I am a general academic pediatrics research fellow with a background in clinical psychology. I have received specialized training in parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT) and trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT). I work in the CHECK Foster Care Lab to assist children and families in addressing concerns that include child behavior and trauma-related disorders.

Watching my parents deliver healthcare services in family medicine and community health inspired me to pursue a career in clinical psychology. Prior to pursuing my graduate degree, I worked at the CHECK Center and the Foster Care Research Lab, where I learned a great deal about the unique needs of children in the child welfare system. Returning as a post-doctoral fellow, I am committed to work that continues to develop and enhance interventions that aid and improve conditions for these children and their families.

My work in various child welfare-involved labs has helped me understand the importance of supportive caregivers for young people in the child welfare system. Positive caregiver-child relationships are a protective factor and promote positive mental health and well-being for children, especially those in the child welfare system.

My research aims to understand the unique needs of young people in the child welfare system, including the development and improvement of trauma-focused interventions, family-based interventions, longitudinal measurement of psychological symptoms, social support and caregiver-child relationships. I hope to ensure both child welfare and clinical care data are used to their full potential and would like to develop tools to improve how clinicians collect and use data.

The child welfare system and the interventions I’ve been involved with use large amounts of data. As a result, I’m invested in the application of statistics training and methodology and earned a master's degree in applied statistics while completing my doctorate program. I have also attended several workshops and completed online trainings to enhance my understanding of data management, programming languages and data analysis.

Finally, I am passionate about education and mentoring the next generation of researchers, clinicians and scholars. In 2022, I received Loyola University Chicago's annual graduate student teaching award for undergraduate statistics and research methods. As a fellow, I hope to continue to take advantage of opportunities to support others the way so many of my mentors have supported me throughout my education and career.