Research Assistants

Lora Bednarek is a third-year Cognitive Behavioral Neuroscience major and a data science minor at UCSD. She joined CUTA in 2023 with a primary interest in OCD research and neuroimaging. She loves being at this lab because of learning opportunities and the community! Everyone on the team supports each other and it is an amazing place to grow and be challenged as a researcher. 

Derin Guler is a fourth-year undergraduate student at San Diego State University, majoring in Psychology with a minor in Interdisciplinary Studies through the Weber Honors College. She plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology, focusing on identifying common physiological biomarkers to aid in the targeted treatment of psychopathological disorders. Additionally, Derin works part-time as a neurofeedback technician at a psychoneurological specialized clinic.

Summer Lemmon has a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from the University of Arizona. She plans on pursuing psychology at the graduate level to study OCD and related disorders. She is particularly interested in how OCD interacts with grief and how peer support can help improve treatment outcomes. Summer regularly volunteers for the International OCD Foundation as an Advocate.  

Ella Moyer is a second-year undergraduate student at San Diego State University in Neuropsychology and Pre-Medicine. She is interested in anxiety's effects on components in ERP, primarily including LPP and P300. In her free time, she enjoys playing piano, drawing, crocheting, and volunteering at the hospital.

Ella Born is a second-year Psychology major and a Counseling and Social Change minor at San Diego State University. She is primarily interested causes and treatments for varying anxiety disorders and OCD and plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology. Ella enjoys being in the CUTA lab because of the learning opportunities that it brings and because of the way that it serves the community!

Breeanna Castillo is a second-year undergraduate student at San Diego State University, majoring in Psychology with an emphasis in Neuroscience and minoring in Counseling and Social Change. Passionate about mental health advocacy, she intends to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology, with research interests centered around anxiety and personality disorders. Her long-term goal is to develop accessible and culturally sensitive therapeutic interventions, particularly for underserved communities. In addition to her academic pursuits, she serves as the Mental Health Chair for her sorority and holds an officer position in SDSU's Counseling and Social Change Club. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new coffee shops, going to concerts, journaling, and going on sunset walks.