Research Staff & Research Assistants

Hi! My name is Jazmin Eguiluz, and I am currently in my gap year after graduating from UC Riverside with my B.A. in Psychology in Spring 2021. I joined the Ad Lab in Fall 2019 to further develop myself as a budding psychologist. My long-term goal is to obtain a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. I have a background in the medical and behavioral health fields, and love to be of service to those in need. My research interests include the development and treatment of psychosis, the effects of inter-generational trauma on the brain and body, and the mediating factors that influence traumatic responses. During my spare time, I love exercising, practicing self-care, and spending time with my loved ones.

Hi there! My name is Maya Hernandez and I have been with the AD Lab since September 2020. I graduated in 2021 with a B.A. in Psychology from UCLA. My research interests include dissociative disorders among children and trauma responses among adolescents. In the near future, I intend to apply for Clinical Psychology Doctoral Programs, in hopes of furthering the research within my interests. When I am not working with the AD Lab, I am either reading classics or spending time with my chihuahua, Sasha.

Hello!  My name is Oretioluwasefunmi (Tose) Agbelusi, I am a 4th year psychology student at UC Riverside. I joined the Ad Lab in Winter 2020. During my time in the Adlab I have worked on numerous projects, including my poster on Childhood Racism and Oppositional Behavior Examining the Moderating Roles of Child Skin Color.  My main research interest is the effects of racism and other forms of trauma on development. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, watching movies, and spending time with my family and walking my dogs.

Hello, hello! My name is Audrey Hong and I recently graduated from UCR with a BS in biochemistry and minor in neuroscience. I’m aiming to one day become a pediatrician who specializes in working with children from underserved and vulnerable communities. I joined AD Lab in hopes of gaining research experience in a field I (regrettably!) haven’t had the chance to truly explore yet at UCR on a more hands-on level, despite feeling passionately about it. Ultimately, I hope to foster a deeper understanding of the relationship between adversity and how children may think and feel so that I’m better able to optimize patient care in the future. I genuinely enjoy dedicating a lot of my free time to volunteering with either children or disadvantaged populations, but also love to play video games, sample different desserts, and travel! 

Hello my name is Breannon (Bre) James. I am majoring in psychology and minoring in African American studies at UC Riverside. I joined the Ad Lab so that I can gain hands on research experience, work with my peers and learn from others. My research interest includes child development, multicultural psychology, coping with racial trauma and working with children who have disabilities and come from disenfranchised communities. After graduation I plan on furthering my education to achieve my goal in becoming a clinical psychologist. My favorite quote is “When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you’ll be successful.” – Eric Thomas. I look forward to this experience to learn and grow in the Ad Lab.

Hi! My name is Edwin Garcia and I graduated from UCR with a BA in Psychology in 2014. I recently received my Masters in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and have plans of pursuing a PhD in Psychology in the near future. I’ve been working as a Case Manager for homeless psychiatric clients in the Los Angeles area for the last 2 years and recently joined the Ad Lab in Fall 2020 to gain more research experience in my field, and better understand how the population I work with responds to adversity. In my free time I like going on hikes with my wife, daughter, and two dogs, camping, and going to Disneyland.

Hi everyone! I’m Gerardo Michel. I’m a third-year psychology major interested in pursuing either a PhD or PsyD in clinical psychology. I am very passionate about mental health topics, and I’m mainly interested in treating depression and anxiety in young people. This is also my first year in the Ad Lab! I hope to learn more about how youth navigate and cope with different challenges so I can gain a better understanding of mental health. Alongside being an RA, I’m also a volunteer crisis counselor for the Crisis Text Line. Some of my hobbies include photography, gaming, and watching YouTube videos. Thanks for reading my bio!

Hello! My name is Gilberto Torres. I graduated from UC Santa Cruz in 2016 and joined the Ad lab in Summer 2019. My research interests include mental health of marginalized communities, outcomes of children experiencing trauma, perpetration, community violence, and the psychological effects of incarceration. I currently work for a transitional housing program for formerly long-term incarcerated individuals and I plan to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology.

Hola friends, if you’re looking for a header as to what my interest in psychology is, it would be Academic Achievement. I know there are many circumstances in which it is challenging for a youth to situate themselves into the role of a student and humbly believe I can contribute in this area of the field, after graduate school. Understanding the ways in which one can excel is the reason why I adore the AD Lab, since our studies revolve around the ways in which life experiences influence development. Quite recently, I thought the world of academia to be an elusive type of beast, but I made it as a transfer student. Feel free to ask me about this if you’d like. My name is Hernan Zurita and I am the newest RA, making me the baby of the lab.

Hi my name is Hope Becker and I graduated in 2021 from CSUF with a major in Psychology and a minor in sociology. This is my first year in the Ad Lab and I not only look forward to meeting individuals who share the same love for psychology as me, but I am excited to gain valuable knowledge that I will take with my throughout my educational and professional career. I have a large interest in foster youth and their overall mental health and development. I plan on going to grad school and obtaining a Masters in Social Work. On the side, I love spending time with my family and my dogs. I collect records and enjoy going to art and music events. I look forward to my time in the lab and am excited to see what is in store!

Hi! My name is Jasmine Ho, and I am a fourth-year psychology major. I joined the AD lab because I am interested in working with children in how they overcome adversity and how that impacts their development. I aspire to work towards a career in Occupational Therapy, where I can reach out to individuals who seek out a safe environment to expand fine motor function and to develop the necessary skill-sets to perform everyday activities. With the opportunity to work in the AD Lab, I can expand my interests in the field of psychology.

Hello! My name is Jasmine Salinas, I recently graduated from UCR with a B.A in Psychology and am currently taking a gap year before pursuing a career in social work. I joined the AD lab in hopes of gaining more research experience and learning more about children’s adversity and adaptation. I’d love to work with at-risk youth in the future and apply what I learn here when doing so! In my free time, I enjoy baking and watching netflix, and volunteering in my community.

Jenna Iwamiya

Hello! My name is Joowan Son and I am currently a 3rd-year Neuroscience major. I recently joined the Ad Lab in the fall of 2021. I decided to join Ad Lab because I wanted a better understanding of how children and adolescents face and handle adverse situations throughout their life. Ultimately, I hope to grasp a better understanding of the relationship between children and adversity so that in the future, I can take that knowledge into account in my patient care. I also am passionate about helping people in any way that I can.

Hello! My name is Jordan Barnett. I joined the AD Lab because I am interested in gaining experience in research and plan to pursue a PhD in psychology. I am passionate about helping people in any way I can and making a greater impact in my community.

Hello! My name is Kailee Mannak and I am a fourth-year Psychology major. I am very excited to work in the Ad Lab where I can learn and gain more experience in research. I look forward to applying what I have learned in my Psychology classes into a real-world laboratory setting. After I graduate, I would like to obtain my Masters in Occupational Therapy with the hopes of working in pediatric care, where I can help children develop fine motor skills in order to live a more fulfilled and healthy life. In my free time, I love spending time with my family and friends and going to the beach!

Hello! My name is Kaleilani Ishiyama, and I am a third-year psychology major. I joined the Ad Lab because I am interested in understanding how a child’s environment and the adversities they face can influence their development. I look forward to gaining new skills and furthering my experiences in this lab!

Hello! My name is Kay Lee, and I am a third year psychology major here at UCR. I plan on taking a gap year then pursuing a PhD in Clinical Psychology. Broadly, my research interests include child development and more specifically, how psychopathology or parent interactions may influence that development. I am additionally interested in differences across cultural contexts, race, and ethnicity. I hope to hone in on and dive into my interests further here at the Ad Lab!

Hello! My name is Klaudia Gallardo and I am a fourth-year psychology student. I plan on taking a gap year after my BA to develop more research experience before applying to Ph.D programs for Clinical Psychology. My ultimate goal is to work with children who suffer from mental or behavioral disorders, especially those who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. I joined AD Lab because I was interested in learning more about how different life circumstances affect children’s developments and ability to adapt. I am hoping to take the knowledge I learn in the lab with me to graduate school and my future work field!

Hello! My name is Linus Huynh and I am a 4th year Psychology major. This is my first year at the Ad Lab and I am interested in the developmental pathways for youth and the impact of life changing events. I am looking forward to getting experience and gaining more useful skills from this lab that will help me and other people I interact with in the future. When I’m bored, a fun thing I’ve found is searching random topics in Youtube and seeing the recommended that comes out of it because the algorithm is an enigma.

Hi! My name is Maby Lomotos, and I am a 4th year Psychology major. I joined the AD lab because not only do I want to pursue a career that works with children, but I find it immensely crucial to focus on the challenges of life that have a major impact on development. There is a lack of recognition for minority groups when it comes to many studies; therefore, I admire the inclusivity of the lab in regards to the communities and social groups it works with. I plan on studying Developmental Psychology in grad school, so I am super excited to further my knowledge and experience during my first year in this lab!

Hi Hi! My name is Maximilian (Max) Tang. I’m set to graduate during Spring of 2022 as a Psychology major. The Ad Lab work with children and the factors that influence their growth and development captured my interest and I’m looking forward to being an RA here! In addition to the AD Lab, I’m also involved in the Observe Lab as an RA, where I help convert qualitative data about memorable life experiences into quantitative data. After graduation, I plan to take a gap year, gaining more research and relevant experience before applying for a PhD in Clinical Psychology. During my spare time, I love browsing cat memes and videos. I also read a lot of fiction and very much dislike first person POVs.

Hello! My name is Melanie Mooangprang. My interest in the different types of adversities that children face and how it affects them through different stages of life has sparked my desire to join this lab. As a student who is still discovering the right career path, I believe that this lab will help me pave a clearer road to my destination. I am looking forward to participating in and learning from the AD lab this year, as this is my first year working in it!

Hey y’all! My name is Muskan Behera and I am a fourth-year biology major and psychology minor student. My career goal is to become a pediatrician! I joined the Ad Lab because I am passionate about learning how children’s development is affected by challenges such as violence, poverty, illness, and loss. After graduating, I hope to further my education by attending medical school and becoming a pediatrician! A couple things I enjoy doing outside of school include dancing for fun and going out on adventures to explore new places with my friends.

Hello everyone!! My name is Reante Talton and I am currently a fourth year student majoring in Psychology. I am also minoring in African American studies. Sadly, I have not been in the AD Lab for a long time, however I am very excited for what is to come with the projects we are working on. Within the subject of Psychology, I am very interested in developmental psychology and the varying ways in which maladaptive parents/ caregivers influence child behaviors throughout the lifespan. Also, I am interested in emotionally immature parents/ caregivers and how their parenting styles may or may not affect their children and their attachment styles. I plan on continuing my studies at a graduate school for my masters before going into a Phd program. Interesting facts about me: I am from NorCal, I love listening to music, and I love to hike.

Hi! My name is Sitara Puliyanda. I joined the AD lab because I am interested in working with children and how different risk factors can affect child development. I am excited to work in a nurturing environment through college and pursue a career in social work!

Hello! My name is Tanvi Saki and I am a 4th year Neuroscience Major with a Psychology Minor. I joined the AD Lab because I wanted to gain research experience in the field of psychology and I am also interested in pursuing a career in clinical Psychology. My hobbies include cooking, watching TV, and especially listening to music (my playlist ranges everywhere from Slipknot to Hozier to Kendrick Lamar). I am so grateful to be a part of this team, and look forward to each learning experience going forward!

Hello! My name is Tiffany Garcia and I am a first-generation student from Oakland, California. I am currently in my 4th year, double majoring in Psychology and Gender and Sexuality Studies. I joined the Ad Lab during Fall 2020 because I am interested in researching the effects of trauma in adolescents and sought to connect with people with related interests. After graduation, I plan on taking a gap year before applying to master’s programs in the field of social work. During this time, I hope to rest and garner clinical experience serving underrepresented populations locally and abroad. With my MSW, I hope to get my clinical license to work as an adolescent therapist. I am interested in school counseling, non-profit work and eventually opening my private practice. Specifically, I would like to work with low-income, people of color, and the LGBTQIA+ community. I am passionate about serving as a resource for underserved communities like mine and hope to bring my experiences into my practice to provide quality care for these populations.