About the event:

Borderline Human – Artistic Expressions of Lived Experiences with Borderline Personality Disorder, Stigma, and Recovery

Co-sponsored by The Friedman Brain Institute and Emotions Matter

In collaboration with the nonprofit Emotions Matter, the Friedman Brain Institute is proud to present Borderline Human, an art show that will feature curated pieces from artists impacted by Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), offering profound insight into their subjective experiences with the condition. Join us on opening night for a reception that will highlight individuals with lived experience as well as experts in BPD research and care.

All professionals and members of the general public are cordially invited to attend in person or via Zoom (Passcode:429735).

View artwork from artists with lived experience: https://emotionsmatterbpd.org/art-show

Agenda:

Art of The Brain: Borderline Human Art Show Lecture
June 10th at 5pm; Hatch Auditorium, Mount Sinai Hospital, 1190 5th Avenue, New York NY, 10029

5:00pm: Opening Remarks
Speakers: Veronica Szarejko, Cameron Le Roux

5:05pm: Introducing Mood and Personality Disorder Research Program (In-Person)
Introduction by: Olivia Berin
Speaker: Harold Koenigsberg, MD

5:15pm: Introducing Emotions Matter
Introduction by: Jessica Qiu
Speaker: Paula Tusiani-Eng, LMSW, M.Div.

5:20pm: Lived Experience Perspective 1
Introduction by: Paula Tusiani-Eng
Speaker: Sara Rosenberg

5:30pm: BPD Stigma in Research (On Zoom)
Introduction by: Jessica Qiu
Speaker: Sara Masland, PhD

5:45pm: Lived Experience Perspective 2
Introduction by: Olivia Berin
Speaker: Cameron Le Roux

5:55pm: Q&A panel with all speakers
Moderator: Olivia Berin
Speakers: Harold Koenigsberg, MD; Paula Tusiani-Eng; LMSW, M.Div., Sara Rosenberg, Sara Masland (zoom); Cameron Le Roux

6:00pm – 7:00pm: Borderline Human Exhibition and reception
Location: Guggenheim Pavilion, Mount Sinai Hospital, 1190 5th Avenue, New York NY, 10029

About the speakers:

Harold W. Koenigsberg, MD, DLFAPA

Dr. Harold W. Koenigsberg is a board-certified psychiatrist and an internationally renowned researcher in the fields of mood and personality disorders. He received his MD from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and currently serves as a Professor of Psychiatry and the Director of the Mood and Personality Disorder Research Program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, as well as a clinician at the Bronx VA Medical Center. Dr. Koenigsberg has been awarded 17 years of continuous funding from the National Institute of Mental Health to study the neurobiological and psychological underpinnings of personality and mood disorders, with a particular focus on BPD. He is the author of two books on BPD, one of which has been translated into seven languages. Dr. Koenigsberg is currently conducting brain imaging studies of social cognition, emotion, and memory in people with personality disorders and across the emotional instability spectrum. A Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and Fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, Dr. Koenigsberg advised the personality disorder task forces for the DSM-IV and DSM-5, and is also a member of the board of directors of the International Society for the Study of Personality Disorders.

Paula Tusiani-Eng, LMSW, M.Div.

Co-Executive Director for Program Growth and Development, Emotions Matter Inc.

Paula Tusiani-Eng is the Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of Strategic Growth at Emotions Matter Inc., a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to education, support, and advocacy for those impacted by BPD. She received her Master’s in Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in 2001 and her Master’s in Social Work from Adelphi University in 2014. Paula is co-author with her mother, Bea Tusiani, of Remnants of a Life on Paper: A Mother and Daughter’s Struggle with Borderline Personality Disorder. She lost her younger sister, Pamela Tusiani, who suffered from BPD at the age of 23 in 2001. Her passion for BPD education, resources and advocacy is in her sister’s memory to help others survive and thrive with BPD with access to mental health care needed to achieve a meaningful recovery.

Sara R. Masland, PhD

Associate Professor of Psychological Science, Pomona College

Dr. Sara R. Masland is a licensed clinical psychologist and clinical scientist. She received her PhD from Harvard University and is currently an Associate Professor of Psychological Science at Pomona College. As Director of the Pomona Personality, Psychopathology, and Relationships Lab, her research broadly focuses on personality disorders, with a particular emphasis on BPD and narcissistic personality disorder. Her work specifically explores barriers to treatment, such as stigma and accessibility, as well as the roles that social cognition, identity, and emotion processes play in the context of these disorders. She is currently a trainer in Good Psychiatric Management (GPM) for BPD and co-chairs a multinational research committee dedicated to studying and improving this treatment approach. She also investigates psychosocial predictors of transdiagnostic clinical outcomes, including perceived criticism in close relationships.

Cameron Le Roux

PhD Candidate, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Volunteer, Emotions Matter
Cameron Le Roux is a PhD candidate in Neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and a volunteer with the Education and Outreach & Advocacy Committees at Emotions Matter. Her dissertation project explores social cognition in borderline personality disorder (BPD), with a focus on the mechanisms underlying relationship instability. Cameron’s commitment to this research and advocacy work is deeply informed by her own lived experience with BPD and that of loved ones. She also serves as a sexual assault and intimate partner violence advocate at Mount Sinai, a role that has further reinforced her belief in the vital role of lived experiences in informing healthcare and clinical research.

Sara Rosenberg 

Sara Rosenberg serves as one of the Board Co-Chairs of Emotions Matter, focusing on programs and operations. As someone with lived experience of borderline personality disorder (BPD), Sara is deeply passionate about raising awareness and advocating for those affected by BPD. She draws from her own recovery journey to inspire and connect with others. Professionally, Sara is a licensed Financial Advisor and Private Wealth Manager, dedicated to helping her clients build and secure their financial futures.