So Glad You Asked Ask Dr. Ruta

Meet the Voices Behind
So Glad You Asked

Leading clinicians, parents, and advocates in maternal mental health bringing you evidence-based conversations and lived-experience insights.

THE HOSTS

Meet Your Hosts

  • Ruta Nonacs HOST

    Ruta Nonacs

    MD, PhD · Perinatal Psychiatry

    Host

    So Glad You Asked

    Dr. Ruta Nonacs is a mom of two young adults and a psychiatrist with the Perinatal and Reproductive Psychiatry Clinical Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is an Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the editor-in-chief of womensmentalhealth.org. Dr. Ruta is committed to making evidence-based resources accessible to all moms and birthing people. Dr. Ruta received her M.D. from Cornell University Medical College and her Ph.D. from Rockefeller University in New York. Her research focuses on the course and treatment of major depression in women during pregnancy and the postpartum period, and she is the author of A Deeper Shade of Blue: A Woman’s Guide to Recognizing and Treating Depression in Her Childbearing Years. She has received several honors and awards, including a NARSAD Young Investigators Award for her work on postpartum psychiatric illness in women with bipolar disorder."

  • Allie Hales HOST

    Allie Hales

    JD

    Host

    So Glad You Asked

    Allie Hales is a maternal mental health advocate and co-host of So Glad You Asked, a maternal mental health podcast created in partnership with the Ammon-Pinizzotto MGH Center for Women’s Mental Health. Through her work, she is passionate about helping women and families access trusted, evidence-based information so they can make informed decisions throughout trying to conceive, pregnancy, postpartum, and parenthood.

OUR WORLD-CLASS TEAM

Meet The Team

  • Lee S. Cohen

    Lee S. Cohen

    MD

    Executive Producer of So Glad You Asked and Director of the Ammon-Pinizzotto Center for Women's Mental Health at Massachusetts General Hospital

    Dr. Cohen is the Director of The Ammon-Pinizzotto Center for Women’s Mental Health and Associate Chief of Psychiatry for Philanthropy and Department Communications at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is also the Edmund and Carroll Carpenter Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He completed his residency training and fellowship at the Massachusetts General Hospital. He is a national and international leader in the field of women’s mental health and was among the founders of the field of Perinatal and Reproductive Psychiatry. His work spans the domains of research, teaching and clinical care in the area of treatment of mood and anxiety disorders with subspecialty interest in psychiatric disorders associated with female reproductive function. These include psychiatric disorders during pregnancy and the post-partum period, depression in midlife women and issues related to infertility and mental health. The research which he conducts and oversees has helped to inform the care of patients who suffer from psychiatric illness.

  • Mike Brown

    Mike Brown

    Producer and editor

    So Glad You Asked

    Mike Brown is a creative executive producer, audio storyteller, and founder of The Art of Letting Go LLC, specializing in podcast production, sound design, and creative strategy for health, education, and mission-driven organizations. As producer of So Glad You Asked, he brings a community-centered, emotionally intelligent approach to creating space for honest and compassionate conversation. He is also the creator and host of The Art of Letting Go, a podcast with over 200 episodes exploring identity, mental health, creativity, and relationships.

  • Peri Barest

    Peri Barest

    Producer

    So Glad You Asked

    Peri Barest graduated summa cum laude from Tufts University in 2024 with a B.S. in Biology and B.A. in Community Health. During her undergraduate years, Peri was involved in the Maternal Advocacy and Research for Community Health club, the Tufts Daily, the Tufts Chaplaincy, and the Tufts Career Center. She also studied behavioral interventions for tobacco cessation and sexual health promotion in cancer patients as a research intern in Dr. Elyse Park’s Health Promotion and Resiliency Intervention Research Center. Peri previously interned with Our Bodies Ourselves Today and the Massachusetts Academic Public Health Corps. Peri is currently pursuing a Master in Public Health at Boston University.

RESOURCE HUB

Expert Contributors

Authors, clinicians, and researchers who contribute articles, commentary, and clinical insights to our educational library.

Have A Question
For Dr. Ruta?

Whether you're weighing medication safety in pregnancy, struggling with anxiety postpartum, or wondering how to help a loved one — ask Dr. Ruta the questions keeping you up at night.

Ask Dr. Ruta

Brought to you by:

So Glad You Asked is backed by more than 30 years of research and clinical expertise from the MGH Center for Women's Mental Health.

visit womensmentalhealth.org