Dr. Christina Lakshmi Persaud is a native New Yorker, born in Manhattan + raised in
Queens. She graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in Neuroscience and
Behavior and a Masters in Public Health. She also earned a Masters in Biomedical
Sciences at Tufts Medical University. She received her Doctor of Medicine (MD) at
SUNY Upstate Medical University and completed her psychiatry residency at Boston
University Medical Center, where she was a chief resident in her final year of training.

As the first doctor in her family, Dr. Persaud realized her dream of helping her fellow
New Yorkers as an attending psychiatrist. Telemedicine allowed her to transcend this
dream by giving her the opportunity to connect with people in multiple states.

Dr. Persaud’s areas of interest include: ADHD, anxiety, depression, mood disorders,
PTSD, psychiatric effects of medical conditions (psychosomatic medicine),
academic/professional stress, navigating cultural dynamics. She incorporates multiple
styles of therapy, medical knowledge, cultural awareness, humility, and humor into her
sessions. She is a doctor of color taking pride in providing high-quality care and a safe
space for everyone. She breaks down the internalized stigma often held by patients
seeking mental health care for the first time.

Dr. Persaud embraced telepsychiatry out of necessity during the pandemic. She was
diagnosed with COVID in March 2020 and continues to manage life with long COVID:
“To keep working, I got into telemedicine. It’s been a godsend to me and the people I’ve
been working with.”

As part of her COVID recovery, Dr. Persaud embraced long distance powerwalking and
completed the 2021 NYC Marathon. She also enjoys comedy shows, reading,
kayaking, live music, Broadway shows, and cheering for her local NYC sports teams.
Most of all, Dr. Persaud loves exploring new places and learning about other cultures
through first-hand experience; she has traveled to 70+ countries to date and has visited
her 7th continent in Dec 2024: Antarctica!