Michelle received her B.A. in Psychology from California State University, Long Beach, and completed UCI's Post-Baccalaureate Program.  Michelle's current research focuses on emotional and social functioning, emotional regulation, and the impactfulness of mindfulness interventions in relation to mental health concerns, such as psychosis, PTSD, and trauma exposure. Michelle has been learning and using American Sign Language for 8 years, which has had a profound impact on how she views the world around her, making improvements to accessibility and equality central components of her career and research goals. In her free time, Michelle loves to garden, go to concerts, practice yoga and run her bakery.

Ellie received her bachelor’s degree in French Horn Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. After graduating, she taught French horn and piano lessons and worked as a freelance musician while pursuing other interests, especially psychology. Ellie is currently enrolled in UCI’s Post-Baccalaureate program in Psychological Science, where she is gaining experience in research focused on trauma and resilience. After completing the post-bacc program, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. In her free time, she still plays music and also enjoys reading, rock climbing, and anything that involves spending time outdoors.

Jay earned his B.S. in Communication from Boston University and his M.S. in Mass Communications and Advertising from Virginia Commonwealth University. After 15 years as an advertising art director, he changed paths to pursue a career in psychology. Jay’s research interests include mindfulness, trauma, and resilience.

Jessica (she/they) is a nursing student at UCI. Jessica is interested in community health, childhood trauma, mental health, and human sexuality. She wants to work alongside her community to fix health care disparities and to offer resources to marginalized groups. Outside of school, Jessica enjoys figure skating, dancing, and taking care of her two cats. Jessica is thankful and excited to be part of the REACH lab as it is an opportunity to bridge the gap between healthcare and the social determinants of health in minority groups through therapeutic methods.

Branislav received his B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and M.S. from Columbia University. After working for 5 years at Apple, Branislav decided to spend 3 years traveling and exploring his other passions. This resulted in starting the UCI Post-Baccalaureate Program in Psychological Science and focusing on gaining relevant experience for future endeavors in the Psychology field. In his free time, Branislav likes to go to concerts/music events, play volleyball, meditate, and salsa dance. He is very excited to learn more about trauma, resilience, and community-based interventions while on the REACH Lab team.

Sakura is a third-year undergraduate studying Psychological Science and Public Health Policy at UCI. After receiving her Bachelor’s, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Psychological Science with a concentration in Clinical Psychology. Sakura’s research interests include childhood PTSD, Developmental Psychopathology, and BioPsychology of Stress. Her long-term goals include attending medical school to become a physician.

Sidra is currently a third-year undergraduate student working towards her B.S. in Public Health Sciences at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). Prior to working as a research assistant at the REACH Lab, Sidra was part of the VOICE research project at UCI, which aimed at documenting how the Asian American and Pacific Islander community was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Orange County. Sidra enjoys working with her community and has done so for the past several years through her work as an intern at CALPIRG and St. Jude Medical Center, a volunteer at the Islamic Center of Yorba Linda, and as President of the Pakistani Student Association at UCI. In her free time, Sidra likes to watch TV, drink lots of coffee, and spend time with her two younger sisters and her cat, Destiny.

Erika is currently a fourth-year undergraduate student working towards her B.S. in Public Health Science at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). Her interest in research stems from the opportunities it offers, such as extensive hands-on experience and direct exposure
to different aspects of mindfulness and its connections with mental health concerns. After receiving her Bachelor's, Erika plans on taking a gap year to study for the MCAT exam and apply to Medical School to pursue a career in the medical field or plans to attend graduate school to obtain a Ph.D. in Physical Therapy. In her free time, Erika likes to watch movies, play sports, find new coffee shops, and hang out with friends.