Members

Faculty

Betty Sao-Hou Lai, PhD

Dr. Lai is an Associate Professor in the Department of Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology in the Lynch School of Education and Human Development at Boston College. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology, with a specialization in children and families, from the University of Miami. She completed her clinical internship in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine. She began her academic career as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics in the School of Public Health at Georgia State University.

Dr. Lai's research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Her work has been recognized with an Early Career Award from Division 56, the Trauma Division of the American Psychological Association, an Early Career Award from the American Psychological Association for Outstanding Contributions to Benefit Children, Youth, and Families, and the Diane J. Willis Early Career Award from the American Psychological Foundation/Division 37. In 2017, Dr. Lai received the Excellence in Instruction Award for Outstanding Achievement in Instruction from the School of Public Health at Georgia State University.

Twitter: @BettySLai

Research Assistants

DOCTORAL STUDENTS

Barbora Hoskova, MA

Barbora (she/her) is a 6th year doctoral student in Dr. Lai's lab. She earned her BA in Psychology and Anthropology from Tufts University. Her research interests are centered around the effects of sociocultural and contextual factors on coping, resilience, and post-traumatic functioning in children. In particular, she is interested in the role that cultural, family, and health factors play in children's post-traumatic functioning. Barbora is also interested in mixed-methods research, and in contributing to the development of culturally sensitive interventions, especially ones focused on prevention.

Twitter: @HoskovaBarbora

Alexa Riobueno-Naylor, MA

Alexa (she/her) is a 5th year doctoral student in Dr. Lai's lab. She earned a BA in Psychology and Sociology from Wellesley College in 2018 and served as a research coordinator at Massachusetts General Hospital and Shriners Hospitals for Children for two years after graduation.

Alexa's dissertation focuses on the impact of exposure to multiple weather-related disaster events on risk for depression and suicidality in youth. She is dedicated to translating her research findings into actionable insights that inform the development of effective prevention and intervention strategies for young people and their families who have been affected by disasters and other forms of collective trauma. As a clinician, she focuses on serving youth and families using evidence-based, culturally informed interventions.

Twitter: @AlexaRiobueno

Mauricio Montes, MA

Mauricio (he/him) is a 3rd year doctoral student in Dr. Lai’s lab. He is a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow and Bill Anderson Fund Fellow. Mauricio earned his BA in Psychology and BS in Human Development at Binghamton University and his MA in Counseling Theories at Boston College. Before his doctoral studies, Mauricio served as a clinical research assistant at a treatment center specializing in veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder and their families for two years. During this time, he focused on assessing treatment outcomes to enhance the accessibility, inclusivity, and effectiveness of interventions for PTSD.

Mauricio is interested in researching how intersectional oppression shapes trauma exposure, symptoms, and recovery to facilitate affirming and empowering healing journeys. Mauricio is engaged in research supported by the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students and Psi Chi: International Honor Society of Psychology to better understand the experiences of caregivers of young people at clinical high risk for psychosis.

Twitter: @_mauriciomontes

Chloe Hutt Vater, BA

Chloe (she/her) is a 1 st year doctoral student in Dr. Lai’s lab. She earned a BA in Psychology and Human Development from Connecticut College.

Chloe is interested in researching how individual, familial, and socio-cultural variables shape adaptive and maladaptive coping following traumatic events. She is specifically interested in examining how these factors affect symptom trajectories in the aftermath of adversity and contribute to the onset of childhood behavioral disorders.

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Isabella Gomez

Isabella (she/her) is a 4th year undergraduate student in Dr. Lai's lab. She is pursuing a BA in Psychology with a concentration in Clinical Psychology. Isabella is a current McNair Scholar, researching the impact of parent-adolescent relationships on bullying and depressive outcomes in the disaster context. She hopes to pursue a graduate degree and a career in counseling psychology.

Isabella's research interests center around trauma-related effects on youth and adolescents of racial and ethnic minorities and marginalized communities. Additionally, she is interested in exploring school-based interventions for child mental health.

Sarah Quan

Sarah (she/her) is a 4th year undergraduate student in Dr. Lai's lab. She is pursuing a BA in Applied Psychology and Human Development as well as a double minor in Global Public Health and the Common Good, and Studio Art. She hopes to pursue graduate studies and a career in counseling psychology.

Sarah's research interests center around socio-emotional psychology, specifically around historically marginalized communities. Sarah is also interested in the effects of racial and ethnic disparities on developmental identities

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