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 fourth-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 third-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 Al-Suwaidi (she/her) is in her fifth-year in the Health Psychology program. Her research interests focus on how to improve holistic health (i.e. mental and physical health) among those experiencing systemic disadvantage, including supportive factors (healing/coping practices) and inhibiting factors (structural harm).
Karissa Tran
Karissa Tran is a second-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.
Athena Cisneroz
Athena Cisneroz (She/Her/Hers) is a first-year graduate student in the Health Psychology program. Her research focuses on how socioeconomic stressors, stigma, and discrimination influence disparities in body image, disordered eating, and related health outcomes. Additionally, she is interested in examining how structural stigma and discrimination affect health care access and quality.
Jordan Parker
Jordan is a sixth-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 sixth-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 fifth-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 third-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.
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.
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.
Billy Hayes
Billy obtained his B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Education Studies from UCLA in 2025. His research interests center on the effects of early adversity and traumatic experiences, specifically childhood sexual abuse, on later psychopathological outcomes in gay men of color. Billy plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology to advance research on the effects of trauma, minority stress, and resilience in vulnerable populations. In his free time, Billyenjoys spending time in nature, studying at coffee shops, thrifting, and going on runs!
Spencer Liu
Spencer graduated from UCLA in 2025 with his B.S. in Psychobiology 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.
Nicole Tacher Lois
Nicole graduate from UCLA in 2025 as a double major in Psychology and Public Affairs 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.
Ebba Tefera
Ebba graduated with his B.A. in Psychology from UCLA in 2025, as a 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.
Ryan Bae
Ryan graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from UCLA in 2025. He would like to pursue a degree in clinical or counseling psychology. He is interested in studying and improving mental health in disabled populations. In his free time, Ryan likes solving Rubik’s Cubes, writing screenplays, and hiking.
Chloe Zhu
Chloe graduated from UCLA in 2025 as a double major in Psychology and Sociology. She is interested in exploring the interdisciplinary connections between these two fields. After graduation, she hopes to apply research in more diverse, real-world settings to create meaningful impact. In her free time, Chloe enjoys going to the theater, rock climbing, and traveling.
Research Assistants
Lucia Cleveland
Lucia is a third-year psychology student, with a minor in African-American studies. Her passions focus on decreasing mental health stigmas within QTBIPOC communities by involving herself in research that centers on those communities. She hopes to continue her education, eventually earn a doctorate, and potentially become a psychologist able to give back to her communities. Additionally, Lucia loves reading and listening to music, as well as cafe hopping with friends and playing games with her family.
Taeya Chavies
Taeya Chavies is a second-year Psychology major at UCLA, planning to minor in African American Studies. Her main interests include, but are not limited to, mental health, trauma, and substance abuse. She is passionate about giving back to her community and supporting underserved populations, with long-term goals of pursuing graduate study in clinical social work. Outside of research, she enjoys mentoring youth and engaging in programs that connect research to real-world impact. In her free time, Taeya enjoys watching TV and movies, reading, and socializing with friends.
Graduate Student 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.
Research Assistant Alumni
Jazmin Mojica Navarrete
David Berin
Yarin Hagay-Nevel
Angelina Meng
K.N. Ngo
Rachel Szeto
Lauren Perlmutter
Alejandra Lopez
Christy Wang
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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