Collina D. Cooke, LMSW, Ph.C. is a first-generation college student who was born and raised in Brownsville, Brooklyn (NY). She is currently a full time Social Worker-Case Manager at EmblemHealth Health@Work and a full-time doctoral candidate in the School of Social Welfare at the University at Albany (SUNY). In her role as a Social Worker-Case Manager, she provides counseling services, crisis intervention services, and support to patients experiencing work-related illness or injury.

In 2014, Collina graduated with her Bachelor of Science (Magna Cum Laude) from the University at Albany (SUNY) and went on to receive her Master of Social Work from the University at Albany (SUNY) in 2015. Shortly after graduating with her MSW, she became a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) in New York State and has since been providing counseling services in various positions throughout the Capital Region. Prior to joining the Health@Work team, Collina worked with underrepresented college students, homeless families, and individuals with substance use and mental health disorders.

Collina’s research interests include holistic coping strategies to help decrease the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual impacts of stress on underserved populations. Collina's research includes addressing mental and physical health disparities for Black populations specifically Black women. She has conducted qualitative research on the coping responses and stress experiences of Black women social workers and has collaborated on numerous research projects, most recently on a project highlighting how COVID-19 has impacted the lives of US Black Caribbean frontline essential workers. In addition, she is currently collaborating on research projects highlighting the experiences of African American adult and adolescent caregivers for elderly adults diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease and is the co-principal investigator on a qualitative study exploring the impacts of COVID-19 on the Black Church.