Who's Involved
Lauren E. Gulbas, Ph.D.
Director
As a medical anthropologist and Assistant Professor in the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at The University of Texas, my research integrates a unique conceptual lens with advanced qualitative and ethnographic methodologies to understand how people navigate complex sociocultural landscapes in the pursuit of mental health. One of the most exciting elements of my research is the opportunity to collaborate across disciplines to address salient disparities in health and mental health.
Erin Lamas
Research Assistant
Erin is a Senior Sociology Major with a minor in Educational Psych here at UT Austin. She works as a Peer Support Specialist in the Longhorn SHARE Project where she offers validating peer support, and facilitates meaningful connections amongst college students, and mediates conversations regarding conflict resolution, motivational interviewing, and mental health crises.
After graduation, she plans to pursue a Masters in Clinical Mental health counseling and become a Licensed Professional Counselor. Her primary professional goal lies in practicing multicultural counseling, particularly with young adults and adolescents, and addressing mental health stigma amongst minoritized communities.
Trinity Ngo
Research Assistant
Trinity Ngo is a third-year English, Rhetoric & Writing, and Asian American Studies student at UT Austin. She is from Houston, TX and plans to attend graduate school for her Ph.D. in English following her undergraduate career. Her focus lies on Asian American women's mental health in contemporary literature, which encouraged her participation in the lab, along with an overarching interest in resiliency practices after her enrollment in Dr. Gulbas’ class. Aside from working in the AQRL, she is a classroom instruction intern at the Harry Ransom Center and a writing fellow for the Liberal Arts Honors program.
Victoria Kayode
Research Assistant
Victoria Kayode is a junior Psychology major with minors in Sociology and African and African Diaspora Studies at UT Austin. From these disciplines, she’s developed a variety of interests. These include sociological perspectives on education, fertility, and reproduction, using intersectionality to understand inequality, and adolescent and young adult wellness. She’s also interested in how various status characteristics and developmental contexts shape the day-to-day lives of young people and their resilience to hardship. As a new research assistant in the lab, Victoria is excited to understand the stressors facing college students and investigate avenues to allay them. She looks forward to working with the rest of the AQRL team!
Tessa Whitham
Research Assistant
Tessa Whitham is a junior Psychology major with a minor in Italian Studies at UT Austin. After graduating, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. Her main interests include the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders and the impact/efficacy of emerging psychological treatments. Through her work in the Advanced Qualitative Research Lab, Tessa hopes to gain more insight into the stressors that college students face and identify accessible ways to mitigate them. In addition to the AQRL lab, Tessa is a research assistant at the Anxiety and Health Behaviors Lab, where she is working on a biomarker project for anxiety disorders.
Past Members
Adam J Wesevich
Research Assistant
Adam Wesevich graduated from UT Austin with a BS in Psychology and a minor in pre-Health professions, with the hopes of attending medical school. He has worked on the DMHC project for almost three years and is currently in the process of getting a manuscript published, focusing on the different ethical dilemmas faced by medical students in their 3rd-year clerkship. He is also currently working on the Adolescent Self-Harm project, researching a population he hopes to soon be able to assist as he is working towards becoming a psychiatrist.