People

Dr. Levin-Aspenson earned her Ph.D in clinical psychology with a minor in quantitative psychology from the University of Notre Dame. She spent her internship and postdoctoral years doing research and clinical assessment as part of the Methods to Improve Diagnostic Assessment and Services project at Brown University before joining the psychology faculty at the University of North Texas. She is also an active member of the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) consortium. The overarching aim of Dr. Levin-Aspenson's research is to bring clinical psychological science into closer alignment with how individuals develop and experience mental health problems. She does this through work on psychological assessment and quantitative dimensional models of psychopathology, which results in the identification of empirically supported research and treatment targets and the development of psychometrically sound and clinically useful measures. 

Nick is a fourth-year student in the clinical psychology Ph.D. program at UNT. He holds a B.A. in psychology and an M.A. in psychological research from California State University, Long Beach. He primarily investigates mental healthcare barriers such as mental-health related stigma, attitudes toward seeking mental healthcare, and measurement tools for these constructs. Additionally, Nick is interested in the clinical implementation of HiTOP and how it may help redress mental healthcare barriers. In his free time, Nick is a passionate enjoyer of Irish/Scottish folk music and video games.  

Kayla Brown is a second-year student in the Clinical Psychology PhD program at the University of North Texas. She received her B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Spanish and American Sign Language (ASL) from the University of Georgia. Currently, her research interests broadly include evaluating assessments to ensure optimal measurement of psychopathology phenotypes, specifically for populations in need. Kayla enjoys reading, learning languages, and watching others play video games in her free time.  

Mia Vasquez is a first-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology PhD program at the University of North Texas. She received her bachelor's in psychology from Texas A&M University in 2024 and worked as a lab manager in Dr. Camilo Ruggero’s COMPASS lab at the University of Texas at Dallas until 2026. Currently, her research interests center around psychological assessment and transdiagnostic models of psychopathology, such as the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP). In her free time, Mia enjoys concerts, reading, crocheting, and crafts