Summer Interns 2021
Amir Abu-Samaha
Amir is a rising senior at the University of California, Santa Cruz, majoring in Psychology. His interests include stress, negative life events, resilience/coping strategies, and risk factors for vulnerable groups. He plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, leading to a career as a psychotherapist and professor.
Brianna Wingard
Brianna is a rising senior at Santa Clara University studying Psychology and Public Health. Her research interests include mindsets and body image, as well as how emotions are experienced and expressed differently cross-culturally. She hope to pursue a career in either Neuropsychology or Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
Elizabeth Lockerby
Elizabeth is a rising senior at Dominican University of California, where she is majoring in Biology and Psychology and minoring in Chemistry. She is looking forward to exploring how psychophysiological responses to discrimination and stress affect health and well-being. Elizabeth intends to pursue a PhD in Neuroscience and conduct research.
Frances Lin
Frances is a rising sophomore at Amherst College planning on double majoring in Neuroscience and Latin. She is interested in connecting bodily health with mental health and sees such research as crucial to reducing the stigma associated with mental health. She hopes to become a psychiatrist.
Justin Luong
Justin is a rising junior at the University of Southern California double majoring in Cognitive Science and Data Science. He is particularly interested in the mind-body connection and how demographic factors affect personality and mental well-being. Justin lives in San Jose and enjoys combat sports and video games.
Katherine Gonzaba
Katherine is graduating from the University of Texas at Austin in May 2021 with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Business. Her research interests include authenticity and rejection across the developmental trajectory. Katherine hopes to pursue a career in Clinical Psychology in the future.
Katherine Weltzien
Katherine is a rising senior at University of California, Davis where she is majoring in Psychology. After graduation, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a focus on the relationships between environmental stressors and mental health conditions.
Katie Urdan
Katie is a rising junior at Washington University in St. Louis, where she is majoring in Psychology, Neuroscience, & Philosophy (PNP). Her research interests include the study of social cognition, personality, and stress. She hopes to eventually earn a PhD in Psychology.
Katrina Wong
Katrina is a rising sophomore at the University of California, Berkeley pursuing a double major in Molecular and Cell Biology and Psychology. She is enthusiastic about learning how biology intersects with the psychosocial facets of wellness and development. She aspires to incorporate an interdisciplinary biopsychosocial perspective as a future physician.
Kyle Caudill
Kyle Caudill is going into his third year at Washington University in St. Louis where he is majoring in Philosophy, Neuroscience, and Psychology. His research interests span social and political psychology with a focus on how our psychophysiology affects sociology. Kyle hopes to attend graduate school and continue working in research.
Michaela Pennebaker
Michaela is a rising sophomore at Case Western Reserve University, double majoring in Psychology and Cognitive Science with a minor in Japanese. She is particularly interested in developmental psychology, embodied cognition, and the brain-body-world relationship. She hopes to attend graduate school and pursue a career in research.
Mykah Dela Rima
Mykah is a rising senior at the University of San Francisco, majoring in Biology with minors in Neuroscience and Chemistry. Her research interests include neuroendocrinology, cognitive psychology, and the study of perception. Mykah hopes to pursue research that is dynamic in emotion-focused intervention which can help mitigate cognitive decline, depression, and anxiety in minority members of our community. In the future, she aspires to become a physician who can advocate for the well-being of her patients.
Rebecca Pei
Rebecca is a rising sophomore at the University of Oxford currently studying Experimental Psychology. She hopes to pursue a career in clinical psychology and is interested in psychosomatic research, particularly on how psychosocial stress contributes to health disparities.
Sarah Tang
Sarah is a rising senior at the University of California, Berkeley majoring in Psychology and Integrative Biology. She is particularly interested in Developmental Psychology as well as the mind-body connection. In the future, she hopes to attend medical school to become a physician, perhaps a neonatologist.
Sashi Govier
Sashi is a rising senior at the University of Washington, majoring in Psychology. She is particularly interested in the biological, cognitive, and social determinants of stress and their impact on eating behavior and mood. Sashi hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology to further her experience in research and clinical practice.
Yvonne Dai
Yvonne graduated from the University of California, Irvine this spring, obtaining a bachelor's degree in Psychological Sciences and a minor in Biological Sciences. She is interested in the cognitive and neurological aspects behind psychological disorders. In the future, she plans to attend graduate school and pursue a career in research.