Current Graduate Students

Olivia Nazaire, BA
3rd Year Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Student

Olivia (she/her) is a third-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology PhD program at Loyola University Chicago. Her research interests are education equity, community-partnered research, and the implementation of school-based interventions that address disproportionate discipline towards racially marginalized learners. She is particularly interested in examining these topics at a systemic level, specifically in urban communities and early childhood education settings. Prior to attending Loyola, Olivia received her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and has worked in various organizations including Boston University’s Center on the Ecology of Early Development. Olivia is originally from Peabody, MA in the Greater Boston area. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music and spending time at the beach.

Cameron Cooper, MPH
2nd Year Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Student

Cameron (she/her) is a second year PhD student in the Clinical Psychology program. I am interested in the implementation of interventions in schools and community settings to improve youth mental and behavioral health. I am particularly interested in working with youth of color who have experienced or are experiencing trauma and/or adversity. I have a background in public health and am passionate about working with community stakeholders to effectively design, implement, and evaluate culturally responsive interventions. After receiving my MPH, I moved to Chicago and have worked at both Rush University Medical Center and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. Outside of school, I love to shoot film photography, go thrift shopping, and eat my way through the best city in the world (Chicago 😄)!​

Staff

Fiona Juarez-Sweeney

Fiona (she/her) is the Project Coordinator for the CIRRCLE Lab. After graduating from Loyola in 2025 with a B.S. in Psychology, Fiona spent a year working at Garfield Park Behavioral Hospital as a mental health specialist before joining the team in June 2026. After gaining experience with crisis intervention and prevention for vulnerable populations, Fiona has begun to center her research interests on youth within the behavioral health system suffering from trauma and displaying externalizing behaviors. However, she is interested in pediatric/adolescent mental health as a whole. Fiona plans to get her PhD in Clinical Psychology to pursue a career in counseling with pediatric/adolescent populations as well as research the systemic and individual factors impacting youth struggling with behavioral health challenges. In her free time, Fiona enjoys playing bass and guitar, attending concerts, spending time outside, and reading.​

Undergraduate Research Assistants

Amani Bettler

Amani (she/her) is a fourth year undergraduate student at Loyola University Chicago studying Psychology and Spanish, and is an undergraduate research assistant with the CIRRCLE lab. Originally from Albuquerque, NM, Amani spent the summer interning with an organization that provides bilingual mental health and case management services for primarily immigrant and refugee communities in Albuquerque, learning more about clinical psychology and techniques for supporting mental and behavioral health with cultural humility. She is excited about the opportunity to gain more experience with research and believes strongly in the work the team will be doing. Outside of classes, Amani loves to read, swim, and try new coffee spots! ​​

Jazilie Perez

Jazilie (she/her) is an undergraduate research assistant at the CIRRCLE Lab. She is a fourth year Psychology and Cognitive/Behavioral Neuroscience major at Loyola University Chicago, with a strong interest in forensic psychology and the ways in which marginalized youth intertwine with criminal justice system. She is largely focused on how youth of color are more susceptible to harmful stereotypes and ways in which this can be combated. In her spare time, Jazilie enjoys reading, spending time with loved ones, and baking!

Decha Perron

Decha (she/her) is an undergraduate research assistant at the CIRRCLE lab, currently in her senior year at Loyola University Chicago, where she is majoring in Psychology and Criminal Justice with a minor in Global Studies. Decha is interested in finding ways to address the mental health disparity among children of BIPOC backgrounds and refugee populations. Over the summer, she interned with an organization dedicated to providing high-impact tutoring for refugee students through a trauma informed lens, and she hopes to continue finding ways to best support and improve the mental health services for refugees. Decha is originally from Ipswich, Massachusetts and in her free time, she enjoys reading, trying out new cafes and making jewelry. 

Mumtaz Sajwani

Mumtaz (she/they) is an undergraduate research assistant at the CIRRCLE lab, currently in her senior year at Loyola University Chicago, where she is majoring in Psychology and Global Studies with a minor in Middle East and Islamic World Studies. Mumtaz is interested in finding ways to make mental health care more accessible to Black and Brown youth within the Chicagoland area, eventually branching out worldwide and into countries in the global south. They are interested in ending the stigma behind mental health care while being considerate of different cultural backgrounds. Mumtaz is originally from Chicago, Illinois. In her free time she enjoys reading, drawing and visiting different thrift stores!

Sana Ahmed

Sana (she/her) is a third-year student at Loyola University Chicago studying psychology with a minor in sociology. She is passionate about mental health, specifically as it relates to reducing the stigma amongst minority communities and ensuring that all children have equal access to culturally informed resources. Sana is committed to serving marginalized communities and has spent extensive time volunteering at a local school in Rogers Park that is dedicated to bridging the education gap. She is excited to be an undergraduate research assistant in the CIRRCLE lab as she learns how she can continue to serve and advocate for underrepresented groups. Sana is originally from the suburbs of Minnesota, and in her free time, enjoys taking part in cycling classes, baking, and is always down for a boba tea outing!

Lindsey Marek

Lindsey (she/her) is a third-year undergraduate student at Loyola University Chicago and serves as an undergraduate research assistant in the CIRRCLE Lab. She is majoring in Cognitive/Behavioral Neuroscience with a minor in Criminal Justice and Criminology. Her research interests focus on the effects of systemic oppression on mental health, particularly within the criminal legal system. She is especially passionate about addressing the disproportionate representation of people of color in the prison system. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, thrifting, and reading.

Ahmed Khalaf

Ahmed is a second year at Loyola University Chicago majoring in Neuroscience on the Cognitive and Behavioral track with a minor in Psychology. I'm very passionate about reducing the stigma surrounding mental health and hope to make mental health care more accessible across different communities around the world while remaining mindful of cultural differences and barriers to care. I'm originally from Orange County California and in my free time I love to read and go on jogs!  ​

Alumni

Rylee Abaya, BS

Dates in Lab: Project Coordinator, 2024-2026
Current Position: Clinical Psychology PhD Student at Marquette University

Ama Baffoe, BS

Dates in Lab: Research Assistant, 2025-2026
Current Position: Master's Student, Loyola University Chicago

Jetzemany Sanchez, BS

Dates in Lab: Research Assistant,
2025-2026
Current Position: Master's Student, Teachers College Columbia University

Graceanne Gray

Dates in Lab: Research Assistant, Fall 2024
Current Position: n/a