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Meet the Team

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Joyce P. Yang, PhD

she/her

Principal Investigator

I conduct research on mental health disparities experienced by communities of color. My work aims to pursue justice and health equity for under-resourced intersectional populations using community-based participatory research and mixed methods. 

As an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of San Francisco, my current courses include: General Psychology, Health Psychology, and Advanced Research Topics: Evidence-based Therapies.

I earned my doctoral degree as a clinical scientist from the University of Washington, and completed my postdoctoral research fellowship in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University and the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder at the Palo Alto VA Healthcare System. I received my undergraduate training in Psychology and Biology from Washington University in St. Louis. 


In terms of my background, I am Taiwanese-American and I grew up in rural Indonesia and China as a third-culture kid whose academic, family, and host country cultures each prescribed unique ways of living. In our formative education, we were taught at least three ways of doing everything, and I remember the fifteen students of my first grade class (at North Jakarta International School) came from eleven different countries. This heterogeneity meant that we needed to think in ways that encompass and celebrate differences, instilled from the beginning with humility to know that our personal perspective is simply one way of seeing. As a result, cultural humility is a central value guiding my approach to research, teaching, community engagement, and clinical work.

As a clinical psychologist who researches intervention development, it is also important for me to stay connected to delivering mental health services. I am part of a group clinical practice where I primarily see clients who have experienced race-based stress and trauma. 

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Emily Nhan

Research Assistant

Emily Nhan (she/her) graduated from University of San Francisco in May 2020 with a double-major in Psychology and Economics. She will be starting her Ph.D. at the University of Michigan, Personality & Social Contexts program starting in August 2024 pursuing social equity-related research questions. Her personal research interests include ethnic identity, discrimination experiences, solidarity, and health outcomes among diverse communities.

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Rachel Chan

Research Assistant

Rachel Chan (she/her) graduated from the University of San Francisco in May 2024 with a major in Psychology. She was part of the 2023 Honors in Psychology cohort. She will be starting her Ph.D. at the Southern Methodist University Clinical Psychology program in August 2024 pursuing discrimination and inequity-related research questions. Her research interests include studying bias and discrimination, pathways to psychopathology, and developing culturally-informed interventions in marginalized communities. 

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Aisha Williamson-Raun

Research Assistant

Aisha Williamson-Raun (she/her) graduated from USF in 2023 with a major in Psychology with a minor in Public Service and Community Engagement. Her interests focus on the intersectionality of mental health, systems of oppression and communities of color. She hopes to bring accessibility and representation to the field of psychology. 

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Sabrina Ortiz

Research Assistant

Sabrina Ortiz (she/her) received her BA in Psychology from USF in 2021 and is currently a third year in the PsyD program. She is passionate about addressing the mental health disparities that affect marginalized communities and advocating for health equity for communities of color. She has specific interests in working with QTBIPOC folks. Her clinical training placement is with Adolescent Counseling Services, Outlet for LGBTQ+ youth, where she is currently providing clinical services to LGBTQ+ youth ages 10-25. Her research interests include intersectionality, minority stress, and the experiences of gender expansive BIPOC young adults. 

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Mei Tam

Research Assistant

Mei Tam (she/her) is a third year doctoral student at USF's PsyD Program. She received a BA in Psychology and a minor in Asian American Studies at University of California, Los Angeles where she was involved in various research labs and internships that focuses on at-risk youths. She continues to pursue her passions of providing accessible mental health care to marginalized youths, as she is currently working with Asian American and low-income youths in San Francisco through her practicum placement at Community Youth Center of San Francisco. In addition, she has developed a passion in researching about the experiences of marginalized communities and how they navigate through the world.

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Zoe Wang

Research Assistant

Zoe Wang (she/her) is a third-year undergraduate student studying Psychology at the University of San Francisco. She is also minoring in both Child & Youth Studies as well as Health Studies. Her research interests include somatization of early childhood trauma and child psychopathology. She hopes to help communities understand how their own personal histories can influence many different aspects of their life. Zoe is passionate about working to bridge the gaps in healthcare for diverse communities.

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Rebecca Austria

Research Assistant

Rebecca Austria (she/her) is a second-year undergraduate student studying Psychology and Sociology at the University of San Francisco. She is passionate about addressing the specific needs of minority communities who often encounter greater barriers when trying to access quality mental health care. 

Lab Alumni

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Sally Tang

Sally Tang (she/her) graduated from USF in 2022 with a major in Psychology and a double minor in health studies and neuroscience. She was a member of the 2021 Honors in Psychology Cohort at USF and studied the relationship between creative thinking and language switching.
 

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Fred Fajardo

Frederick Fajardo (he/him) graduated from USF in 2023 with a major in Psychology. He was involved in the 2022 Honors in Psychology Cohort at USF. His research interests include generational trauma and interactions between generations within immigrant families.

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Janvi Amin

Research Assistant

Janvi Amin (she/they) graduated with a psychology major and neuroscience and health studies minors. She plans on pursuing neuroscience in graduate school after her time at USF, and hopes to learn more about intergenerational trauma and cross-cultural psychology through. She hopes to one day make a contribution to research in these topics and help dispel the stigma behind seeking aid for mental health crises in minority communities.

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Quyen A. Do

Research Assistant

Quyen A. Do (she/her) is a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University with a research focus on trauma and interpersonal violence experienced by marginalized groups. For more info, check out her website

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