The Lab Members

Eduardo Jones, M.A.
Graduate Student

I'm currently a third year graduate student in the clinical science Ph.D. program at USC. I attended the University of Washington and graduated with a Bachelor in Science in 2006. My research interests include psychological interventions with a focus on how culture is accounted for in therapy. Recently, I have become intrigued by transtheoretical models of therapy, common or nonspecific therapy factors, and evidence-based relationship elements. I also have an avid interest in mindfulness-based therapies, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.

Jean Kim, M.A.
Graduate Student

I am a third year graduate student in the clinical science Ph.D. program at USC. I graduated from the University of Michigan in May 2010 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Spanish. I am interested in culture and Psychopathology, specifically Major Depression. I am also interested in stigma and help-seeking. My Master's project focused on the expression of depression among Asian and European Americans.

 

Edlin Gonzalez, M.A.
Project Coordinator

 I am the Research Coordinator for the Shifting Cultural Lens Project (SCL).  We hope to have a fruitful year conducting several cultural competence workshops and evaluating the SCL model. I am also involved in the La CLAve project that aims to increase mental health literacy about psychosis in the Latino Community. I was previously employed by the New York State Psychiatric Institute in the Hispanic Treatment Program.  I will receive my M.A. in February of 2013 in Psychology in Education, Clinical Psychology at Columbia University. I graduated cum laude from UC Santa Barbara in 2010, B.A. Psychology and Sociology.  My primary research interests are improving prevention and treatment programs for minority populations. I also have a strong and passionate interest in culture and its effect on psychopathology. Ultimately, my goal is to obtain my PhD in Clinical Psychology and to reduce disparities in mental health treatment for minority populations.

Natalia Jaramillo, B.A.
Project Assistant

I am a project assistant for the Families and Schizophrenia project that examines the extent to which Mexican American caregiver’s orient their ill relatives to the social world and how that relates to the ill relative’s neurological and psychological functioning. I recently graduated with honors from Clark University with a B.A. in psychology and a concentration in Latin American Studies and Ethics and Public Policy. During my time at Clark, I received research training under the mentorship of Dr. Esteban Cardemil where I conducted research examining the relationship between masculinity and depression through the context of acculturation in Latino men. Prior to working in the lab, I also attended the Latino Mental Health Research Training Program in Puebla, Mexico. My research interests include understanding psychosocial factors of schizophrenia and depression as well as developing culturally sensitive treatment interventions geared at addressing mental health disparities for minority populations. I intend to pursue a graduate degree in clinical psychology.  

Jose Miguel Ruiz, B.A.
Project Assistant

I work on the Family Socialization of Schizophrenia Project looking at Mexican Americans to examine whether family socialization as evidenced in everyday routines and social attitudes are related to neural and/or psychological functioning. Ultimately, I plan to obtain a PhD in Clinical Psychology to better serve my community by improving access to culturally appropriate and effective mental health services for migrant Latino youth. I received my B.A. in Psychology and minor in Education from the University of California, Santa Cruz. I was an undergraduate student researcher in the Assessing Scientific Inquiry and Leadership Skills (AScILS) lab conducted by Dr. Martin Chemers. Prior to coming to USC, I worked as an immigration legal services counselor at the International Institute of Los Angeles.

Kitsya Macias, B.A.
Research Assistant / Coder

Monica Sepulveda, M.A.
Research Assistant / Coder

I am a research assistant for the Shifting Cultural Lenses (SCL) project which aims to increase culturally competent behaviors of mental health providers with culturally diverse clients.  My main role is to code therapy sessions according to the SCL model developed by Dr. Lopez, Garro, and Kopelowicz. This model operationalizes cultural competence as being comprised of three primary behavioral clusters, clinicians learning the client’s views; communicating their own views; and developing with their client a shared understanding of treatment. I received a Master’s in Sociology from the University of California, Irvine and my B.A. in Sociology and American Studies & Ethnicity, with a focus on Chicano/Latino studies from USC. While at USC, I was involved with the Joint Educational Project, MEChA, and McNair Scholars program.

Monina Letargo, B.A.
Administrative Assistant

I was born and raised in Manila, Philippines. I received my Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Arts from the University of Santo Tomas and then took major courses in Master’s in Business Administration from Ateneo de Manila University. Over the course of my professional work which focused on business, office and operations management in varied types of industries, I developed the interest in evolving organizations, planning and execution. Like many others, I migrated to the U.S. to pave the way for my three children. I am pleased to work with Dr. Lopez in the Administration in support of his three research and training projects. In all stages of the project cycle, I see to it that the logistics are in place while keeping compliance with the University and project sponsor policies.

Nancy Vasquez, MPA
Project Consultant

As a consultant on the Shifting Cultural Lenses (SCL) Project, my role is to serve as a liaison between SCL and the four participating counties: Ventura County Department of Behavioral Health, Santa Barbara County Alcohol, Drug & Mental Health Services, San Luis Obispo County Department of Behavioral Health and Kern County Department of Mental Health. I also help recruit clinicians to participate in the study and help organize the one-day training and booster session. Besides my work on the SCL project, I am a consultant for Santa Barbara County Alcohol, Drug & Mental Health Services and the California Institute for Mental Health. My primary focus is project management, including program implementation and evaluation. I am passionate about helping organizations have effective programs and services for individuals who suffer from mental illness and substance abuse. I have a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Cal State Northridge and a Bachelors Degree in Health Science from San Diego State University.

Daphne Rosales, MD
Volunteer

I was born and raised in "La Ciudad de Mexico." At the age of seventeen I came to Los Angeles to finish my last year of high school. One year later I became a Trojan. In 2004,  I finished my undergraduate degree in Health and Humanities at USC, and started medical school at St. George's University. I am looking forward to graduating in Dec 2012 and starting a residency position in Family Medicine in July 2013. I have a special interest in minority cultures and in migrant health. Needless to say, I am slightly biased towards serving the Hispanic population in the U.S. But, it is no secret that I have genuine appreciation for the varied cultures I have been exposed to throughout my training. As a developing physician, I put special emphasis on the value of mental health and cultural competency. I aspire to become better capable of addressing the cultural health care gap. It is for these reasons that Dr. Lopez' work was particularly appealing to me. I am really excited to become part of this wonderful research team and to contribute with the little knowledge that my education and life experiences have empowered me with!