I graduated from UC Davis in 2021 with a B.S in Psychology and a minor in human development. I am interested in researching emotional and cognitive development. I enjoy being an RA at the Developmental Research Center because I get the opportunity to be involved in many different aspects of the research process and work with amazing people. I aim to continue my education and then go on to research effective interventions for treating and improving mental health.
I am a fourth-year undergraduate student at UC Davis majoring in Psychology. Growing up in The Philippines, I’ve witnessed a lot of maltreatment towards children who live in poverty from being forced into child labor to being forced into drugs. These life experiences for children in poverty were oftentimes normalized in our society which has made me very interested in studying child maltreatment and its effects on development. I joined the Goodman Lab because I wanted to learn more about how stressful environments could impact a child’s memory and the long-term consequences of these experiences. My future career goals involve going to medical school and becoming a Child Psychiatrist. Outside of the lab, I enjoy watching movies, listening to Punjabi music, and doing skincare.
My name is Asil Bishara, and I am a current research assistant at the Development Research Center. I am majoring in Psychology with an emphasis in Biology, and my major is one of the main reasons this lab sparked my interest. I am intrigued with the topic of memory development, and the effects of trauma during childhood on memory. In the future I plan on expanding my psychological knowledge regarding how the brain affects many aspects of our daily lives. Working in this lab has taught me a lot, and I am looking forward to working on new projects.
I am currently a senior at Rocklin High School. I am interested in the study of memory in a legal context, particularly in how external suggestions during eyewitness testimony can alter the accuracy of memory recall (and how legal procedures can be innovated to compensate for potential pitfalls). I plan on majoring in either psychology or political science in college, and then going on to law school to become an attorney. In my free time, I can be found playing water polo, practicing calligraphy, learning new culinary dishes, or reading classical literature.
My name is Sherelle Watkins and I am a current research assistant for the Developmental Research Center. I’m fourth year undergraduate student at UC Davis earning a B.A. in psychology and a minor in public health sciences. My research interests are very interdisciplinary. I’m curious about the influence of formative and reinforcing experiences within institutional care settings on future health-seeking behaviors and general health across systematically disadvantaged groups. In the future I plan to pursue doctoral work with the primary goal of applying psychological, developmental and public health research to the development of programs and interventions focused on dismantling structural barriers that contribute to health disparities among marginalized groups with an emphasis on Black American communities.
My name is Annie and I’m a senior at UC Davis, majoring in Psychology and Managerial Economics. I’m interested in the relationship between mental health and childhood experiences, as well as the disparities in mental health between people of different ethnicities. In addition, I am passionate about the carceral system, preventive programs, alternatives to punishment, and corporate social responsibilities. I want to become a clinical psychologist, and Goodman Lab has provided me ample opportunities to learn about another important aspect of psychology- research, which includes how to organize, conduct, and record research sessions with children of young age. From working as a RA at Goodman lab and as a behavioral therapist, I also developed a strong interest in child development in the areas such as adverse childhood experiences and Autism Spectrum. In my spare time, I like to enjoy coffee, cooking, going into nature, and doing water activities!
Hi, my name is Osiris and I’m a senior at UC Davis! I’m majoring in Psychology with double minors in African American Studies and Human Development. My research interests include Trauma Related Disorders and Psychopathology in the Black mind. My hope is to go into a Clinical Psychology program. In my free time I love being in nature, hanging with my dog Luna and learning about astrology.
My name is Sarah Lewis and I am currently a junior at Amherst College majoring in Psychology. I find many areas of psychology interesting—especially developmental research on children in relation to their environments. I have always enjoyed spending time with kids, whether that be through babysitting, working as a camp counselor, coaching ultimate frisbee, or just spending time with my younger cousins. In my free time I play ultimate frisbee, hike/backpack, do ceramics, and ski. The silver lining of Covid (and remote work in general) for me has been the opportunity to work with the Goodman Lab all the way from Massachusetts!
I am a third year student at UC Davis, majoring in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. Growing up, my interest in psychology was inspired by my grandfather, a psychologist who worked with troubled youth and established the Life Space Crisis Intervention. His work sparked my interest in developmental psychology, which was amplified when I worked at an intensive outpatient treatment center for adolescents with mental health issues. My work at the center increased my curiosity about the impact that adverse experiences have on children’s development, and the effects that interventions, such as the treatment center, have on the life outcomes of challenged youth. These interests drove me to the Goodman Developmental Psychology Lab, where I am granted the valuable opportunity to learn more about the ways in which children are impacted by their life experiences. Once I graduate from UC Davis, I aim to attend graduate school and study developmental psychopathology and criminology. In addition to studying psychology, I spend my free time advocating for animal rights and hiking.
Hi, my name is Claire Mitchell and I am a freshman here at UC Davis. I am majoring in psychology in hopes of ultimately becoming a child psychologist. I am very interested in researching the effects of trauma on children and children’s memory abilities. I love working in the Goodman lab because of how kind everyone is and how interesting the research is. I can’t wait to continue my research career and explore UC Davis for the next four years!
Kristi Guo is at the University of California, Davis, studying for her degree in Psychology. She is interested in conducting future research with the aspiration of discovering scientific breakthroughs so that she can offer hope for individuals struggling with Anorexia Nervosa. Her research interest can be separated into three domains. First, she is interested in exploring the neuroscience behind the disorder, specifically the neurochemistry behind the call of starvation and how brain processes contribute to the implications of psychopathology. Second, she wants to unveil the characteristics of people at high risk for developing the disorder. Third, she wants to uncover the mysteries of gene expression to emphasize how the environment can also play a fundamental role and ultimately influence behavior. She hopes that she can help others as a future clinical psychologist and that her future publications can pave the path to discovering novel treatments and optimizing recovery models, evidence-based treatments, and integration methods.