and as a senior strategic advisor to entities that aim to advance health, innovation, and equity, ranging from non-profits to a venture capital fund.

Dr. Bhushan first learned about NAMI after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder — when she and her life partner sought crucial guidance from others on a similar journey. Since then, she has referred countless families to NAMI and hopes to eradicate mental illness stigma and advance systemic solutions to well-being through her affiliation with NAMI.

Previously, as California’s Acting Surgeon General (2022) and the Office’s inaugural Chief Health Officer (2019-2022), Dr. Bhushan was a key public health spokesperson and advisor to the California Governor. She led statewide policy and practice innovation, co-launching the $500 million Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Aware initiative, to help millions heal from childhood trauma and enhance health equity. Her clinical, research, and policy expertise spans trauma-informed systems, stress and resilience, mental health, and gender and health equity. Dr. Bhushan’s work has appeared in peer-reviewed publications like The Lancet and Pediatrics and in mainstream outlets like NBC, NPR and The Los Angeles Times.

Dr. Bhushan leads an evidence-based well-being newsletter community (https://askdrdevikab.substack.com/about) and mental illness YouTube channel/podcast (youtube.com/@drdevika) to help eradicate mental illness stigma and spread tools for healing.

Dr. Bhushan trained at Columbia (BA, Neuroscience and Behavior, Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa), Harvard (MD, Cum Laude) and Johns Hopkins (pediatrics residency).