Rachael graduated from the University of Michigan Honors College in 2021 with a B.S. in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. During her time as an undergrad, she developed her analytical skillset as a research assistant for both Dr. Ethan Kross’ Emotion and Self Control Lab, as well as Dr. Robin Edelstein’s Relationships and Hormones Lab. Within each, she helped to facilitate and present research regarding early adolescent emotional regulation, focusing on changes in testosterone across close relationships.

In 2019, Rachael was awarded a competitive research fellowship to examine mental health disparities in South Asia; her work centered on providing evidence-based mental health resources to youth in underdeveloped areas of Kolkata. Inspired by her time there, Rachael’s research interests have since shifted toward an adolescent developmental psychopathology focus, through a transdiagnostic and public-health-centered lens. Her senior year Honors Thesis explored the role of childhood maltreatment and its effects on adolescent risk taking behavior, completed alongside Dr. Daniel Keating.

Rachael is broadly interested in uncovering the biological pathways through which environmental trauma and stress manifest within the body, and has presented recent work from her time in the lab at ABCT. Rachael hopes to pursue a Clinical Psychology PhD to continue this work. When not in the lab, Rachael enjoys acrylic painting, long-distance running, and listening to live music with friends.