Principal Investigator
Dr. Guadalupe López Hernández
Principal Investigator
Pronouns: She/Her/Ella
Hometown: Born in Mexico City, Mexico, and raised in the western suburbs (Glendale Heights, IL) of Chicago at age 6.
Education: Dr. López Hernández is a developmental scholar and assistant professor at Loyola University Chicago. She received her doctoral training at the University of California, Los Angeles, in Human Development and Psychology.
Research interests: Her research agenda intends to understand and address issues related to the social belonging of Latinx immigrant-origin adolescents in the context of families, schools, and communities. Core questions that motivate her research plan include:
How do immigration experiences (e.g., being in an undocumented household) shape adolescents’ social-emotional development and social belonging?
How do oppressive immigration policies, laws, and toxic rhetoric impact immigrant-origin adolescents’ social belonging (or exclusion) in communities with recent demographic changes?
What factors predict resilience in the context of racial injustice, racism, and xenophobia for immigrant-origin children and adolescents?
Hobbies: Some of her hobbies are baking and cooking new recipes, playing with her two little boys and exploring new neighborhoods in the city of Chicago.
Graduate Students
Danieli M. Mercado Ramos, M.S.
Pronouns: She/ Her/ Ella
Hometown: Aguada, Puerto Rico
Education: B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Marketing from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez (UPRM) and a Master of Science in the Developmental Psychology Sequence from Illinois State University.
Current Status: 3rd year PhD Student and Graduate Assistant
Research Interests: Her research interest include exploring how bilingual adolescents navigate their Ethnic Racial Identity and find spaces of belonging, specifically on the Latine community.
Hobbies: In her free time, she enjoys reading and listening to audiobooks, cooking, going on walks, doing arts and crafts while watching/listening to the Mamma Mia soundtrack, exploring the city of Chicago, and traveling back to Puerto Rico!
Neslihan Sunmaz
Pronouns: She/ Her
Hometown: Istanbul, Turkey
Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Ozyegin University, Istanbul and a Master’s Degree in Psychology from Koç University, Istanbul.
Current Status: 1st year PhD Student and Graduate Assistant
Research Interests: Her research interest include sense of belonging, identity development and gender.
Hobbies: In her free time, she enjoys going to concerts, traveling, knitting. Neslihan is a cat lover and enjoys trying out new foods.
Undergraduate Students
Research Assistant
Pronouns: She/Her/Ella
Hometown: Minooka, IL
Education: B.S. in Psychology, Minors in Women and Gender Studies and Latin American Studies
Current Status: 3rd Year Undergraduate
Research interests: She is interested in Adolescent Clinical Psychology and learning about the intersections of trauma, resilience, mental health, and anxiety in adolescents who are part of immigrant populations, ethnic minorities, or the LGBTQIA+ community.
Hobbies: In her free time, she enjoys reading, trying coffee shops, singing, thrifting tutoring, playing the guitar, trying new foods, spending time with friends and family, and exploring the city of Chicago!
Goals: She chose Juntos because their research is incredibly personal, meaningful, and fascinating to her. As a Latina who grew up in the suburbs with Mexican immigrant parents, she wants to help understand others who have shared her experiences with belonging and discrimination and, through Juntos, help improve her understanding of how to enhance belonging, well-being, and support for Latine adolescents from immigrant backgrounds in predominantly white spaces. Her goal is to obtain a PhD in Clinical psychology and conduct research that examines trauma exposure in immigrants, refugees, and BIPOC adolescents, focusing on their effects and past experiences, and hopes to expand this research into policy-driven work.
Research Assistant
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Mundelein, IL
Education: B.S. in Neuroscience and Psychology
Current status: 2nd Year Undergraduate
Research interests: She is interested in developmental and clinical psychology focusing on the intersection between self esteem and mental health with adolescent immigrants. She also want to continue to bring awareness to mental health in hopes to further destigmatize the issue.
Hobbies: She loves dancing, sitting by the lake, exploring Chicago, watching sporting events, movie nights, and shopping.
Goals: Emily joined Juntos lab because she grew up in a community with dominantly Latinx immigrants. She had a lot of friends and classmates that struggled with fitting in with a predominantly white context. By doing this research, she hopes to gain more insight into their lives and struggles to create an equal environment. She also hopes to do clinical/patient work in the future, so by learning about people’s lives and experiences, she can advocate and support the wellbeing of immigrants.
Research Assistant
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Saint Paul, Minnesota
Education: B.S. in Psychology, Minor in Music
Current Status: 4th year undergraduate
Research interests: Adolescent Clinical Psychology, Pediatric Clinical Psychology, Immigrant Origin Adolescence, Health & Wellbeing in Adolescence, Mental Health in Adolescence, Adolescent Development
Hobbies: She loves to play music, listen to music, read, be outside, write, hang out with friends and family, and explore new cities!
Goals: Fiona's goal is to get her PhD in clinical psychology working with primarily adolescence, as well as children. She wants to do counseling, research and maybe teaching down the road!
Research Assistant
Pronouns: He/Him
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Education: B.S. in Psychology
Current Status: Post-Bac
Research Interests: His research interests lie at the intersection of developmental psychology, focusing on social belonging and identity development. He is curious about how ethnic-racial socialization practices within families and communities influence adolescents' ability to navigate predominantly white spaces. He is also interested in understanding how these processes impact resilience and well-being in the face of discrimination and exclusion. Ultimately, he aims to explore how supportive environments can foster a sense of belonging and contribute to positive socio-emotional development in youth.
Hobbies: In his free time, he enjoys playing video games and collecting comic books. He also enjoys staying active and exploring the city with his friends.
Goals: Brian joined the Juntos Lab to explore the complexities of social belonging, identity development, and resilience in youth. Growing up balancing multiple roles and navigating predominantly white spaces has fueled his curiosity about how ethnic-racial socialization impacts adolescents' well-being. His goal is to pursue a PhD in developmental psychology and eventually become a professor at a university, where he aims to conduct impactful research and foster the next generation of scholars dedicated to understanding social belonging and identity among adolescents.
Past Undergraduate Students
Research Assistant
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Aurora, IL
Education: B.S. in Cognitive/Behavioral Neuroscience and Biology on the Pre-Med track
Current Status: 4th Year Undergraduate
Research interests: She is interested in developmental and social psychology, with a particular interest in trauma and mental health within Hispanic communities. Her curiosity also extends to the psychological factors that contribute to addiction and substance abuse.
Hobbies: She loves spending time with her friends and family, trying new coffee shops and listening to music. She also enjoys going for runs along the lake front, hot yoga and weightlifting.
Goals: Lizzy joined Juntos Lab because their research resonates with her own experiences. As a first-generation student raised in a predominantly white community by Salvadorian immigrant parents, she often felt stuck between two cultures, and it is a difficult journey to navigate. She believes this lived experience is invaluable when studying the experiences of immigrant-origin youth. Through her work with Juntos, her goal is to support others who share similar struggles with belonging and contribute to creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for all.
Jannat Cheema
Research Assistant
Hometown: Rushville, IL
Education: B.S. Psychology (Loyola University Chicago 2025)
Current Status: 1st year Research Assistant in Juntos Lab
Research Interests: She is passionate in helping adolescents adapt to environments they are excluded in. By understanding the relationship between social belonging and mental health for immigrant-origin adolescents, she strives to discover effective resources and methods to provide that help.
Hobbies: Long walks, driving, reading, and re-watching her favorite shows
Goals: She entered the Juntos Lab with hopes of exploring her passions to encourage underrepresented children in establishing a strong sense of self and belonging through their unique experiences as minorities within their environment. As a woman growing up in a predominantly white, rural community, Juntos Lab provides her with the experiences she hopes to have as she works to achieve her goal.
Viviana Martinez
Research Assistant
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Education: B.S. Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience (Loyola University Chicago 2024)
Current Status: 1st year Research Assistant in Juntos Lab
Research Interests: She is intrigued by the experiences of Latinx adolescents in spaces of exclusion and the lasting impact left on mental health and further development. She aims to unearth outlets for youth to form greater connections of belonging, hopefully improvong well-being as a whole.
Hobbies: She enjoys playing soccer, playing the violin, crocheting, taking late-night drives through the city, listening to music and hiking.
Goals: She began working in the lab as a Junior at Loyola University Chicago after being introduced as a student under Dr. Lopez-Hernandez. As a Mexican-American growing up in a predominantly white neighborhood, access to places of belonging was limited. She aims to help youth with a similar background by aiding them in finding places of acceptance. Coming from an immigrant family, her goals also include helping others understand the detrimental impact xenophobia and racism leave on mental health and wellbeing.
Sharya Shah, B.S.
Research Assistant
Pronouns: She/Her/Ella
Hometown: Aurora, IL
Education: B.S. in Cognitive/Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychology (Loyola University Chicago 2023) with minors in Spanish and Biology on the Pre-Medicine Track
Current Status: 1st year Research Assistant in Juntos Lab
Research Interests: Her research interests include the detrimental influence of stress on an individual's biopsychosocial model, and at Juntos Lab, she is able to gain insight into the stress caused by social integration in Latinx individuals.
Hobbies: She enjoys cooking, baking, watching K-dramas, drinking boba, listening to K-pop, playing recreational volleyball, and going on adventures in the city of Chicago!
Goals: She joined Juntos Lab because as a South Asian woman living in America, she understands first-hand the challenges that immigrant-origin adolescents face when trying to navigate their identities in a new cultural context. She was particularly drawn to the Juntos Lab's research and wanted to contribute to the research that aims to improve the social belonging and identity formation process of immigrant-origin adolescents. She is eager to explore how systematic racial inequalities, xenophobia, and racism impact Latinx immigrant-origin adolescents' sense of belonging in white suburban neighborhood communities.
Research Assistant
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Education: B.S. in Psychology
Current Status: 2nd Year Undergraduate
Research interests: She is interested in clinical psychology, psychopathology and psychiatry, particularly focusing on adolescents and children.
Hobbies: She prefers to spend her time outdoors, whether that be going on a hike, a run, or simply walking. She also loves trying out new coffee shops and learning to cook new things.
Goals: Itzel joined Juntos Lab because she wants to advocate for immigrant communities. While she grew up in an immigrant community, she noticed gaps and systemic exclusion that continuously harmed her community without their even knowing. She aims to help others understand the unique experiences of immigrant origin youth and what they need to succeed. She hopes to foster a safe and welcoming environment to all, and learn to better engage and communicate in sensitive topics.
Research Assistant
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Nashville, TN
Education: B.S. in Neuroscience and Psychology, Minor in Philosophy
Current Status: 3rd Year Undergraduate
Research Interests: She is interested in clinical psychopathology of adolescents, specifically in understanding emotional processing/regulation and resilience. She is also interested in creating more diverse and culturally conscious methods of treating and diagnosing mental disorders.
Hobbies: She loves anything music or fashion related and in her free time, she likes to read, hike, bake, and explore Chicago with my friends.
Goals: Dawnbe joined the Juntos Lab after taking developmental psychology under Dr. Lopez Hernandez. As a Korean American woman who grew up in a predominantly white area, she has experienced the struggle with sense of belonging and social acceptance. Her goal is to better understand ways to enhance the mental health and wellbeing of immigrant-origin adolescents and create more spaces for dialogue and support in the community.