Semira Semino-Asaro

Semira Semino-Asaro, PhD, PMHCNS-BC, PMHNP-BC, is an Associate Professor at SONHP's Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Program.  Semira is a psychiatric nurse practitioner and psychiatric clinical nurse specialist.  In the clinical arena, she has been practicing at Mavida Health, a tele-psychiatry practice focused on perinatal mental health.

Semira’s interest in reproductive psychiatry was informed by her clinical experience as a staff nurse in inpatient psychiatry, neonatal intensive care, and couplet care.

Semira also has experience in nursing education, teaching in a variety of undergraduate as well as graduate nursing programs. Semira's research focus is on infant-parent mental health with a focus on stress management during the early motherhood transition.
 

• Maternal mental health
• Psychotherapy and medication management
• Creativity & stress management during early motherhood transition

• Maternal mental health
• Mixed-Methods research 
• Infant-Parent mental health
• Creativity & stress management via community engagement
   

• University of San Diego, MSN, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Program, 2017
• University of Massachusetts Boston, PhD in Nursing & Health Policy, 2015
• University of Massachusetts Boston, Post-Graduate Fellowship in Infant-Parent Mental Health, Clinical Psychology Department, 2014
• University of Arizona, MS in Psychiatric Nursing, Nurse Therapist Track, 1990
• Boston College, BSN, 1986

• Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Mavida Health (2024-present)
• Associate Professor, University of San Diego (2015-2021)

• University of San Diego Hahn School of Nursing & Health Science Beyster Institute for Nursing Research Advanced Practice, & Simulation, Faculty Research Incentive Funds, 2016-2017
• University of Massachusetts Boston College of Nursing & Health Sciences (PhD Program) Recipient of the Ann Kibrick Award for Academic Excellence in Nursing, 2013
• Doctoral Dissertation Research Grant, 2014
• Arlyne Barnett Doctoral Student Scholarship Dissertation Award, Sigma Theta Tau, Theta A Chapter, 2014
• University of Arizona College of Nursing (MS Program), Nightingale Award, 1990
• Boston College School of Nursing (BSN Program), Alumni Award, 1986

• Semino-Asaro, S., Oreck, S., & Gliske, K. Contextualizing prescribing decisions through data and milestones: A specialized perinatal mental health model. Podium presentation at the California Association for Nurse Practitioners 48th Annual Education Conference, San Diego, California, March, 2026.
• Vignato, J., Connelly, C. D., Bush, R. A., Georges, J. M., Semino-Asaro, S., Calero, P., & Horwitz, S. M.(2018). Correlates of perinatal post-traumatic stress among culturally diverse women with depressive symptoms. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 39(10), 840–849. 
• Semino-Asaro, S., Hayman,L.L., Shi, L., Snidman, N. & Tronick, E. Association of maternal self-report and observational data during the postpartum period: The case for subjective and behavioral measures. Podium presentation at the American Psychiatric Nurses 31st Annual Conference, Phoenix, Arizona, October, 2017.
• Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders in Military Spouses: How to Better Support Military Families. Nguyen, T., Semino-Asaro, S., Reminick, A., Rukaj, A., Connelly, C. Poster accepted for presentation at the 31st Annual American Psychiatric Association Conference, in Phoenix, Arizona, October 2017.