Research Staff & Research Assistants

Hi! My name is Aditi Khadilkar and I will be receiving my BA in Psychology in 2026. After I finish undergrad, I hope to continue my education, eventually getting a PhD in psychology. My interests include cognitive and developmental psychology and my research interests include how cultural and religious backgrounds affect how a person views and overcomes trauma. I’m excited to join the Ad Lab and have an opportunity to explore and expand my research interests and capabilities. In my free time, I enjoy reading, playing volleyball, and listening to music!

Hi everyone! My name is Alexa Zelaya. I received my degree in Psychology in 2025! My dream is to pursue a career in clinical psychology and find new ways that we can help those who struggle with their mental health. I joined this lab to engage in research as well as educate myself on the ways a child’s environment influences their mindset. In my free time, I enjoy listening to music (Taylor Swift), reading, and making new memories with friends and family! 🙂

Hi everyone! My name is Amber Summers. I received my bachelors of science in psychology in spring 2025. I hope to one day work with clients but I am primarily interested in conducting research, specifically in adults with neurodevelopmental disorders. I want to research the specific adversities they face within childhood and adolescence and how that affects them later in life through socioeconomic factors and emotionally. I want to research whether certain therapy techniques that are considered to be effective in childhood actually have adverse effects in adulthood. I look forward to pursuing a PhD in clinical and developmental psychology and help contribute and further the field of psychology through research. I am really excited to be a part of the UCR Adversity and Adaptation Lab so that I can get a better understanding of how research into adversities is conducted and how research is applied into systems and everyday lives. Outside of school I enjoy music, doing art, spending time with friends, reading, and playing sports!

Anabelle Tran

Andre Huerto

Mabuhay! よこそう！My name is Camille-Faye Cabebe, and I joined the Ad Lab in Winter 2024. I am planning on receiving my BS in Psychology in 2026! When I finish my undergrad, I want to pursue a psychology PhD. I joined this lab to support minoritized adolescents in adverse life experiences. I want to work on changing policies by using research on supporting kids in holds like 5150/5250. I am also interested in the intergenerational transmission of emotional regulation, environments, and cognitive skills. Alongside being an RA, I work at the Student Disability Resource Center on campus! Some of my hobbies are practicing photography and media and learning languages such as Bisaya, Tagalog, and Japanese. Ingat ka! またね！

Hi! My name is Daisy Cisneros. I am recent Psychology graduate here at UCR! I am interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in clinical or counseling psychology and plan to take a gap year to gain more experience in research. I am so excited to learn about how the experiences of adversity in childhood have an impact on development through the Ad Lab. My personal research interests are within this area, but I am also interested in learning about how experiences in the early years, including childhood trauma and attachment styles, play a role in shaping the individual as a whole, and how they cope and view the world. I am primarily interested in seeing how this impacts the developmental transition between adolescence to adulthood. I am truly passionate about mental health and well-being and like to spend my free time doing things that make me happy such as spending time in nature, working out, and going to music festivals (occasionally)!

Hello, my name is Pearl Perez! I joined Ad Lab in 2024 to gain research experience. I graduated in 2025 & plan on applying to grad school for clinical psychology. I work for a non profit organization tutoring special needs students. During my free time I hike, climb rocks, camp, paint & play my flute. I also have two cats, Anubis & Osiris.

Hello, my name is Rachel Francis! I received my bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 2024. My interest in the field comes from my experience as an EMT and youth counselor at a Youth Shelter. I aspire to have a career in Clinical Neuropsychology to understand cognitive strengths and weaknesses and develop strategies to improve quality of life. I joined the Ad Lab to explore child development, especially in the context of trauma and resiliency. I want to learn more about cognitive functioning and child development to serve these populations better. Some hobbies I like doing outside the lab are going to the gym, crocheting, and traveling.

Hi everyone! My name is Rayan El Khoury. I am a psychology major, UCR Class of 2027. After I receive my B.A. I plan on pursuing a Ph.D in psychology and clinical psychology through research or therapy. I want to learn how adversity shapes everyone and how it differs for everyone! Some of my hobbies include reading, watching shows/movies, going out with friends, and photography!