Santiago Papini, PhD | Director
I completed my PhD in Clinical Psychology at The University of Texas at Austin and my clinical internship at the VA San Diego Health Care System, where my research and clinical focus was on PTSD, anxiety, and substance use disorders. I received postdoctoral training in psychiatric genomics at UC San Diego and clinical informatics at Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s Division of Research. I then joined the Psychology Department at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa as an Assistant Professor in 2023. I am also the founder and director of the Targeted Interventions Lab, which focuses on developing targeted prevention and intervention strategies for mental health outcomes, including addiction, anxiety, and stress-related psychopathology.
Janelle Papin-Wong, MPH | Senior RA
I studied Health Management and Policy at the University of Michigan School of Public Health where I earned a Master of Health Services Administration (MHSA). I also hold a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a Minor in Music. Before joining the Targeted Interventions Lab, I was the Lead Strategy Consultant for Kaiser Permanente Hawaii and a Project Manager for the Hawaii Health Partners Accountable Care Organization at Hawaii Pacific Health. My research experience includes community based participatory research on colorectal cancer in Filipinos and sexually transmitted infection prevention in Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Asian teen girls in Hawaii. I am currently preparing to apply for PhD programs in Clinical Psychology; my research interests include ADHD comorbidities related to chronic pain, ADHD diagnostic criteria for females, and ADHD management for Asian American and Pacific Islanders.
Grace Tran | Undergraduate RA
Hello my name is Grace! I was formerly a student at the Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa until I made my shift into economics and the social sciences. I am an economics major with a concentration in quantitative methods; I also hold a mathematics and English minor. My long-term goal is to obtain an academic doctorate in economics and become a policy researcher. I joined this lab since the nexus of my research interest resides in health economics and clinical psychology. More specifically, in the intersection of stress, anxiety and the economic costs of work intensity.
Avani Borton | Honors Thesis Student
I am a third year undergraduate psychology major studying at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. I transferred to UH in fall of 2024 from St John's University, in Queens, New York. During my time at St. at John's university I worked as a research assistant on a study examining the mediating role of resilience and self esteem in the relationship between psychological maltreatment and behavioral problems in adolescents. At UH I am conducting my own research through the honors program with my mentor Dr. Papini as well as gaining more research experience as an assistant as a lab assistant for Dr. Haapanen whose work focuses on primary prevention for alcohol and substance abuse. My future goals include completing a graduate degree in speech and language pathology and continuing my language studies while traveling abroad.
Brontë Neal | Undergraduate RA
I am an undergraduate psychology major at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa with a strong interest in how predictive modeling can improve outcomes for people with anxiety and depression, as well as exploring how social relationships influence individual responses to trauma. In my time at UH Mānoa, I joined the Targeted Interventions Lab with Dr. Papini to further my academic research and understanding of preventive strategies for mental health. Looking ahead, I aim to graduate from UH Mānoa spring of 2026 and begin a PhD program in psychology in the following fall semester. My long term career goal is to become a professor at an R1 university, conducting mental health research.