Shari Krauss, MA, MPH

Program Director

Shari Krauss, MA, MPH is the Program Director for the Massachusetts Center for Unexpected Infant and Child Death and Autism Program in the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at the Boston University/Boston Medical Center. She provides clinical oversight of both programs, personnel management, public relations, program implementation and strategic planning, coordination and delivery of training and clinical consultation, and advocacy and community networking. Ms. Krauss has an extensive background working in the fields of education and health care by providing direct service to children and families and managing programs that serve to promote their resiliency through psychosocial support, enhanced provider education and community collaborations. Ms. Krauss served as Co-Chair of the CDC's MA Act Early State Team Outreach Task Force and sits on the Steering Committee for the Butler/Shapiro Task Force. At BMC, Ms. Krauss has worked intensely with community partners such as the Boston Public Schools, DPH-funded Autism Support Centers, Boston Police Department and Boys & Girls Clubs to strengthen and empower the city's most marginalized families, most especially those representing cultural, religious and ethnic minorities.  

Alexander Friedman, MPH

Program Manager

Alexander J. Friedman, MPH is the Program Manager for the Massachusetts Center for Unexpected Infant and Child Death. He helps to advance the Center's mission by organizing and delivering training support to key community stakeholders, such as the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, the Boston Public Health Commission, and visiting nurse agencies across the Commonwealth. On a national level, Alexander has also helped to equip childcare professionals with the tools to better understand the complexity of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death. Alexander’s background includes an emphasis on Child Protection, Project Management, and Population Health Systems Management.

Shelly Bathe Lenn, M.Ed., CAGS

Bereavement Specialist

Shelly Bathe Lenn, M.Ed., CAGS is the Bereavement Specialist for the Massachusetts Center for Unexpected Infant and Child Death at Boston Medical Center. She has historically supported the Center as part of their advisory board, speaks on panels at their statewide trainings, and represents the Center for Child Fatality Review Team meetings across several Massachusetts counties. Ms. Lenn has worked with grieving children and their families since 2002 at The Garden: A Center for Grieving Children and Teens. She leads groups, trains and supervises group facilitators and consults with individuals, school districts, clinicians, and pediatricians about all issues related to grief and loss. She plans and leads programming for Cooley Dickinson VNA & Hospice. She has been on the board for the Longmeadow Educational Excellence Foundation since 2014. She is a mom, runner and swimmer.

Internship Placement

The internship program at the Massachusetts Center for Unexpected Infant and Child Death at Boston Medical Center provides undergraduate and graduate level students the opportunity to participate in supporting families and Center activities. Each academic year, several interns and volunteers come on board to assist the Center by taking on special projects and supporting the day-to-day operations of the program. If you would like to learn more about the internship program and ongoing intern and volunteer projects, or to apply for an internship, please contact us at magriefcenter@bmc.org. 

If you are interested in applying for an internship, please adhere to the following application dates below, otherwise your application may be missed:

• Internship placements beginning in the FALL: please apply between the preceding April 1 - June 1 of that year.

• Internship placements beginning in the SPRING: please apply between the preceding September 1 - November 1 of the previous year.

• Internship placements beginning in the SUMMER: please apply between the preceding February 1 - March 1 of that year.

Current Interns

Fall 2023 - Spring 2024
Safah Bhatti – Graduate Student, Tufts University

Spring 2024
Christina Chow – Undergraduate Student, Boston University

Past Interns

Summer 2023 - Fall 2023
Ziyan Xie – Undergraduate student, Tufts University

Summer 2023
Marisa Huang – Graduate student, Tufts University

Spring 2023
Amanda McFarland – Graduate student, Boston University

Fall 2022
Sophie Jung – Graduate student, Boston University

Summer 2022 - Fall 2022
Mollie Dion – Graduate student, Tufts University
Ava Maurillo – Undergraduate student, Boston University

Fall 2021 - Spring 2022
Ana Jurca – Graduate student, Tufts University

Summer 2021
Giannina Garcia – Graduate student, Boston University
Quinn Tucker – Undergraduate student, Tufts University

Spring 2021
Gopika Das – Graduate student, Boston University

Fall 2020
Daniela Pozos – Undergraduate student, Tufts University

Summer 2020
Sara Dionisio – Graduate student, Tufts University

Fall 2019 - Spring 2020 Kristen Wederski – Graduate student, Tufts University

Summer 2019
Ana Martinez – Graduate student, Tufts University

Fall 2018
Kristen Caporelli – Undergraduate student, Tufts University

Spring 2018
Bridgete Liebau – Graduate student, Tufts University

Fall 2017
Coralys de Jesus – Undergraduate student, Tufts University

Fall 2016 - Spring 2017
Sarah Coburn – Graduate student, Tufts University
Kate Fosbenner – Undergraduate student, Tufts University
Nikki Kelly- Graduate student, Tufts University
Grace Tunning – Graduate student, Tufts University
Emily Zhang – Graduate student, Tufts University

Fall 2016
Weyu Hodge – Graduate student, Boston University
Pooja Patel – Graduate student, Boston University

Summer 2016
Qiaoxi Chen – Graduate student, Boston University

Spring 2016
Carey Finchem – Graduate student, Boston University
Grace Thole – Graduate student, Boston University

Advisory Board Members

Lisa Allee – Injury Prevention Coordinator, Boston Medical Center
Marianne Coyle – Continuous Quality Improvement Specialist, Department of Children and Families  
Megan Dunn – Funeral Director, Chapman Funeral Home
Shieda Gilles – Nursing Supervisor, Boston Public Health Commission
Eric and Holly High – Parents
Seth and Melissa Isaacs – Parents
Jose and Katie Knox Román – Parents
Nancy Leventhal – Collaborating Clinical Social Worker
Lisa Mancuso – Grandparent
Jessica Mancuso Nalen – Parent
Candice Marshall- Parent
Kathleen McAleer – Bereavement Specialist, Cranberry Hospice
Elsie Morantus Petion – Boston Public Health Commission
Ryan O’Hanlon – Owner, McHoul Family Funeral Home                                   
Pat O’Malley — Medical Director, Pediatric Palliative Care at Massachusetts General Hospital 
Desiree Rivera – Youth and Young Adult Residential Systems Specialist (Bureau of Substance Addiction Services), Department of Public Health
Deborah Rivlin – Retired Education Director, The Children’s Room: Caring Support for Grieving Children, Teens and Families
Jonathan and Wendy Shaw – Parents
Kazuko Takeuchi Montgomery – Collaborating Psychologist
Caitlin White- Parent            

Past Advisory Board Members

​​Elizabeth Armstrong – Deputy Director and Counsel, Office of the Child Advocate
Nicole Barsalona – Founder, Mommy Interrupted
Joseph Cahill – Director of Medico-Legal Investigations, MA Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
Deborah Clapp – Director, Emergency Medical Services for Children, Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Melissa Deane – Social Work Supervisor, Child Protection Team, Boston Medical Center
Justine Egan – Injury Epidemiologist, Department of Public Health
Susan Horrigan – Case Investigation Supervisor, Department of Children and Families
Christian Kiriakos – Mortuary Supervisor, Boston Medical Center
Nate Lamkin – Care Dimensions
Maggie and Michael Mancuso – Parents; Founders, Ambrose’s Angels
Collette Peterson – Circle Home, Inc.
Joseph Reardon – VP for Community Development and Advance Planning, Keohane Funeral Home
Scott Scholefield – Director of Special Investigations, Department of Children and Families
Pam and Howard Teibel – Parents
Lynn Turner – Collaborating Nurse
Patricia Whitworth – Healthy Baby Healthy Child, Boston Public Health Commission