Kate Mills

klmills@uoregon.edu

Kate leads the Developing Brains in Context Lab. She is a first generation student from Louisville KY and received her PhD from University College London in 2015. Her favorite part of science is working with good people to figure out things about development. CV

Lucy Whitmore

lwhitmor@uoregon.edu

Lucy Whitmore is a graduate student and former lab manager of the Developing Brains in Context Lab. She is interested in how adolescents create flexible behavioral strategies to navigate the world around them, and how these strategies might be affected by external factors. Currently, she is working on a project validating the machine-learning based metric of brain maturity called BrainAGE, as well as a qualitative project focusing on how adolescents think about maturity. Lucy is also excited about science communication and outreach, and working closely with adolescents to answer the questions they’re interested in. CV

Victoria Guazzelli Williamson

vgw@uoregon.edu

Victoria is a clinical psychology PhD student interested in social cognitive development and mental health across adolescence. She is particularly interested in how self- and other-understanding impacts risk for internalizing disorders during adolescence. Victoria takes a mixed methods approach to this research, using experimental and longitudinal studies, clinical interviews, and task-based fMRI. Victoria’s most recent work focuses on how adolescents’ views of others interact with their understanding of themselves–and how facets of this cross-talk may relate to risk for internalizing disorders. A long-term goal of her research is to develop interventions and influence policies that equitably promote positive development, wellbeing, and health for all adolescents. CV

Rachel Jacobson

rjacobs2@uoregon.edu

Rachel Jacobson is interested in how individuals’ social identities influence their identity development, social perceptions and interactions with others. In particular, her work focuses on populations with multiple identities (e.g., biracials and biculturals), in both how they are perceived and the impressions they form of others.

Amala Someshwar

asomeshw@uoregon.edu

Amala is a developmental psychology PhD student in the DBIC lab, the DSN lab, and the PIE lab. In 2018 she graduated from Bryn Mawr College with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Amala is interested in understanding the impacts of the socioemotional environment of adolescents both on development and the onset of psychopathology as well as the role of personality in dyadic relationships during adolescence. Outside of lab, she enjoys swimming, climbing, embroidery, and knitting. CV

Keegan Alvarado

kalvarad@uoregon.edu

Keegan is the lab manager for Dr. Skowron’s Family Biobehavioral Health Lab. He is a senior at the University of Oregon and will graduate with a B.S. in Psychology in Spring of 2023. Keegan hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, where he is interested in researching the biobehavioral patterns that underlie chronic mental health struggles. He hopes to increase existing therapeutic efficacy by investigating mindful parenting, inflammation, metabolic function, stress, diet, and nutritional deficiencies. Keegan’s long-term goal is to expand upon Multisystemic Therapy (MST) to help at-risk youth and families achieve and maintain lasting wellness.

Valerie Owusu-Hienno

vowusuhi@uoregon.edu

Valerie is an Undergraduate Research Assistant majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Chemistry and Global Health (UO Class of 2026). Valerie is working with Victoria through the Hui Undergraduate Research Scholars Program.

Riley Stevens

rsteven5@uoregon.edu

Riley is an Undergraduate Research Assistant majoring in Psychology and Philosophy (UO Class of 2025). They are interested in both a psychological and phenomenological approach to trauma and dissociation, especially with how it affects adolescents and adults with eating disorders.

Tyler Chisholm

tchisho2@uoregon.edu

Tyler is an undergraduate research assistant majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Sociology and Public Policy, Planning & Management. UO class of 2026.

Alumni

Our Alumni have their own page here!