Lab Members

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.

Larissa is an undergraduate student studying psychology at the University of Alberta. Her focus is on investigating psychology through the lens of Autistic, queer, and disabled experience. They brings with them years of lived experience personally, as a parent, and as an advocate. She is very excited for the opportunity to be involved in emerging research in these areas.

Larissa also loves to mountain bike with their spouse and two kids and hangout drinking coffee, reading, and snuggling with their dog.

Larissa Kanno Kindred (she/her) is a first year master’s student in the Mental Health Counseling program at University of Massachusetts Boston. She graduated summa cum laude with a BA in Women’s and Gender Studies and is passionate about research with a social justice focus. Her academic interests are gender dynamics and the intersection of race, gender and sexuality with mental health.

As a mixed race Asian-American and a neurodiverse student, Larissa is interested in the various identities that intersect to shape a person’s lived experience. She loves reading, hiking, and trying new restaurants. She is proud to be an adoptive mom and a breast cancer survivor.

Sophia (She/Her) is a first year Counseling Psychology PhD student at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She graduated from Boston University in 2023 with a Masters in Mental Health Counseling with an emphasis on Sport Psychology. Her research interests revolve around the use of physical activity as a therapeutic tool (i.e. for self esteem, empowerment, & with neurodiverse & LGBTQ+ populations).