Psychology Research

I served as a post-bacc research assistant for 2 years under Dr. Willoughby Britton & Dr. Roman Palitsky, supporting in a systematic literature review focused on different cultural adaptations for MBCT/MBSR interventions for adults, as well as developing a website to measure thoughts on mental and physical health. 

As a researcher, I took part in abstract screening, coding and categorizing studies based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, discussing coding conflicts with the study team, data extraction, and determining design of studies and how intervention was adapted according to FRAME model for modifications of interventions.

I served as the sole post-bacc researcher at the lab the year after graduating while I applied for lab manager positions in hopes in get my PhD. I conducted literature reviews and proofread a handful of manuscripts by Dr. Jinfeng Jiao surrounding argument quality & brand attitudes, overconfidence bias in financial forecasting, the relationship between inspiration and group non-conformity, and media-streaming adoption & behaviors. 

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Under PI Dr. Bethany Teachman, I served as lab manager in the PACT lab. Before I had to take leave due to chronic health conditions, I managed a web-based, public research site and mobile app that offered free interpretation bias programs to promote healthier thinking patterns for people with anxiety-based disorders. 

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I supported the development, design, analysis, and implementation of the software with the coding and engineering teams to ensure usability, booked facilities and conducted interviews, purchased supplies and track expenditures; collect data and maintain research data records, supported the preparation of reports and manuscripts, supervised undergrad students, and create and managed IRB protocols.

I served as a post-bacc and later a lab manager under Dr. Balderrama-Durbin on multiple projects. One was a health study on stress better understand the experiences and needs of individuals with partners who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. This involved creating SOP's, training and monitoring direct report undergrads, and coding interview transcripts. I also served on a literature review project that focused on the psychological, physiological, and relationship implications stress-transmission has on couples to fill the gap in this research on the role of stress in sexual minority couples. I later presented this project at the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies 2021 Conference.

I took part in the lab as an undergrad, serving on a group project as well as an independent review of archival data. Analyzing data and creating visualizations of the data using SPSS, I authored poster and supporting literature review demonstrating the need to consider gender, sexual orientation, and race in body image dissatisfaction.

My other project in the lab was a Qualtrics-powered survey, qualitative interview, and conference poster on  differing stress responses (fight, flight, freeze, fawn, and Shelley Taylor’s “tend and befriend”) in response to misperceived sexual consent.

Funded by Binghamton's Scholars Program, I conducted an independent literature review of over 100 sources on the psychological and physiological benefits of mindfulness interventions in higher education. Mentored by Dr. Elizabeth Anderson, the review discusses the academic and social implications of mindfulness in an educational setting, as well as the potential psychopathologies college students during COVID-19 specifically might face (anxiety, depression, and PTSD) that mindfulness interventions can help mediate. Findings were presented project findings at the SSAP Presentation Day.

I later used this research as the base of a course I taught at Binghamton University called Mindfulness in Action.