Research Collaborators

Hello! My name is Sam Defaz (they/them/theirs), a recently admitted graduate student at CUNY School of Public Health in the Master of Public Health program. I have a B.A. in Psychology from the University at Albany where I was also part of a real dope student group doing peer sex education. My research interests generally include LGBTQ+ communities, women of color, and immigrant communities, especially regarding overall health and wellness so I'm pretty excited to be a volunteer research assistant. Aside from my contributions here, I like volunteering with local organizations, going to repertory film screenings, and doing casual gardening.

Kaitlin Wiebe (she/her) recently graduated from the George Washington University with a Bachelor's of Science in Psychology and two minors in LGBTQ+ Studies and Mind-Brain Philosophy. Currently, she works as a Lab Manager for Dr. Meredith Maroney at the Double Rainbow lab and as a research intern at the George Washington University for both the Milken Center lead by Dr. David Huebner and Lab of Autism and Developmental Neuroscience lead by Dr. Gregory Wallace. Kaitlin's research interests include LGBTQ+ mental health, suicide prevention, Autistic experiences, and gender studies. Outside of research, Kaitlin enjoys creative writing and reading long fantasy novels.

Jacob Desruisseaux (he/him) is currently a research coordinator for Dr. Eileen Crehan at UMass Chan Medical School. He has his Master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and his Bachelor’s degree in ABA and Autism Studies. He is currently in the Autism Studies Graduate Certificate program at Towson University. Jacob’s research interests are in sex education, sexuality, and gender in autistic individuals as well as LGBTQ+ health, and especially the intersection of LGBTQ+ and Autistic experiences. 

He has lived experience as an autistic individual and as a bisexual male and hopes that this experience will be beneficial in the research process. Outside of research, Jacob loves to watch TV and movies, go on walks, write, and read.

Marjola (She/Her/Hers) is currently in her post-bacc and a research assistant volunteer in the Double Rainbow Lab. She received her Bachelors of Science in Psychology with a Biology minor at the University of Massachusetts Boston in 2026. Her research focuses on the well-being and experiences of young adult Autistic LGBTQ+ minorities, sociopolitical determinants of mental health and mental well-being, and humanistic and individualized intervention methods.

Her research interests further include clinical and non clinical methods of supporting individuals with neurodevelopmental and neuropsychological disorders and experiences of medical misogyny and the improvement of women’s healthcare.

Monika has a BFA in Jewelry/Metalsmithing and is an AuDHD Latine non-binary individual. They have lived experience with chronic illness as a person with lupus, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and seronegative rheumatoid arthritis. They concentrate on autistic LGBTQIA+ community and the intersections and experiences within co-occurring conditions.

They are a Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) trainee at UCLA’s Tarjan Center. Monika is a member of the Lived Experience Advisory Group (LEAG) as a representative for the San Gabriel/Pomona Regional Center for the California Department of Developmental Services.