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Elayne Z

- Research Program Mentor

PhD candidate at University of Southern California (USC)

Expertise

clinical psychology, mental health, mental healthcare services and outcomes, youth/family/community health, racial-ethnic minoritized groups

Bio

Hi there! Welcome to my profile. :) My goal as a researcher and a therapist is to uplift all groups in attaining mental and emotional wellness. My work focuses on how to build on the many strengths of youths, families, and communities of color to promote thriving. I have been in research since 2015 studying questions like: how do we make the most out of our relationships? how do parents talk to kids about race and racism to protect them? how might mindfulness impact depression and heart health? Science isn't the only thing I love to do. I am also a classically trained singer (opera). I also love to read, do yoga, pet my cats, and be outside in the sunshine as much as I can. Looking forward to working with you!

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Culture, Family, and Well-being

Students explore the relationships between culture, family relationships, and individual well-being. In this project, students will learn how to find, read, and summarize scientific articles. This is the process of finding out what scientists have discovered on a topic and determining what we do and don't know so far. Outcomes could be to write a blog post for a mental health online magazine, create an informational video or social media post/series, and/or create a podcast episode. If students were interested, projects could also become a poster for a scientific conference.

Coding skills

Beginner proficiency in R

Languages I know

Spanish - conversational to intermediate, Mandarin Chinese - conversational to intermediate

Teaching experience

I currently serve as a graduate teaching assistant for college students. I meet weekly with my class of 50 undergraduate students to teach material, engage students in experiments, and answer questions (Introduction to Psychology). I have mentored undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students on psychology research projects, public speaking, and professional development. I have also served as a pen pal through a STEM program aiming to make science more accessible to middle schoolers.

Credentials

Work experience

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (2020 - 2022)
Clinical Research Coordinator
University of California, Riverside (2018 - 2020)
Lab Manager
Oberlin College (2015 - 2018)
College Admissions Intern & Tour Guide

Education

Oberlin College
BA Bachelor of Arts (2018)
Psychology & Hispanic Studies
University of Southern California (USC)
PhD Doctor of Philosophy candidate
Clinical Psychology

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