Lira is an Associate Professor in the Human Services Psychology (Clinical) program at UMBC. She received her doctoral degree from Northwestern University and is licensed in Maine. Her main research interest lies in the interaction between cognition and emotion in the context of psychological disorders, mainly anxiety and depression. To this end, her experimental psychopathology research focuses on cognitive processes (e.g., biases in interpretation, working memory, and autobiographical memories), biological and psychological stress responses, and emotion regulation in emotional disorders. Her research program integrates biological and psychological lines of inquiry.

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Ethan is a fifth-year graduate student in the Human Services Psychology (Clinical) program at UMBC. Ethan's research interests center around the fixed mindset of emotion and the ways that it relates to emotion regulation. In his spare time, Ethan likes to read and play guitar. 

Aidan is a fourth-year PhD student in the Human Services Psychology program (Clinical Psychology track) at UMBC. His research is focused on the interplay of cognitive and emotional processes in the development, maintenance, and comorbidity of depression, anxiety disorders, and PTSD. In particular, he is interested in the dynamic relationship between memory and transdiagnostic processes (e.g., repetitive negative thinking and emotion regulation) that are observed across psychopathology.

Prior to attending UMBC, Aidan worked as a research technician at the Coatesville Veterans Affairs Medical Center for three years. Here, he conducted diagnostic interviews of veterans seeking treatment for alcohol and substance use, provided administrative and research support to various  projects, and served as the Chair of the local Research and Development Committee. In this role, he also supported research at the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Philadelphia, where he primarily worked as a project manager for a pilot randomized controlled trial to improve health outcomes in acutely hospitalized veterans. Aidan received his BS in Kinesiology (Psychology double major) from Temple University in 2017 and his MS in Psychology from Villanova University in 2020. 

Aidan is a first-generation college student and is happy to answer any questions about applying to graduate school and life as a graduate student. He can be reached at aflynn3@umbc.edu.

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Julia is a fourth-year PhD student in the Human Services Psychology program (Clinical Psychology track) at UMBC. Julia graduated from Dartmouth College in 2020 with a major in Psychology and a minor in Environmental Studies. At Dartmouth, Julia worked as an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Luke Chang’s Computational Social Affective Neuroscience Laboratory and completed her thesis on behavioral mechanisms underlying interpersonal expectancy effects in clinical settings. During college, Julia became a registered behavior technician while working at an applied behavior analysis (ABA) clinic providing ABA services to children with autism spectrum disorders. After graduating, Julia worked as a research assistant at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Dr. Katherine Burdick’s Mood and Psychosis Research Program. Julia managed a longitudinal study focused on identifying immune mechanisms underlying differential neurocognitive trajectories in bipolar disorder. Her research interests include 1) whether and how cognitive and emotional factors may prolong physiological and psychological stress responses, 2) biological embedding of stress through neuroendocrine and inflammatory processes, and 3) biological markers and environmental stress risk factors for the onset and recurrence of mood disorders. In her free time, Julia enjoys running, attending concerts, and thrifting. She can be reached at jpotter1@umbc.edu.  

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Gabriela is a second-year PhD student in the Human Services Psychology program (Clinical Psychology track) at UMBC. Her research interests include understanding how physiological stress responses as well as transdiagnostic risk factors, particularly emotion dysregulation, are related to the onset and maintenance of anxiety and depressive disorders. She is also interested in exploring how these variables may function differently across various contexts in one’s daily life (e.g., during moments of heightened negative affect).   

Prior to attending UMBC, Gabriela graduated from Rutgers University in 2022 with a double major in Psychology and Spanish. While at Rutgers, she worked as an undergraduate research assistant in the Regulation, Action, and Motivated Perception Lab, led by Dr. Shana Cole, where she primarily worked on a project examining the affective and behavioral consequences of engaging in social comparisons. In this lab, Gabriela also completed her honors thesis, exploring the frequency of spontaneously occurring social comparisons and subsequent affective responses within online social media posts. After graduating, Gabriela worked as a research coordinator in the Addiction Health Behavior Center at Rutgers under the direction of Drs. Samantha Farris and Teresa Leyro. In this role, she managed an experimental study that tested the effect of a novel biobehavioral intervention on reducing the reinforcing value of a cigarette in the context of a psychosocial stressor. During her free time, Gabriela enjoys reading, running, and traveling. She can be reached at grivera3@umbc.edu. 

Yonu Akanji is a sophomore at UMBC majoring in Psychology and Biological Sciences. She is from Anne Arundel County but was born in Nigeria. After graduation, she plans on pursuing the MD-PhD path to become a psychiatrist and also conduct research. During her free time, she likes to crochet, read comics, cook, and spend time with her friends.

Faria Ahmad is a third-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Psychology on a pre-Physician Assistant track. She is particularly interested in exploring cognitive processes and emotion regulation in emotional disorders, as included in this lab. She's eager to use this experience in her future career. She enjoys traveling and spending quality time with friends and family. 

Shawn Baek, he/him pronouns, is a senior with a double major in Biology and Psychology on the pre-dental track. Shawn hopes to attend dental school after graduation and involve himself more in the world of healthcare. His interests include a mixed base of sociocultural and biological facets of psychology, and how they intertwine in migrants. During his free time, he acts as the president/music arranger of the all-gender A Cappella group on campus, the UMBC Cleftomaniacs, DJing, and enjoys spending time with friends. 

Kei Cavanaugh is a sophomore Psychology B.A. major and Statistics minor at UMBC. She has an interest in developmental and child psychology and is planning to apply to a developmental psychology graduate program once she graduates. In her free time, Kei likes drawing and listening to her favorite albums on repeat. 

Jen-Yu Chan is a senior Psychology (B.A.) major from Odenton, Maryland. She is

interested in many areas in psychology, especially cognitive and developmental psychology. In

terms of research methods, she likes to deal with real-world data and apply analytical methods

to draw conclusions. When not studying psychology, Jen practices Chinese language, learns the

Chinese culture, and plays table tennis.

Gillian Early is a senior Psychology (B.S.) major with a particular interest in the cognitive and biological bases of anxiety and mood disorders. After graduation, she plans to pursue a graduate degree in Mental Health Counseling. In her free time, she enjoys being outside, spending time with her friends (and cats), and playing/listening to music. 

Austin Kallungal is a second year Psychology student interested in the intersection of neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience, particularly how emotions are felt and experienced in the brain and body. After graduation, he will continue pursuing his education to become a neuropsychologist. In his free time, he enjoys learning and listening to music.

Marie Kim is pursuing quantitative psychology as a junior at UMBC. She hopes to go to grad school after college and one day incorporate quantitative psychology into clinical research labs. In her free time, she likes to go to new places with friends, grab food, and sleep.

Natasha Navarro is a junior/senior majoring in Psychology and minoring in Biology. She has a strong interest in neuroscience and plans to pursue a PhD in the field, aiming to study mental disorders like schizophrenia. She enjoys spending quality time with her three dogs and getting lost in a good book.

Ikenna Nwankwo is a 4th-year double major in Biology (B.A) and Psychology (B.S) on the Pre-Medical Track. He has strong interests in pursuing psychiatry in medical school, but also has potential aspirations for graduate school in either biotechnology or clinical psychology. During his free time, he loves to engage in powerlifting, watch anime, create YouTube videos, and make music

Ipsa Sindhwani is a fourth-year undergraduate student from India majoring in Psychology and minoring in Biology. After graduation, she wishes to pursue a PhD program in Child Clinical Psychology. In her free time, she likes to take long walks while listening to audiobooks.

Aliza is a third-year Psychology and Biological Sciences undergraduate student. After graduation, she wants to pursue a graduate degree in Brain and Cognitive Sciences, hopefully at Johns Hopkins.  During her free time, she likes to read, hang out with her friends, and work with different associations she is part of at UMBC. She loves learning and using that knowledge to help create change.