Member
Mental Health America's Young Leaders Council
Oleksandr “Alex” Sharlai (he/him) is a Ukrainian-born neuroscience researcher, mental health advocate, and aspiring medical doctor currently based in San Diego, California. As a refugee who rebuilt his life at 18, he draws from personal experiences with displacement, depression, and anxiety to inform his work at the intersection of science, medicine, and policy. Before the war, Oleksandr was a two-time recipient of Ukraine’s Presidential Merit Scholarship for winning the national science fair. He also represented Ukraine in international research competitions, earning top awards at the GENIUS Olympiad (U.S.), ICAN (Canada), I-FEST (Tunisia), and others. After moving to the United States, he began studying Biology and Psychology while conducting research in molecular and behavioral psychiatry at Scripps Research. His current work investigates long-term memory impairments associated with alcohol use disorder. In parallel, he leads an independent project exploring social media-induced flow states and how digital information shapes public perceptions of mental health. Through all his work, Oleksandr blends data and storytelling to advocate for more ethical, accessible, and inclusive mental health care.
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Young Mental Health Leaders Panel and mPower Award Presentation
Friday, October 17, 2025
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM US EST