Lab Director
Patrick Wilson, PhD
Patrick Wilson is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at UCLA. Dr. Wilson is a community and health psychologist and directs the SPHERE Lab at UCLA. His work broadly examines the psychological, social, and cultural factors that shape individual and community-level health outcomes. Prior to coming to UCLA, Dr. Wilson was an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociomedical Sciences at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, where he directed the SPHERE Lab and co-directed the Incarceration and Public Health Action Network at the Mailman School. Dr. Wilson earned his PhD in community psychology from New York University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Yale University School of Medicine. His research has been supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Lab Manager
Sarah Hamza
Sarah (she/her) graduated from UCLA in 2022 with a B.S. in Psychobiology. Her research interests revolve around sociocultural factors that influence mental health outcomes and service use. She is also interested in the implementation of culturally-adapted digital mental health tools targeting racial and ethnic minority youth. In her free time, Sarah likes to crochet and read.
Graduate Students
Manuel Ramirez
Manuel is a third-year graduate student in UCLA’s Health Psychology program. He received his undergraduate degree in Psychology from UCLA. Broadly, he is interested in how identity, stigma, and discrimination intersect to differentially affect health outcomes among minority individuals. He is particularly interested in how these forces affect the health and well-being of sexual and gender minorities who also identify as racial/ethnic minorities. Outside of the lab, Manuel loves taking care of his plants, driving along the PCH, and taking hot girl walks.
Eric Cortez
Eric is a second-year graduate student in the Health Psychology program. His research uses an intersectionality framework to address social and health disparities among ethnic and sexual minority populations. Specifically, Eric is interested in the relationship between mental health and safe sex practices among the LGBTQ+ Latinx community. Outside of research, Eric likes going to Disneyland, trying out new coffee shops, and watching Grey’s Anatomy.
Maha Al-Suwaidi
Maha (she/her) is a graduate student currently in the Health Psychology program and a certified yoga teacher (RYT200). As a Muslim, Arab, Middle Eastern woman, she is acutely aware of the impact of colonialism and systemic oppression on minoritized communities and is committed to collective action to advocate for systemic change and communal healing. Her research aims to examine how structural factors (e.g., racism, poverty) contribute to mental health disparities, and identify modifiable, scalable tools (e.g., mindfulness, physical activity) that can bolster mental and physical health equity among structurally disadvantaged groups. Overall, her scholarship is rooted in a desire to decrease equity gaps in mental health research, with a focus on increasing the accessibility and cultural competency of psychological treatment for minoritized groups. Her hobbies include yoga, meditation, strength training, and traveling.
Karissa Tran
Karissa Tran is a first-year graduate student in UCLA’s Health Psychology program. She is interested in how HIV and substance use intersect among sexual and gender minority young adults as well as justice-involved young adults. Outside of the lab, Karissa likes trying new boba shops and supporting Liverpool FC.
Will Murley
Will Murley is a first-year graduate student in the UCLA Health Psychology program. He previously earned a Master of Arts in Psychological Research from Texas State University. Broadly, Will’s research examines relationships between physical/psychological factors and eating behaviors, substance use, and suicide. His hobbies include playing disc golf, gardening, and reading classic novels.
Jordan Parker
Jordan is a fifth-year graduate student in Health Psychology. Her research focuses on how discrimination influences psychophysiological health outcomes among Black women. Her research uses an intersectionality framework to examine how discrimination affects body image, how it may subsequently influence eating behaviors, and how it longitudinally contributes to disordered eating and related health disparities.
Leezet Matos
Leezet is a fifth-year doctoral student in the social area who specializes in social cognitive neuroscience. She is motivated to conduct research that centers the lives and experiences of marginalized communities, particularly the Black community. Her general interests are centered on two main questions: 1) how does learning about how the world is structured around race and racism change the way we see, or neurocognitively make sense of, our racialized social world, and 2) what interventions can facilitate the process of becoming aware of our racialized social world? Her current work within the SPHERE lab tackles these questions by focusing on critical consciousness—a pedagogical tool whereby oppressed peoples become aware of the systemic inequalities they face, and subsequently work to combat those realities. She is specifically interested in qualitative and quantitative ways of measuring critical consciousness, as well as investigating its impact on the health and well-being of Black folks across the lifespan. In her free time, Leezet loves travel, quality time with family and friends, and (importantly) radical rest.
Michelle Chang
Michelle (she/her) is a fourth-year graduate student in Clinical Psychology. Her research interests lie in racial disparities in the burden of loss and grief over the lifetime, as well as the collective grieving practices that communities of color engage in to tend to loss through a healing justice framework. In her free time, she enjoys birdwatching, making anything crafty (earrings, zines, papercuts!), and learning traditional Chinese medicine.
David Figueroa
David is a second-year graduate student in UCLA’s Health Psychology program. He received his undergraduate degree in Psychology from UCLA in 2021. His research broadly focuses on socioeconomic-based health disparities. He is currently interested in investigating how social class stigma negatively impacts health. Outside the lab, David enjoys cooking breakfast, critiquing movies, and caring for his carnivorous plants.
Nicole Montañez
Nicole is a doctoral student in Community Health Sciences within the Fielding School of Public Health specializing in Health Psychology. Nicole is a consultant and junior investigator with research and programmatic interests including identifying gaps in clinical research for better participant outcomes, training on coping skills for those living with an acute or chronic disease (i.e., TB and HIV) mental health distress and/or disability, stigma, and/or violence. Nicole believes in the incorporation of social and behavioral sciences and mindfulness within clinical research through creating informed, diverse, equitable, and inclusive studies and training to enhance community and participant experiences and outcomes. Nicole holds a Master of Social Work Health-Care from the University of Pretoria in South Africa and is an investigator of record within the International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials (IMPAACT) Network. Nicole’s public health background spans over ten years of domestic and international experiences with infant, adolescent, and adult populations.
Post-bacc Research Fellows
Serenity Owens
Serenity graduated from UCLA in 2023 with double majors in Psychology and Gender Studies. Her research interest in Health, Community, and Developmental Psychology. Specifically, the health impacts of undiagnosed mental-health disorders among Black and Latinx youth populations and implementing parent-centered interventions into communities. A fun fact about her is that she named her two puppies after the Backyardigans characters, Pablo and Tyrone! She also loves to cook and read.
Thomas Jones
Thomas obtained his B.A. in Psychology in 2024. The research he wants to conduct focuses primarily on rehabilitation among incarcerated individuals, and expanding substance and alcohol use treatment interventions to the carceral system. He also loves playing tennis and binge-watching Netflix.
Adwoah Yeboah
Adwoah obtained her B.A. in Psychology with minors in Global Health and African-American studies from UCLA in 2024. She was born in Ghana, still has a baby tooth, and wants to learn how to DJ. In her free time, Adwoah enjoys working out, writing poems, and going to concerts and festivals.
Katie Wong
Katie obtained her B.A. from UCLA in 2024, double majoring in Psychology (with a focus on developmental psychology) and Political Science (with a concentration in American Politics). Her research interests include how early life adversity and trauma exposure play a role in the development of psychological disorders and how those factors influence juvenile delinquency. Currently, she is Vice President of Philanthropy for Alpha Gamma Delta, Director of Community Building for Globemed, and Internal Outreach and Coordination Chair for the Reproductive Justice Center. In her free time, she enjoys going on runs, spending time with her dogs, volunteering, and going out with friends.
Jazmin Mojica-Navarrete
Jazmin obtained her B.A. in Psychology from UCLA in 2024 and plans to pursue grad school. Her interests revolve around trauma, parent-child interactions, and their impact on a person’s development. She is also interested in researching disparities in the effectiveness and accessibility of treatment for substance use disorders and mental health disorders among different demographic groups. In her free time, Jazmin plays guitar, attends local music shows, writes poetry, enjoys thrifting, and hanging out with close friends.
Isaac Membreno
Isaac graduated from UCLA in 2023 with a B.S. in Psychobiology and minor in Central American studies. His research interests are in Community, Health, and Social Psychology. He is interested in how relationships, community, and cultural organizations impact the physical and mental health of minority groups. Isaac plans to obtain a Ph.D. in Health/Social Psychology and pursue a career in academia. In his free time, Isaac loves to spend time in nature, volunteer, read, and hang out with his friends.
Undergraduate Research Assistants
David Berin
David is a fourth-year student studying Psychobiology but hopes to add a minor. He is poised to graduate in 2025. His research interests are community psychology and sexual and gender-based misconduct and its correlates. He is also interested in re-entry among formerly incarcerated individuals and post-traumatic stress disorder. Some fun facts about David are that he is originally from Upstate New York and he can speak Russian.
Spencer Liu
Spencer is a fourth-year undergraduate Psychobiology major at UCLA. His research interests are centered around long term substance use and its effect on cognition and neuroplasticity. In addition, Spencer is interested in exploring the effects of trauma on the developing mind, and how parent-child interactions shape an individual’s personality. He is considering pursuing a career in the field of clinical psychiatry with an emphasis on psychotherapy. Outside of the lab, Spencer enjoys skateboarding, playing guitar, lifting weights, thrift shopping, and going to the beach with his friends.
Yareen Hagay-Nevel
Yarin (Yareen) Hagay Nevel is a fourth-year Psychology student and former Head of International Admissions for BINA, a progressive liberal arts program with emphases in social work-oriented volunteering and Israeli-Palestinian dual narrative studies. Most recently, Yarin was awarded a grant through UCLA’s Initiative to Study Hate for research studying linked fate, stress, and Islamophobic and antisemitic Instagram posts. In the future, Yarin hopes to pursue her research interests in inter-group relations and mediation by being the first in her family to complete a doctorate! In her free time, Yarin enjoys weekly coffee dates with friends, inline skating (preferably near a beach), and visiting loved ones abroad.
Angelina Meng
Angelina is a fourth-year undergraduate student at UCLA majoring in Psychology with a minor in Brain and Behavioral Health. Her research interests center on exploring the influence of early experiences on individuals’ development throughout their lifespan. Anticipating graduation in 2025, she hopes to pursue further research in graduate school. In her free time, Angelina loves watching musicals, hiking, and spending time with her friends.
Nicole Tacher Lois
Nicole is a fourth-year Psychology and Public Affairs double major with plans to pursue grad school. Her main interests surround collective trauma, Adverse Childhood Experiences, (ACES) and art education. She has a strong passion for social justice advocacy and hopes to one day help inform policy that increases health outcomes for at risk populations. Nicole enjoys dancing, listening to music, and watching French films in her free time.
Rachel Szeto
Rachel is a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in Psychology at UCLA and is expecting to graduate in 2025. She hopes to pursue a career in Market Research and Data Analytics after graduation. Her interests include weight-lifting, listening to music: RnB, Kpop, Rap, and Pop, skincare/beauty, and binge-watching Netflix/Youtube. Some fun facts about Rachel are that she is ambidextrous and loves Popeyes fried chicken.
Ebba Tefera
Ebba is a fourth-year Psychology student on the Pre-Med track. His research interests are mainly centered around older adults developing depression and other mental health disorders at a later age. He is passionate about abolishing the stigma around mental health disorders in the African-American community and would like to pursue a career in psychiatry. In his free time, Ebba loves traveling, weightlifting, and playing sports like basketball and soccer.
Lab Alumni
Joni Brown
Joni just obtained her PhD and graduated from the Health Psychology program! Her research interest is in race, racial discrimination and sociocultural factors affecting Black women’s health, particularly maternal and reproductive health. She is also interested in understanding how African American families socialize Black girls and how those childhood messages relate to reproductive health behaviors and attitudes in adulthood.
Alejandra Lopez
Alejandra graduated from UCLA in June 2021 with a B.A. in Psychology and is currently a Clinical Psychology PhD student at University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Outside of research, Alejandra enjoys going to concerts, exercising, and playing with her dog.
Christy Wang
Christy graduated from UCLA in June 2022 with a B.A. in Psychology. She joined the SPHERE lab in the Winter of 2022 as a post-bacc research assistant. Broadly, she is interested in how individuals regulate and process their emotions, cope with stress, and how these processes interact with their physical and psychological well-being. She plans to obtain a Ph.D. in Health/Clinical Psychology and pursue a career in academia. Outside of research, Christy likes to spend time with her cats, search for good restaurants in LA, and sleep.
Lauren Perlmutter
Lauren graduated from UCLA in 2023 with a B.A. in Psychology, where she was part of the Psychology Departmental Honors cohort. Within this program, Lauren presented her research at numerous conferences, completed a culminating honors thesis, and graduated with highest honors. Lauren is interested in how mental health such as stress, anxiety, and PTSD affect physical health and well-being. Lauren plans on attending graduate school, specializing in clinical psychology in the near future. In her free time, Lauren loves to read and explore the outdoors.
Michelle Tang
Michelle graduated from Columbia in 2020 with majors in Computer Science and English Literature. She treasures the research experience and, most of all, the support and friendships she received as the research coordinator in the SPHERE Lab from 2023 to 2024. This fall, Michelle will start her PhD at Harvard. She’s excited to continue her studies on the East Coast but will dearly miss the SPHERE Lab. In her free time, Michelle loves learning to play the viola and going on runs.
Visiting Scholar
Hudson
Hudson role models curiosity and enthusiasm for SPHERE.
Our Collaborators
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Columbia University, New York, NY
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Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY
Kathy Sikkema, Jennifer Hirsch, Claude Mellins, Kate Elkington, Alwynn Cohall, Justin Knox, Niall Bolger, Carole Hutchinson
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University of Cape Town
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