Lab Principal Investigator
Craig Rodriguez-Seijas, PhD
Professor of Psychology, University of Michigan
Email: [email protected]
Craig Rodriguez-Seijas was born and raised in Trinidad & Tobago. He completed his undergraduate training at the University of the West Indies, graduate training at Stony Brook University, and a predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at Brown University. His interests include mentoring students & researching variables related to stigma, discrimination, and societal prejudice.
Lab Manager
Erin Burns, M.A.
Email: [email protected]
Erin received both her B.A. in Psychology and M.A. in Psychology Research Methods from the University of Virginia, where she studied gender disparities in early behavioral predictors of later cognitive decline. Their current research interests include longitudinal outcomes of externalizing behaviors in childhood, and how dimensional models of psychopathology such as HiTOP can improve treatment outcomes in clinical settings, particularly for individuals from underrepresented backgrounds.
Graduate Students
Shayan Asadi, M.S
Email: [email protected]
Shayan Asadi is a sixth-year doctoral candidate in the Clinical Science area at the University of Michigan. He received his B.A. from York University in 2019, and his M.S. from the University of Michigan in 2023. Shayan uses advanced quantitative methods to identify ‘blind spots’ in psychiatric diagnosis for minoritized populations. Shayan’s publications can be found below.
Anthony Oliveira, M.A
Email: [email protected]
Anthony Oliveira is a fifth-year graduate student with a fervent interest in assessment bias, stigma, and transdiagnostic models of psychopathology. He wants to investigate these phenomena as they relate to intersectionality and demographics which are traditionally underrepresented in social science research.
Noor Khalaf, B.A
Email: [email protected]
Noor Khalaf is a third-year graduate student in the clinical science program. Her primary focus is leveraging academia to uphold marginalized communities. Thus, Noor’s interests in mentorship, clinical work, and research are heavily intertwined. Her research focuses on improving the prediction and measurement of mental health outcomes in marginalized communities, with an emphasis on intersectional marginalization. Clinically, she focuses on culturally responsive trauma care for clients of color. Finally, Noor is passionate about mentoring marginalized individuals at all stages of their academic journey.
Brody Mantha, LMSW-C
Email: [email protected]
Brody Mantha is a third-year joint doctoral student in Social Work and Clinical Science at the University of Michigan. Brody focuses on trauma and behaviors related to traumatic experiences. They are interested in understanding the influence of discrimination, marginalization, and oppression on psychopathology and understanding how discrimination and oppression may be traumatic for individuals experiencing marginalization. Brody aims to translate research into policy, intervention, and advocacy. Brody has spent almost a decade providing psychotherapy as a clinical social worker for queer individuals in Southeast Michigan.
Ganesh Palaniappan
Email: [email protected]
Ganesh Palaniappan is an Accelerated Master’s Degree Program (AMDP) student in Psychology. His research interests focus on intragroup discrimination and how experiences of marginalization within one’s own communities relate to psychopathology. Through his work, he hopes to contribute to more inclusive and culturally responsive approaches to mental health care and suicide prevention.
Research Assistants
Mikaela Robbins
Email: [email protected]
Mikaela Robbins is a senior double majoring in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience (BCN) and Cognitive Science, with a minor in French. Her research interests focus on how experiences of stigma, specifically internalized stigma, are related to suicide outcomes in gender and sexual minority populations. In the future, she hopes to pursue graduate studies in neuroscience and/or clinical psychology.
Allison McGovern
Email: [email protected]
Allison McGovern is a senior majoring in Psychology and planning to minor in Classical Languages and Literature. She is interested in the effects of stigma on mental health and substance use. Allison plans to pursue a career in psychology and continue to do clinical psychology research.
Elia Garcia
Email: [email protected]
Elia Garcia is a senior currently enrolled in the College of LSA. She is double majoring in Psychology and Sociology, with a submajor in Law, Justice, and Social Change within the Sociology major. She is interested in research pertaining to minority mental health. She plans to pursue a doctorate in order to become a forensic psychologist.
Zainib Al-Jayashi
Email: [email protected]
Zainib Al-Jayashi is a senior majoring in Psychology and minoring in Ethnic Studies and Women’s & Gender Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She became a research assistant through the Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) at U-M. She is interested in investigating psychopathology in underserved populations and how experiences of minority stress, stigma, discrimination, and marginalization may affect mental health outcomes. Zainib plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology and/or Social Work to translate research into culturally responsive interventions and practices.
George Cattermole
Email: [email protected]
George is a junior majoring in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. His research interests include exploring how stress as an adolescent affects the development of personality disorders. He intends to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology after graduation.
Logan Hodgkins
Email: [email protected]
Logan Hodgkins is a Junior in the College of LSA studying Clinical Psychology. His research interests include the intersection between neurodevelopmental disorders and psychopathology, as well as how queer identities impact available mental health resources. Aside from research, Logan performs in the student theater organization Not Even Really Drama Students (NERDS) and is an RA in the MLC Lloyd Scholars for Writing and the Arts (LSWA).
Avalon McNew
Email: [email protected]
Avalon McNew is a sophomore planning to major in Psychology and minor in Statistics and Theatre Design and Production. Their research interests include how minority stress affects mental health, especially in LGBTQ+ populations and populations with neurodevelopmental differences, and understanding barriers to seeking help for people with a history of suicidal behaviors. After their undergraduate studies, they plan to pursue a PhD in Psychology or a related field.
Past Lab Members
Lab Coordinators
Lindsey Gibb
Najia Griffin
SROP Research Assistants
Jalyne Wise
Sarah Elisa Diaz Perdomo
Research Assistants
Ava Esmael
Amira Torangan
Amanda Walker
Cos Mazareanu
Hunter Baldwin
Kailah Hawkins
Nicole Kodkany
Julia Marku
Erica Yeoh
Eden Yu
Lauren Penrose
Maram Faqqouseh
Anita Shubert
Anjali Prachand
George Esteve
Daniel Silva
