Fiorela Ruiz, LCSW, BCD

Fiorela is a Research Coordinator and Study Therapist at the Trauma and Stress Studies Center (TaSSC) at Texas A&M University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Social Work. With a 13-year tenure in the United States Army, including eight years of direct clinical practice focusing on trauma and stress-related disorders, Fiorela brings a unique perspective to her research-oriented role at TaSSC. In her military career, she served as a Brigade Combat Team Behavioral Health Officer, where she excelled in program development to enhance psychological health through prevention and performance improvement approaches in high-stress environments. Fiorela is dedicated to refining research methodologies and enhancing the understanding of evidence-based practices for treating psychological trauma and stress.

Shelby McGrew, M.S.

Shelby is a fifth-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at Texas A&M University, working under the mentorship of Dr. Anka Vujanovic. She received her B.S. in psychology from University of Southern Mississippi in 2018. After graduating, Shelby was a research coordinator at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System in the Distress, Anxiety, and Trauma Disorders Laboratory. Here, she worked on an anxiety sensitivity-based pilot intervention for veterans presenting with opioid use disorder. Shelby’s current research interests involve identifying and targeting risk and maintenance factors involved in co-occurring posttraumatic stress and substance use, particularly among first responders and survivors of sexual trauma. 

Savannah Woller, M.S.

Savannah is a fourth-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at Texas A&M University. She received her B.S. in psychology and sociology from Florida State University in 2020. After graduating, Savannah worked as a research assistant in the Anxiety and Behavioral Health Clinic at Florida State University. She worked with Dr. Brad Schmidt on several studies and clinical trials related to the prevention and amelioration of anxiety-related pathology. Savannah’s current research interests involve identifying emotion-related risk factors for the development and maintenance of PTSD and co-occurring suicidality among first responders and trauma-exposed individuals. 

Alexis Berry

Alexis is a third-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at Texas A&M University. She earned her B.S. in psychology and neuroscience from The Ohio State University in 2021. Following graduation, Alexis worked as a post-baccalaureate research assistant in the OSU Mindfulness Lab, where she contributed to an fMRI study examining mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She also served as a research assistant and psychometrist on neuroimaging projects investigating early cognitive impairment and risk factors for developing alcohol use disorder (AUD) in adolescents with a history of interpersonal trauma.

Alexis’ current research focuses on identifying biological and environmental risk factors associated with the development and maintenance of PTSD, with a particular emphasis on first responders and trauma-exposed women. Her work aims to inform more targeted and effective interventions for these high-risk populations.

Kayla Hall, M.S.

Previously the TaSSC Research Program Coordinator, Kayla is a second-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at Texas A&M University. In 2017, she graduated with a B.A. in psychology from the University of Kentucky, where she worked on studies investigating implementation of a mindfulness intervention for risky alcohol consumption and the role of rumination in non-suicidal self-injury. She also received her M.S. in Applied Clinical Psychology from the University of South Carolina Aiken (USCA) in 2021. Her thesis was titled “Childhood Sexual Abuse Disclosure and Mental Health Outcomes: The Relationship Between Gender, Parental Style, and Masculinity Norms.” From 2021-2022, Kayla served as a research assistant for the Charleston Resiliency Monitoring Study through the INVICTUS lab under Dr. Carla Kmett Danielson at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Most recently, Kayla has collaborated with Dr. Matthew T. Tull to collect and present data related to emotion regulation, PTSD, alcohol use, and related constructs such as cue reactivity and emotional self-efficacy. Her research interests include emotion regulation facets in the development and maintenance of PTSD and alcohol use disorder.  

Aniqua Salwa

Aniqua is a second-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at Texas A&M University. She received her B.A. in psychology from the University of Houston in 2022. After graduating, Aniqua was a research coordinator at the Research on Emotion, Substance Treatment Outcomes, and Racial Equity (RESTORE) Laboratory directed by Dr. Michael Zvolensky. In this role, she coordinated several studies and clinical trials on substance use, mental health, and minority-stress-based experiences among the Latino/Hispanic population. Aniqua is interested in developing culturally tailored trauma-focused, evidence-based interventions and health education programs. In particular, she is interested in exploring the compounding impact of sexual and interpersonal trauma, in conjunction with racial trauma, on maladaptive health behaviors among individuals from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. 

Oluwasemilore Ojerinde

Semi received her B.A in Psychology and minor in Sociology from the University of Texas at Austin in 2024. At the University of Texas at Austin, she served as an undergraduate research assistant for two years at the Dunsmoor Emotions Lab studying the effects of emotions (fear) on memory with the use of neuroimaging and psychophysiology on individuals without and with PTSD. After graduating, Semi joined TaSSC to continue to further grow and explore her curiosity for psychology in regard to PTSD, substance use, and evidence-based intervention studies. Semi's current research interests include the effects of psychopathological disorders in regard to Depression, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, and Anxiety Disorders in diverse socioeconomic and minority populations. She is also interested in the interconnection between sociological determinants and psychopathological disorders. Semi hopes that in the future she can work with diverse individuals of ethnic, socioeconomic, and racial backgrounds in the framework of biopsychosocial approaches. In her free time, Semi enjoys traveling, watching tv, cooking/baking, and being actively involved in church ministry! 

Anushka Parag

Anushka is a senior earning her B.S. in psychology and minor in business at Texas A&M University. She joined the TaSSC because she is interested in understanding the role of PTSD and substance use on suicide. After completing her undergrad, she plans to attend graduate school for Clinical Psychology. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her friends, baking, and listening to music.