Brain Fitness 

Brain Fitness is organized as a team.  Team members all teach classes, using the same lessons, with a few exceptions as noted above.  Each team member is unique in the way they teach, how they teach, and/or in the additional responsibilities they carry.  

The Basics class introduces you to the online brain training website, BrainHQ.  This program has been used in multiple studies and has found to have a positive effect on cognition including improvements in brain speed, recognition and memory.  While we cannot predict your personal improvement, we can say that it has helped many students, and is what keeps them coming back time and again.

Yael Lorberfeld: Brain HQ Lab (ylorberfeld@sdccd.edu) 

Yael Lorberfeld has been teaching Brain Fitness since 2019. She is now the coordinator for Brain Fitness Basics Class. She holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology by the Illinois School of Professional Psychology. She has been working since 1997 in Mental health as a Psychotherapist, School Psychologist and teaching topics related to Mental Health and Wellbeing, in Spanish and in English. She has a certificate on Family Leadership Coaching by The San Diego University for Integrative Studies.  She is the cofounder of a nonprofit organization and an active volunteer in her community, working as an educator for children to develop social responsibility. 

Erika Peralta: Topics, Websites, Brain HQ administration (eperalta@sdccd.edu) 

Erika Peralta is a passionate advocate for public health, with a master’s degree in public health (NU) and a bachelor’s degree (UCSD) in public health. Her commitment to health education is underscored by her certification as a Health Education Specialist, reflecting her dedication to promoting wellness and preventing diseases. 

Erika's professional journey is fueled by a profound interest in intergenerational work and infectious diseases within the realm of public health. She believes in the power of bridging generational gaps to create sustainable health solutions that resonate with diverse communities. 

As a first-generation college graduate, Erika brings a unique perspective to her work, prioritizing the needs of underrepresented communities. Her mission is rooted in fostering inclusivity and dismantling health disparities. Erika's approach is characterized by a genuine care for the well-being of diverse populations, recognizing the importance of tailored interventions to address the unique challenges they face.  She highly cares for people, being social, and loves teaching with empathy.  

Join her in the pursuit of well-being, as she continues to champion intergenerational collaboration and tackle infectious diseases head-on. Together, let's build a healthier world, one community at a time. 

Charisse Wilson: Topics, BrainHQ Lab (cwinston@sdccd.edu) 

Dr. Charisse Winston is a translational neuroscientist focused on developing biofluid-based extracellular vesicles (EVs) as biomarkers for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). She earned her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Georgetown University after receiving a B.S. from the University of Virginia and an M.S. from Georgetown, both in Biochemistry. For the past decade, she has been a dedicated educator in the San Diego community college system and is an active volunteer with the Alzheimer's Association and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. 

Mindy Sloan: Diverse approach to brain health & BrainHQ (msloan@sdccd.edu)

Mindy's career focus has been on using education to make the world a better place. She has served learners of diversity as a school psychologist for PK-12 school districts and the California Youth Authority, and as a faculty member and administrator at institutions of higher education. As a faculty member and administrator, Mindy pioneered several strategies to effectively engage at-risk learners, established an online Library, Writing Center, and Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, provided 24/7 learning supports that increased students success, created predictive models to diagnose and prescribe specific interventions that improved student learning, and was elected as a faculty senator and faculty body President. Her graduate degrees are in Educational & Counseling Psychology, and she has been licensed as a school psychologist, clinical psychologist, school administrator, and special educator.  Dr. Sloan's first career was as a greeting card illustrator and writer.  She is a minister of metaphysical sciences.  Last and most importantly, Mindy is a mother of four amazing adults and Nene to a grandson and granddaughter. 

Desirée Harguess: Diverse Approaches to Brain Health (dharguess@sdccd.edu)