Health Equity, Agency, Racism and Trauma (HEART) Lab

Dr. Carter examines how racial and cultural characteristics (e.g., racial identity, Africentric worldview, racial composition of communities, and place-based factors) influence health. A common theme in her work has been examining how racial discrimination effects development and exacerbation of chronic illnesses. She aims to enhance our ability to tackle health disparities in underserved and underrepresented communities.

Ifrah is a sixth-year doctoral student in clinical psychology at GSU. Her research is focused on the relationship between racialized oppression and trauma symptomatology, with special emphasis on how culturally-salient factors like racial identity may be protective for those who experience multiple marginalization, such as migrant, refugee, and racially minoritized groups. Ifrah takes a community-based lens to enhancing resilience across the lifespan and is committed to conducting translational research that informs the development of culturally-centered prevention and intervention options. She has published on memory and sexual assault trauma, fear processes in PTSD, the protective potential of racial identity profiles in buffering the effects of racial discrimination on PTSD symptoms, social connectedness as a protective factor in the relationship between racial discrimination and trauma cognitions, and psychological outcomes in forcibly displaced Muslims.

Jacob is a sixth-year doctoral student in clinical psychology at GSU. Jacob earned his undergraduate degree in Political Science and Psychology at SUNY New Paltz. He worked at Columbia University's Center for Behavioral Cardiovascular Health on multiple research projects examining psychosocial, behavioral, and biological processes effect on health. As a fourth-year graduate student, he is interested in examining trauma and optimization of trauma treatment models within historically marginalized populations while using multiple methodologies and levels of analysis, such as self-report and physiological measures. Fun Fact: Jacob enjoys long, romantic walks to the fridge.

Simone is a fifth-year graduate student in clinical psychology at GSU. She received her B.A. in Clinical Psychology from Tufts University in 2018, and since then, she has worked as a clinical research assistant in the Psychosis Research Program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, MA. She is interested in exploring the intersectionality between generational trauma and psychosis within the Black community, and she is interested in contributing to the development of culturally-informed interventions for racial/ethnic minority individuals experiencing complex mental illness.

Grace is a fourth-year graduate student in clinical-community psychology at GSU. Grace's research focus is on how different axes of oppression that contextualize violence, specifically sexual assault and intimate partner violence, affect mental health outcomes. She is also interested in how community-based responses to sexual assault and intimate partner violence can be informed by these relationships. Fun Fact: She has a love for thrift stores, especially when travelling.

Omorewo is a fourth-year graduate student in the clinical—community psychology PhD program at GSU. Her research interests include investigating the relationships between physical and mental health in African Americans. She is specifically interested in working with individuals who have sickle cell disease and exploring how different factors of resilience and experiences of racism impact health and quality of life. She's also interested in seeing how some of the systemic aspects (like how Medicaid is accepted outside of hospitalized settings, how the views and policies of opioid use impact individual patient care and provider decisions and interactions, the disparities between pediatric and adult sickle cell care) impact individuals. In her free time she loves laying in her hammock, eating spicy food, taking naps, and taking pictures of and drawing clouds.

Keianna is currently a first-year medical student

at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of

Medicine and received her Bachelor of Science in

Public Health (2022) and Master of Public Health with a minor in Biology (2023) from Georgia State University. She is passionate about researching racial disparities in chronic disease outcomes in the Black community, as well as racial and socioeconomic disparities in maternal and child health. Her goal is to become a Public Health Physician and a Medical Director by completing her Masters in Public Health and continuing into a Doctor of Medicine dual-degree program. Fun Fact: Her favorite hobby is watching true-crime documentaries and dramas and solving them before the end of the show.

Precious is a recent graduate from Emory University with a B.S. in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology (NBB) on the premedical track. Her research interests lie in the intersection between psychology, neuroscience, and human health and their use in understanding Mental Health illnesses in underrepresented populations. Precious’ goals include attending Medical School and later becoming a Pediatrician. She wants to specifically serve underserved communities who unfortunately fall victim to the growing disparity gap in our healthcare system. Fun Fact: She’s Nigerian American, enjoys traveling, listening to music, and cooking new foods.

Mercedes is a recent Georgia State Alumni who graduated with a BA in Psychology. She is interested in any and everything that can help understand and encompass the Black, female, and/or queer experience and utilize this information to create culturally appropriate solutions for the generational betterment of Black lives. Her goal is to get her MPH in Biostatistics/Epidemiology, PhD in Community Psychology, certifications in computer programming, and continue to work in the research field. Fun Fact: She loves listening to music, trying new foods, building Legos, and watching gaming.

Angel is a senior Psychology major with a concentration in Mental Health at Spelman College. She is passionate about addressing health and mental health disparities, trauma, and healing, with an emphasis on the African American community. Her interests also lie in community-based interventions and public policy, to advocate for underserved populations and address their unique vulnerabilities. Angel aspires to become a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, dedicated to creating safe, supportive spaces for individuals in the Black community to heal and gain access to equitable mental health care and comprehensive healthcare services. Fun Fact: She currently holds the title of Miss Old Gold & Black for the Georgia District of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. In this role, she spreads awareness of her platform, HALO (Helping Achieve Light in Others).

Casey is an undergraduate student at Georgia State University studying Psychology. She is passionate about researching effects of racial trauma on child development, as well as the effect of racial and socioeconomic disparities on psychopathology . Her goal is to become a Clinical Psychologist by completing a Doctor of Psychology in clinical psychology and eventually open her own practice. Fun Fact: She likes to write poetry, crochet, and draw abstract art.

Heather is a Georgia State Alumni who graduated with a BA in Psychology. She has a strong passion for understanding how racial and gender-based issues affect adolescent development. She is also interested in studying how racial and systemic disparities harm the intersectionality of Black individuals. Her goals is to become a licensed therapist with a focus on helping adolescents. Fun Fact: She loves to hike, binge watch TV shows, and paint.

Rose is currently an undergraduate student majoring in Psychology at Georgia State University. Her research interests include racial trauma and neurodiversity, intersection of race and gender, and mental health amongst Black LGBTQ+ people. She also has a strong passion for investigating the impact of colonial parenting styles on childhood development. Her goals include attending graduate school to specialize in Community Psychology and becoming a licensed psychologist. From there she hopes to continue her research endeavors and provide community organized Mental Health Counseling.

Golden is currently a junior at Georgia State University, pursuing a degree in Biology with a pre-med concentration. She is passionate about epidemiology research, particularly genetics and the environmental and nonenvironmental factors influencing disease prevalence in underrepresented populations. Golden’s goals include attending medical school to become a physician while contributing to public health research. Golden is dedicated to addressing healthcare disparities and aims to serve underserved communities disproportionately affected by inequities in the healthcare system. Fun Fact: She enjoys gardening, ceramics, and taking naps.

Olivia Gaston is a recent graduate of Emory University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology. She is currently in her gap year, gaining hands-on experience as a medical assistant at a dermatology practice. Olivia’s research interests focus on the sociological factors impacting healthcare access in underrepresented communities. She aspires to become a psychiatrist or endocrinologist, with a mission to address health disparities in Black and Brown communities through compassionate care, advocacy, and the development of long-term health solutions. Fun Fact: She enjoys movies, reading, going to art museums, and trying new restaurants.