Current RAs
Jaxson Trammell joined the lab in May 2024 and is a fourth-year student at Georgia State University, earning his B.S. in psychology. Jaxson plans to continue his education by earning a PhD in clinical psychology and becoming a practicing therapist and lecturer. His research interests include specific phobia treatment, neural correlates of social anxiety, and unconventional therapeutic methods such as ASMR and reflective writing interventions. In addition to assisting in the lab, Jaxson serves as vice president for the university’s chapter of Psi Chi and is a member of the psychology department’s UPC committee as the student representative. In his free time, Jaxson loves to enjoy good food with friends and quality time in nature.
Jose Jarquin is a third-year student majoring in neuroscience and psychology. Jose joined the lab in the summer of 2022 as an NIH-MARC fellow and is currently working on completing his honors thesis. Jose plans to pursue graduate school and is interested in understanding the development and maturation of dopaminergic systems. Specifically, he is interested in exploring how adversity during sensitive developmental periods disrupts social reward processing. Jose enjoys reading, building Legos, hiking with friends, and watching movies in his free time.
Caroline McDonald graduated from Georgia State University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and joined the L-STAR lab in Fall 2024. Throughout her undergraduate studies, she was a research assistant in GSU’s FEELINGS lab and continues to participate in the lab. Caroline is also a research coordinator for GSU’s Cognition & Aging Lab, overseeing progress toward study milestones & interacting with participants. Currently applying to master’s programs in clinical mental health counseling, Caroline hopes to become a licensed professional counselor. Outside academics, Caroline loves to travel, hike & camp with her dog, and cook yummy vegan recipes.
Donnovan Thomas is a second-year psychology student with a marketing minor. Donnovan joined the lab in the summer of 2024 after his awesome experience as a participant in our research study! Driven by his interest in understanding human tendencies, Donnovan plans to pursue graduate school and become a behavioral psychologist. His interests include helping individuals identify and implement strategies to enhance their well-being. Outside academics, Donnovan enjoys exercising, skateboarding, listening to music, playing video games, and walking through nature. Little know this, but Donnovan is a follower of Christ and tends to his Juniper Bonsai Tree named Barry.
Recent RA Alumni
Ferris Abu-Ghosh is a recent Georgia State graduate who earned his B.S. in biology with a pre-med concentration. Joining the lab in the fall of 2022, Ferris continues to be a valuable lab member. Currently in the process of applying to medical schools, he aspires to become a future cardiologist. Academics aside, Ferris is an avid Liverpool FC fan who enjoys playing and watching soccer in his free time. Additionally, he likes spending time with Jasmine, his cat.
Liliana Ramos, a third-year biology student, is a determined individual with a passion for becoming a doctor. She is Mexican American and grew up in Georgia. Her personal experiences of surviving cancer as an infant have fueled her ambition to make a difference in the field of medicine. Every week, Liliana volunteers at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Additionally, Liliana excels in psychology research as a member of the L-STAR lab. She joined the lab Summer of 2023. Beyond her academic pursuits, Liliana also loves traveling, spending time with family and friends, and staying active!
Kadiatou Cisse is a fourth-year psychology student with a pre-med concentration and plans to become an OB/GYN. Since joining the L-STAR lab in May 2023 as a Brains & Behavior fellow, Kadiatou has remained an active lab member. When not in the lab, Kadiatou serves as chair on the executive board for GSU’s Planned Parenthood Generation Action chapter and as treasurer for Medical Students Making a Difference and Education. Kadiatou is also currently working on her Honors Thesis and, during her free time, enjoys raiding different cafés and museums around Atlanta.
Mrinali Swamy is a 4th-year Biology student with a pre-med concentration at Georgia State University. She currently works as a medical scribe and aspires to attend medical school to pursue a career in Pediatric Neurology. Mirinali’s love for neuroscience led her to the L-STAR lab in the summer of 2023. Since then, she has been able to harness valuable research skills while working towards understanding the effects of anxiety on social behaviors. In her free time, she enjoys embroidery, cooking new recipes, and spending time with her family. A fun fact about her is she can solve a Rubik’s cube in under 15 seconds!
Gloria Cudd graduated from the Honors College at Georgia State in 2021 with Advanced and Research Honors Distinction in psychology. The psychology department also recognized Gloria in her senior year with its Outstanding Psychology Honors Student Award. Gloria was a part of the L-STAR lab from 2018-2021. She plans on pursuing a graduate degree in clinical psychology. Gloria is broadly interested in internalizing forms of psychopathology and how these internal processes affect social decision making. In her free time she enjoys reading, writing, volunteering, and traveling.
Born in Ethiopia, Nebil Ahmed moved to the United States in 2016. He graduated from Georgia State University with a major in Biology. After completing his senior year at GSU in 2021, Nebil is applying to medical school. Nebil has been a member of the L-STAR lab since June 2018. Interested in the internal mechanisms of the body, he studies the physiological changes that take place in one’s body when faced with decisions that induce anxiety.
Kamal Hughes graduated from Georgia State University, where he was a Gates Millenium Scholar, in 2021. Kamal joined the L-STAR lab in 2019 and is now pursuing a master’s degree in Public Health at Morehouse College in Atlanta.
Hillary Ortiz graduated with distinction from Georgia State University with a major in Neuroscience and a minor in Psychology. She worked in the L-STAR lab from 2018-2021, serving in multiple capacities on a range of studies. She is currently working as a psychometrist at the Emory University School of Medicine’s Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and plans to pursue graduate training in psychology. Outside of her work, Hillary loves to volunteer at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, do arts and crafts, read, listen, and sing to music, and everything Disney!
Chinwendu Iheanacho is an undergraduate student at Georgia State University pursing a Nursing degree. She plans to apply to the Accelerated Program so that she can graduate in 2021 instead of 2023. In her spare time she enjoys creative writing, drawing, and volunteering which she does with GSU’s Civic Engagement Office.
Riley O’Neill completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Spanish at the University of Alabama, where she worked in the Health Relationships & Disparities Lab of Dr. Jenny Cundiff and Capstone Sleep Lab of Dr. Matthew Cribbet. She served as a summer volunteer in the L-STAR lab for two years. Riley is currently enrolled in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at the University of Arizona, where she studies the pathways through which stress leads to adverse cardiovascular and metabolic outcomes. Riley is primarily interested in examining the pathways linking various psychosocial factors to increased risk for cardiovascular and metabolic disease outcomes, specifically in the context of racial/ethnic health disparities.
Born to Honduran and Ecuadorian parents in Macon, GA, Javier Palacios currently resides in Atlanta, GA and completed a double major in Neuroscience and Psychology, at Georgia State University by 2021. His particular area of research interest is abnormal sleep and how to modify it and he now works on studies in this area with Dr. Brian Moore at Kennesaw State University. In the L-STAR lab, he examined how sleep quality in young adults relates to anxiety-provoking early life events. Academia, aside he holds an active memberships in the Collegiate Neuroscience Society and the Philosopher’s Guild.
Javier previously served as an undergraduate assistant in the neuroimaging lab of Jessica Turner, Ph.D., where he discovered that research is his life’s passion. In his spare time, he runs cross country, writes music screenplays, and eats pb&j to Binging with Babish.
Sydney Reese completed her undergraduate degree in psychology at Georgia State University in May of 2020. She worked for two years as an undergraduate research assistant in the L-STAR lab. Sydney’s interest lie in cross- cultural psychology, and in the future she hopes to conduct research in international communities typically underrepresented in psychological research. She currently works as a copywriter at DrawChange and is completing an internship in Campus Ministry at North River Church of Christ.
Catalina Echeverry graduated from Georgia State University with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology at the University of Missouri Catalina worked in the L-STAR lab as a research assistant from 2018-2021 and found the research to be very interesting and exciting to be a part of. She loves to go out with her friends and family or draw and paint during her free time.
Cynthia Andrade graduated from Georgia State University in 2020 with a degree in Neuroscience. Cynthia joined the lab in 2019 and took over as manager of the NIMH-funded Approach Avoidance study following her graduation. Cynthia left the lab in the summer of 2021 to pursue new professional opportunities.