Nnenna Uche, BS, (she/her), is a Counseling Psychology doctoral student at Texas A&M University. She grew up in Houston, Texas, and received her B.S. in Psychology from Santa Clara University in the Bay Area, California. Her research aims are to examine key variables such as social support or lack thereof, personality, and individual experiences, as well as their potential effects on college student health and wellness, specifically regarding anxiety and depression. In her undergraduate senior year, she conducted research examining what predictors affect friendship quality within college students. As a member of the Health, Empowerment & Advocacy Lab, she has assisted in manuscripts exploring non-native accents and their effects on mental health and vocational aspirations. Nnenna is interested in community outreach, integrating psychological research and public health interventions to improve physical and mental health outcomes for underserved communities. In her free time, she enjoys practicing yoga, watching movies, and trying new restaurants. 

Wajiha Masroor (she/her) is a fourth-year Counseling Psychology doctoral student at Texas A&M University. She received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin in 2023. Her interests are rooted in health psychology and multicultural considerations in practice. She is passionate about integrative care, the overlooked psychopathology in medical diagnosis, and how patient-provider communication can be enhanced to address health disparities. Accordingly, her research work focuses on exploring psychosocial factors that influence health outcomes, particularly cardiovascular outcomes among racial/ethnic minority groups. In her free time, she enjoys scrapbooking, painting, and spending time with family.

Nimra Ali Shah (she/her) is a second-year Counseling Psychology doctoral student at Texas A&M University. She received her B.S. in Psychology and Child Learning & Development, with a minor in Public Health from The University of Texas at Dallas. Before starting her doctoral program at Texas A&M, she worked as a research assistant at a cognitive development lab focusing on early childhood learning while advancing the accessibility and reproducibility of developmental research through online platforms. Her current interests include examining resilience in communities facing trauma, with a focus on how it shapes both psychological and health-related disparities. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, photography, and volunteering.

Christine Cao (she/her) is a second-year Counseling Psychology doctoral student at Texas A&M University. She received her bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. Prior to beginning her graduate studies, Christine worked as a research assistant at the Texas Heart Institute and served as a Qualified Mental Health Provider (QMHP). Her research interests center on strengthening mental health outcomes among ethnic minority populations through integrative health interventions. She is particularly focused on the role of lifestyle factors including nutrition, stress, social support, and sense of community in relation to psychological resilience. Outside of her academic work, Christine enjoys weightlifting, baking for her friends and family, and taking long walks with her dog.

Andrew Lopez (He/Him) is a first-year Counseling Psychology doctoral student at Texas A&M University. He received his bachelor’s degree from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Before joining the program, he worked as a research assistant in the Depression Treatment Lab at the University of Southern California, where he supported research on sociocultural barriers in accessing mental health care among marginalized communities. His interest lies in exploring how cultural factors influence mental health perceptions, healthcare access, and help-seeking behaviors in underserved communities. In his free time, Andrew enjoys going to concerts, collecting vinyl records, and reading comic books. 

Charlie Brunt (she/her) is a fourth-year doctoral student in Counseling Psychology at Texas A&M University, with a master’s degree also in Counseling Psychology from the University of Denver. She works part-time as a relational-psychodynamic psychotherapist and is passionate about research that explores the psychological impact of life transitions. Her work focuses on phenomena such as culture shock and reverse culture shock (returning to one’s sovereign country), the power of social connectedness and its link to longevity, and the pervasive effects of burnout. With over a decade of experience living and working in the Middle East and Europe, Charlie (originally from Australia) brings a global perspective to her academic and clinical practice. She balances her academic pursuits with a love for chess, discovering new coffee spots, and running alongside her dog, Ubu.

 Kristina Hall (she/her) is a fourth year Counseling Psychology doctoral student. She received her bachelor's degree at the University of California Davis in Psychology and Communication. She worked as a research coordinator at the University of Florida in neuromotor behavior research and health promotion prior to starting her doctoral program at Texas A&M University. She is interested in the intersections of physical and mental health. Specifically, Kristina aims to examine physical health behaviors such as eating habits and physical activity as determinants of mental health outcomes. In her free time, she enjoys nature walks, cooking, and spending time with friends.

Jay Choi (she/her) is a fourth-year Counseling Psychology doctoral student at Texas A&M University. She is from South Korea, and received her master’s degree in Child Development and Education from the University of Oxford in the UK and a bachelor's degree in English Language and Literature from Ewha Womans University in South Korea. In the past, she worked as a project assistant in the education sector for both governmental and nonprofit organizations. She also served as a research assistant and conducted research on immigrant families' acculturation stress trajectories and its predictors. Her research interests include immigrant family dynamics, acculturation, and protective factors in young racial/ethnic minorities such as belongingness. In her free time, she enjoys playing badminton, painting, and watching movies.

Meherun Nesa Khadiza (she/her) is a third-year doctoral student in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in Developmental Science at Texas A&M University. She holds a B.S. and M.S. in Psychology from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Her research focuses on the interplay of emotional resilience, self-efficacy, and motivation in shaping academic and career outcomes among linguistically diverse and underserved populations. At the Health, Empowerment & Advocacy Lab (HEAL), Meherun contributes to the Accent and Vocational Outcomes Project. Her background spans clinical and educational contexts, including work with children with neurodevelopmental disorders at the Institute of Pediatric Neurodisorder and Autism (IPNA) and serving as a student counselor in a high school. Meherun is committed to bridging research and practice through a multicultural lens to advance inclusive education. In her free time, she enjoys music, reading, and spending time in nature with her family. 

Archana (she/her) is a junior undergraduate student at Texas A&M, expecting to graduate in Spring 2027. She is currently fulfilling a B.S. in Biomedical Sciences with a minor in Psychology as she pursues a path to medical school. Her overarching research interests lie in child healthcare and adolescence in the medical sphere. At HEAL, Archana is involved in several projects that study the intersection between sociocultural factors and chronic pain. Outside of HEAL, she is involved in research that focuses on the utilization of linguistics to benefit elementary school children. In the future, Archana hopes to contribute a unique perspective on pediatric medical care to the refugee and minoritized urban communities that she grew up with in the Bay Area. In her free time, she likes drinking boba, hiking, and adding books or manga to her ever-growing reading list. She also really wants a cat.

Adeeba Mohammed (she/her) is a junior undergraduate student at Texas A&M University, expected to graduate in Spring of 2027. She is currently pursuing a B.S. in Biomedical Sciences with a minor in English. Adeeba's past research focused on exploring the intersection between rural health centers and women's health. At the HEAL Lab, she is involved in projects highlighting the correlation between social dynamics and inflammatory markers. Upon graduation, she hopes to attend medical school as a means to address health disparities amongst rural populations and patients of color. She also hopes to pursue an M.S. in Public Health in order to develop a deeper understanding of community health. In her free time, she enjoys thrifting, baking, and reading urban fantasy.

Ami Chou (she/he/they) is a Senior BS Psychology undergraduate student at Texas A&M University, expected to graduate in Spring 2027. Their main interests include the study and research of pain psychology (models, neuroimaging, nociception neuroscience), the holistic approaches to treating severe alcoholism, and how alcoholism affects minority families/communities. They’re working toward becoming a clinical psychologist with an emphasis on a collaborative approach with their patients. Their personal hobbies include reading webnovels, writing, sculpting, listening to various kinds of music, and taking naps.

Sruti Mohankumar (she/her) recently graduated from Texas A&M in Fall 2025. graduated from Texas A&M University in Fall 2025 with a B.S. in Psychological and Brain Sciences. A former member of HEAL, Sruti’s research focuses on linguistic marginalization, accent-based discrimination, and their implications for educational, vocational, and mental health outcomes. As a Fulbright-Nehru Scholar, she conducted research in India examining how regional dialects and accents shape individuals’ self-perceptions and experiences of social judgment. She is now pursuing her PhD in Counseling Psychology at Texas Tech University. Sruti’s overarching research interests center on advancing the well-being of underserved communities by examining the systemic, cultural, and psychological barriers that contribute to health disparities. As an aspiring psychologist, she hopes to dedicate her clinical and research career to serving minoritized populations, with a particular emphasis on South Asian communities. Outside of her academic and professional pursuits, Sruti enjoys spending time with her dog, Cocoa, and her family, experimenting in the kitchen, and reading true crime books.

Catie Samson (she/her) recently graduated from Texas A&M in Spring 2026 and hopes to obtain a PhD in Clinical or Developmental Psychology, with the goal of becoming a professor, and a licensed psychologist. She is primarily interested in pursuing research regarding youth & parents with internalizing disorders, especially in the context of cultural influences in minority populations. In her free time, she enjoys drawing, playing bass guitar, crafting, and crocheting.