Amanda graduated from Mercy College (Dobbs Ferry, NY) in 2019 with distinction and an M.S. in Psychology. In addition to her role as a Research Assistant in Harvard University’s Stress and Development Lab, she is currently supporting research efforts designed to promote positive socio-emotional outcomes and reduce disparities in stress-exposed/underserved youth as a Research Assistant in Fordham University’s Raposa Lab. For three years prior, she worked as a Research Assistant at the Anxiety Disorders Clinic/Center of Excellence for Cultural Competence in NYSPI, Columbia University Irving Medical Center where she was involved in several research studies within the areas of youth suicide prevention, youth empowerment, poverty/financial wellness, CFI implementation, language interpreter utilization, and minority MH service engagement. Concurrently, she presented in the 2018 World Congress of Cultural Psychiatry, a research conference where she also served as a member of its Local Organizing Committee. During and after her studies, she involved herself in many other training experiences which helped in shaping her academic interests/goals, such as the McNair Scholars Research Program, independent research projects, clinical internships, and volunteer service.  

Amanda aspires to pursue a career as a clinical psychologist by obtaining a Ph.D. and focusing her work on understanding the extent to which stressors/adversity and environmental factors in early life impact child/adolescent development and the risk for MH difficulties. In addition, she is interested in exploring prevention/intervention efforts mitigating the negative impact of these stressors and developmental and cultural disparities. When not in the lab, Amanda enjoys spending quality time with her family/friends/pets, playing the piano, reading, and dancing.