Aria Gastón-Panthaki, Research Coordinator

What is one project you’re excited about that you are working on in the lab right now?

I'm excited to continue working on STAR study. The team that we have created here in the stress and development lab is so welcoming. I love working with the kids and getting the chance to talk with them about their lives.

What is something that you enjoy doing outside of work?

I do lots of different things outside of work. I love to sing, act, and dance. Besides the performing arts, I have enjoyed reading, and watching movies! I also love to cook, especially bake. When I bake I get to share it with the lab, which I love to do!

What is something that you are personally working on improving (about yourself, about the world, about your community etc)?

I think for a long time psychology has been a field made by the majority for the majority. This needs to change. So often research findings/treatments are put upon historically marginalized groups without recognizing that historically marginalized groups have different cultures from the majority. This can cause harm in these communities and make treatments less effective. I want my work to focus on these groups and make treatments specifically for them. I hope that the future of clinical psychology increases working with these populations and making treatments specifically for different groups.

What do you want to be when you “grow up”?

I want to be a researcher and a therapist. I would like my research to have practical applications for historically marginalized communities. I would hope that my therapeutic practice could reach communities who lack access to therapeutic resources.

If you could be anything (outside from your current field) what would it be?

Probably a cinematographer. Cinematography is such a unique art form. Not only are you capturing the story but you are guiding the eyes of the audience. The same story can be told in vastly different way just by the differences in cinematography. I personally would love to make movies where each shot looks like a piece of artwork like in Portrait of a Lady on Fire or Where is the Friend's Home.