Graduate Students and Staff

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Ria Nagar (she/her)

I graduated from the University of Washington in 2019 with a B.A. in Psychology and Informatics and an MSc. in Psychological Science from the University of Glasgow. My most recent positions included contributing at the Adolescent Adversity and Depression Intervention (AADI) Lab within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UW – I worked on a clinical trial that aimed to understand the effects of an evidence-based therapy (Behavioral Activation- BA) on neural function and behavior in adolescents diagnosed with depression. I also contributed towards Project ARC at the Computing for Healthy Living and Learning Lab within the Human Centered Design and Engineering Department – this was a feasibility and usability pilot study focused on adapting Behavioral Activation to an asynchronous remote communities platform (e.g. Slack), allowing for delivery of BA content while also providing a platform for communicating with a therapist, as well as participating in online communities for in-treatment adolescents. 

My primary research interests are at the intersection of technology and psychology, examining attitudes and efficacy of technology-based treatments in order to increase access to treatment for South Asian adolescents.

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Madeline Rech (she/her)

I earned my B.S. in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, after working in the Anxiety Disorders Lab and the Child Neurodevelopment Research Lab. My primary research interest is to understand the thought processes involved in anxiety disorders, and how technology can be used to assess and treat social anxiety disorder specifically. As a Communications Representative on the Psychology Clinic Diversity Committee, I established and coordinate a newsletter to share updates with the department. Additionally, I am involved with the Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program, which is a mentoring and lecture-series program that aims to help students with racially/ethnically marginalized identities successfully apply to graduate programs in psychology (learn more). I am passionate about justice and equity and strive to increase accessibility to assessments, treatments, and psychoeducation for underserved communities throughout my career. 

Outside of research and academia, I have worked at a mental health hotline and served at Big Brothers Big Sisters through an AmeriCorps apprenticeship program, Public Allies. Currently, I am an extern at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta through the Department of Neuropsychology.

Snigdha Kamarsu (she/her)

I am a clinical psychology doctoral student at Georgia State University. I’ve earned my B.S. in Cognitive Science from the University of California, Irvine, and my M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Northwestern University. I worked as a research coordinator in the Working Memory and Plasticity Lab, the Cognitive Dynamics Lab, and the SOAR Lab at Northwestern University. My primary research interests are to develop interventions aimed at symptom management and cognitive remediation for adults with mood disorders. I am also passionate about equity and fair access to mental health care and treatment to those that feel stigmatized.

Outside of academia, I love going hiking, exploring new places, and reading.

 

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Heather Quirk (she/her)

I completed my undergraduate degree in 2015, majoring in Communications & Public Relations at Messiah College, then went on to get an MBA with a focus in Health Management in 2019. After volunteering in various psychology labs here at Georgia State and taking classes as a post-bacc student, I am now back to complete my masters and doctorate in Clinical Psychology. My research interests are at the intersection of oncology, psychology, and technology. Specifically, I am passionate about making community-based, culturally-adapted psychological interventions easily available to patients with cancer and their primary informal/family caregivers. I am also interested in how unique religious and spiritual frameworks and experiences affect patients’ and caregivers’ ability to psychologically cope with cancer and other chronic illnesses. My ultimate goal is to open a research and treatment center that studies and provides accessible, affordable, and holistic psychological treatments for patients and their caregivers.