Principal Investigator
Brittney Hultgren, Ph.D.
hultgren@uw.edu
Acting Assistant Professor
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington
Dr. Brittney Hultgren received her Ph.D. in Biobehavioral Health at Penn State University. Her research focuses on understanding health and risk behaviors in young adults to promote healthy outcomes. When she’s not working, Brittney enjoys mentoring her staff and students, baking, running, reading (especially YA fiction), and watching movies with her husband.
Research Coordinator
Rachel Cooper, B.A.
rcoop@uw.edu
Research Coordinator
Rachel has worked at UW for a little over a year, though is now working remotely back in New Jersey where she is from. Rachel holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Religion and hopes to pursue a Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at UW studying sexual assault. When she is not working, she enjoys making jewelry, listening to true crime podcasts, and playing with her 3 dogs.
Research Assistant
Daniela Acuna, B.A.
acunad@uw.edu
Research Assistant
Daniela started as a full-time RA with YARD earlier this year and was also an undergraduate research assistant at UW from 2018-2019. She graduated from UW this past Spring with a major in Psychology and Diversity and Dance minors and is currently pursuing an M.E.d at UW. She hopes to eventually study school psychology. In her free time, she enjoys teaching yoga, running at Golden Gardens, watching Modern Family, dog watching on her front porch, drinking tea, and shopping at Ikea.
Undergraduate and Post-Baccalaureate Research Assistants
Zoey Chu
Hi everyone, my name is Zoey Chu! I graduated from UW in Winter 2020 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. I am interested in pursuing a clinical psychology Ph.D. program in the future.
Victoria Shepard
Hi everyone, my name is Victoria Shepard! I am a third-year student at UW currently studying psychology and Spanish. I am excited to be a part of CSHRB because it allows me to gain research experience as I plan to attend grad school to obtain my doctorate in clinical psychology. Some things I like to do in my free time are to watch true crime documentaries, play soccer, and work out in general!
Debbie Wang
Hi everyone, my name is Debbie Wang! I graduated from UW in Winter 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. I am currently looking for jobs related to psychology and planning to earn my Ph.D. in clinical psychology specifically in post-traumatic stress disorder.
Rafa Al-Kaheli
Hi everyone, my name is Rafa Al-Kaheli! I’m currently a sophomore at the University of Washington, working on double majoring in Psychology and Biology. After graduating in 2023, I plan on pursuing a career in the medical field as a physician with a focus on family medicine, internal medicine, or cardiology. When I’m not studying away or working on research, you can find me ice skating, getting bubble tea with my homies, or splashing around at the beach for hours on end. I enjoy creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere and exploring places I haven’t been to before.
Dara Jackson
Hi everyone, my name is Dara Jackson! I am a daughter of the isles, hailing from Trinidad and Tobago. I have completed my BS (First Class Honours) Psychology with dreams of entering a Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program. Helping people is my passion. In my free time, I lecture introductory psychology courses, I utilize Twitter as a tool to spread Mental Health and Wellness education for the public, I run Emotional Crisis Support online, I conduct Twitter spaces for community support, women supporting women, emotional spaces for men and biweekly meditation and I recently created Psychology Twitter which is a space for aspiring and established mental health professionals to interact on the app. I have also done a mental health series for national radio. Outside of mental health advocacy, I have a love letter writing business called @SpyceDeclarations, and any extra time I have left I nap or spend time with my family. Prepandemic, you can always find me involved in cultural events.
Angela Cabutaje
Hi everyone, my name is Angela Cabutaje! I graduated from UW in Spring 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health-Global Health and I am an aspiring physician. When I’m not working, some things I enjoy doing are spending time with family and friends, singing, and traveling.
Ayana Sharma
Hi everyone, my name is Ayana Sharma! I am currently a Sophomore double majoring Biology and Medical Anthropology! After undergrad, I plan on going to medical school to pursue a career in Emergency Medicine. When I’m not in school, you’ll find me exploring new coffee shops, shopping, or taking a dance class!
Amanda Fung
Hi everyone, my name is Amanda Fung, and I am currently a senior at the University of Washington. In my free time, I enjoy reading, traveling, and spending time with my friends.
Natalie Maasberg
Hi there, my name is Natalie and I am a junior at UW. I am originally from San Jose, California I am currently pursuing my Bachelors of Science in Psychology. Mental health is something very important to me and I believe it is something that needs to be discussed more, so I am planning on taking the schooling routes necessary to become a therapist or psychiatrist. I am excited and grateful to be working with YARD as my first research assistant position!
Tran Nguyen
Tran is a senior at the University of Washington. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in General Biology and a minor in diversity. Her focus is pre-med with the hopes of becoming a pediatrician or family physician that focuses on helping the underserved communities. Besides her academic interests, she enjoys painting, listening to true crime podcasts, and traveling to different countries.
Mariah White
Hi everyone, my name is Mariah White! I am a senior undergraduate majoring in psychology. I plan on going to graduate school for clinical psychology after I complete my undergraduate degree. In my free time I love to go camping and hangout with my dogs!
Oliver Wang
My name is Haoqin (Oliver) Wang, currently a junior, and I plan on going into psychology at UW because I believe that mental health is just as important as physical health. I like to play music especially the piano and oboe when I am free, I also love playing badminton with friends. One fun fact about me is that I set out this goal to try every restaurant on the Ave, but I don’t think I’m even halfway there.
Nicole Hiebert
Hi everyone, my name is Nicole Hiebert! I am currently working on my undergraduate degree in Psychology and am planning on double majoring with History as well. Eventually I want to go on to graduate school for Psychology or possibly even Law School. I love helping people out and learning more about what makes them who they are. In my spare time, I often end up around food, clothes, and animals!
Kristina Nguyen