Andres Felipe Quijano

Andres is a Psychology student at the University of Illinois Chicago and a Research Assistant at the ACCESS for Mental Health Lab within the UIC Department of Psychiatry. He plans to pursue a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. His research interests center on neuroplasticity in mental health, with a particular emphasis on how neural adaptation contributes to trauma- and substance use–related disorders. He is especially interested in examining how maladaptive neural patterns can be modified through evidence-based behavioral and therapeutic interventions, including mindfulness-based approaches. More broadly, he is interested in the role of physical health factors, such as nutrition and exercise, in shaping psychological well-being.