Monica Sri Vel, President

Monica Sri Vel is a graduate student at Brown University’s School of Medicine and until July 2025 she served as an Associate Clinical Research Coordinator in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Division of Sports Medicine, at Stanford University. With a background in cognitive neuroscience and sports medicine, she specializes in clinical and lab-based research, focusing on improving patient outcomes. She is skilled in managing study-specific databases, and coordinating clinical trials. She has experience working with research tools such as OpenSpecimen, REDCap, and LabMatrix.

Monica has contributed to research on mental health and AI voice assistants, presenting her findings at conferences such as APA 2021. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Cognitive Science with a Neuroscience emphasis from the University of California, Davis. 

Monica is the founder of Street Care’s Northern California and Rhode Island chapters and now oversees our California, Rhode Island, and Boston chapters,leading our street outreach events and strengthening impact across all three chapters. She is actively on the ground, engaging with individuals experiencing homelessness with empathy and care, distributing care packages, and guiding volunteers in direct outreach efforts. Monica ensures each chapter thrives through her intrepid leadership, overseeing and training other officers and team members, and helps Street Care remain innovative, compassionate, and effective.

Ivan Lopez, California Chapter Vice President, Chief Medical Director

Ivan Lopez is a Life Sciences Researcher within the Department of Pediatrics – Critical Care Medicine at Stanford University, contributing to research on mitochondrial dynamics and extracellular mitochondrial byproducts in a wide range of pro-inflammatory disorders. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology with a Concentration in Biological Science from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He also served as a board member of the Stanford Medicine Health Policy Collective, a student-driven initiative aimed at advancing healthcare equity and policy awareness, His dedication to service extends beyond the lab—he volunteered and worked for over three years in the Surgical Unit at Valley Baptist Medical Center and ASAS Health in Brownsville, Texas, where he supported patient care teams and developed a passion for compassionate, community-based healthcare. 

Ivan has also been part of critical care response medical teams at public events. As Vice President of the California Chapter of Street Care, he focuses on coordinating activities and leading events where essential items are distributed and wellness-focused outreach is provided to homeless individuals in California. His combined background in clinical research, healthcare volunteering, and grassroots service makes him a valued contributor to Bright Mind’s mission.