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Women's Mental Health Research Program

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WMHRP Undegraduate Training Opportunities

Student Research Assistants are valuable members of the Women’s Mental Health Research team and play an important role in the implementation of our research studies. Students should be self-motivated and display a high attention to detail.

Student RAs complete Initial Investigator and Human Subjects Protection HIPAA training. Depending on available studies and level of involvement, RAs may receive additional training in neurocognitive testing/scoring, specimen processing, bloodborne pathogen handling and conducting the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders (SCID).

For more information on Undergraduate Research at UIC, please visit the UIC Office of Undergraduate Research or the Undergraduate Research Experience websites.

Research Assistant Qualifications

The student should be in good academic standing with a strong GPA (3.0 or above) and have an interest in women’s mental health, psychology, psychiatry, medicine, nursing, epidemiology, microbiome, biology, nutrition, immunology, computational biology, engineering or related field.

We strongly prefer a 2-year commitment from students because of the effort required to train students in our research methods. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis for seniors. Students should plan to commit 10 hours per week during the school year to the WMHRP.

Preference may be given to students in the Honors College; students who have completed courses in research methods or statistics; and/or students with a background in statistics, engineering, epidemiology and/or computer science. Familiarity with Excel and/or REDCap is ideal.

Interested applicants should complete the WMHRP Research Assistant application form and send it, along with a resume and copy of current transcripts to BrainResearchuic [dot] edu.

WMHRP Current Undergraduate Trainees

Ishika Ashta

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Ishika is currently a sophomore at UIC aiming for a double degree in psychology and biological sciences. She is also a member of the Honors College and Medical GPPA. Her goal is to pursue a career in medicine through graduating UIC and attending medical school. She is a volunteer on 7Cups where she acts as an anonymous listener for people who wish to reach out and talk.

Eram Fatima

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Eram is currently a junior at UIC, studying Neuroscience with a minor in Criminology, Law, and Justice; she is also a member of the Honors College. She is currently a Pharmacy Technician for CVS Health and a Resident Assistant for UIC’s West Campus. Eram’s goal is to graduate UIC and go to medical school, to be a part and make a difference to the underrepresented healthcare professionals.

Ivy Guo

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Ivy Guo is currently a sophomore studying Psychology. She is interested in working in mental health and understanding how the brain and human behavior works.

Jiwon Lee

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Jiwon is a third-year undergraduate student at UIC majoring in Neuroscience. She is part of the Honors College and is currently the Service Coordinator of the Honors College Advisory Board. She is also the co-president of The Blazing Margins as well as a working Emergency Medical Technician. Her current goal is to attend medical school, although she is open to exploring different paths related to healthcare. She is excited to gain invaluable experience and contribute to the Women’s Mental Health Research Team as an Undergraduate Research Assistant.

Rabya Hasnain

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Rabya is a current freshman at UIC majoring in the Biological Sciences. She is an Honors College student and is part of the GPPA Medical Scholars Program. She is currently on the pre-med track, planning to become a physician and apply her knowledge and skill to aid women in need. She is excited to work in a lab that prioritizes women’s health and aims to identify and improve outcomes in women’s cognitive function.

Lisbeth Padilla

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Lisbeth is currently a third-year undergraduate student majoring in Biology with a minor in Spanish for the Professions. She is a first-generation college student whose parents were born in Ecuador and immigrated to Chicago where Lisbeth and her two siblings were raised. As a recipient of the L@s GANAS Research Fellowship award, she was first exposed to research and came across the WMHRP where she has been at for the past year and a half. In the future, she hopes to use her fluency in Spanish and English to interact with, treat, and study patients in low-income underrepresented communities around Chicago as an MD or MD/PhD in the pediatric or pediatric immunology field.

WMHRP Former Undergraduate Trainees

Rafia Ali BS

Graduate Research Assistant

Rafia is currently a third year medical student at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine. She received her B.S. in biological sciences and a minor in sociology from University of Illinois Chicago. Rafia previously worked with the Women’s Mental Health Research Program at UIC and has a background in clinical research in women’s health and psychiatry. She is interested in mood and anxiety disorders and their relationship to women’s health.

Mia Bakis

Psychiatry Volunteer

Mia is a junior studying Neuroscience at UIC and hopes to have a career in research. She is currently interested in neuroplasticity and the microbiome. Mia received the Chancellor’s Undergraduate Research Award (CURA) to support her research in the lab in the 2018-19 academic year.

Brittany Beard

Psychiatry Volunteer

Brittany graduated from UIC with a B.S. in Neuroscience. She worked on the Perinatal Mental Health research projects in the Women’s Mental Health Research Program from April 2018 until graduation in May 2019. She will be spending a gap year abroad teaching English in Korea and hopes to continue her professional education when she returns.

Hira Chouhdry

Hira graduated from the Honors College with a B.S. in Neuroscience. She plans on attending medical school after graduation and following her dream of serving those in need. Hira joined the Women’s Mental Health Research Program in 2016. She completed a capstone project on “The Effects of Pregnancy Intention on Perinatal Depression.” Hira was awarded the Hodgkin and Huxley Award by the faculty of the Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience for her outstanding undergraduate achievements in neuroscience.

Brianna David BS

Psychiatry Volunteer

Brianna is currently a Clinical Research Coordinator with BeaLab in UIC’s Bioengineering Department. She graduated from UIC with a B.S. in Neuroscience with a minor in Latin American and Latino Studies in May of 2019. She was a research assistant for the Women’s Mental Health Research Program from February of 2018 to May of 2019. Her goal is to attend graduate school. Brianna is interested in understanding the neurobiological components of trauma and perinatal depression and anxiety.

Annesti Elmasri

Annesti graduated from the Honors College with a B.S. in Biology. She is currently enrolled in the College of Pharmacy at UIC. Annesti joined the Women’s Mental Health Research Program in 2015 due to her belief that when you change the life of a woman, you change the life of an entire community. Annesti completed a capstone project on “Anxiety in Pregnant Women with Gestational Diabetes”.

Agatha Fernandez

Agatha graduated from the Honors College and UIC’s College of Nursing. Agatha joined the Women’s Mental Health Research Program in 2015. She completed a Capstone project on “Determining the Prevalence of Perinatal Depression in a Diverse, Urban Population Using PHQ-9 and Computerized Adaptive Diagnostic test for Major Depressive Disorder (CAD-MDD).”

Mennat Gharib

Mennat graduated from the Honors College with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and a minor in Spanish. She worked on the Perinatal Mental Health research projects in the Women’s Mental Health Research Program from March 2017 until graduation in May 2019. She will be taking a gap year before attending graduate school. She completed an Honors Capstone research project looking at the “Effects of Race, Stress and Income on Neonate Birthweight.”

Erykah Harris

Erykah graduated from the Honors College with a B.S. in Nursing. She worked on the Perinatal Mental Health research projects in the Women’s Mental Health Research Program from September 2015 until graduation in May 2019. She completed an Honors Capstone research project looking at the “Convergent Validity of PHQ-9 and CAT-MH and the Relationship between Screening Outcomes and Treatment for Depression in Perinatal Women.” She will begin her nursing career at Emory University Hospital – Midtown.

Marina Isaac

Marina graduated from UIC with a B.S. in Neuroscience. She worked on the Perinatal Mental Health research projects in the Women’s Mental Health Research Program from October 2018 until graduation in May 2019. She will be taking a gap year before attending medical school.

Jessaly John

Jessaly graduated from the Honors College with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and a B.A. in Psychology. She worked on the Perinatal Mental Health research projects in the Women’s Mental Health Research Program from March 2018 until graduation in May 2019. She completed an Honors Capstone research project looking at the “Sociodemographic Factors in Antenatal Depression and Anxiety During the Third Trimester on Infant Birth Weight.” Jessaly will be pursuing a Masters in Nursing with the intent to become a Family Nurse Practitioner.

Nisha Haider

Psychiatry Volunteer

Nisha is a junior studying psychology, with a minor in biology. With this, she plans on to continue her academic career and apply to a Physician’s Assistant school. Nisha’s interest in working as an advocate for mental health aspired her to join The Women’s Mental Health Research Program. She is interested in understanding depression and plans to gain an understanding in women’s health with respect to microbiome. She hopes to apply such knowledge in her career path of medicine and help people with associated mental health issues.

Rachel Horwitz

Rachel is a Sophomore at UIC majoring in Neuroscience. She is a member of the honors college. After graduation, Rachel plans to pursue graduate studies in neuroscience. Rachel’s interest in the intersection between gender equality and mental health led her to the Women’s Mental Health Research Program. Rachel received the Chancellor’s Undergraduate Research Award (CURA) to support her research in the lab in the 2018-19 academic year.

Abha Mahajan

Psychiatry Volunteer

Abha is a junior studying Public Health at UIC. She is involved in the professional, pre-health fraternity Delta Epsilon Mu, as well as serving as a tutor for low-income students. Abha aspires to go to medical school and hopes to become a pediatrician in the future. Outside of as well as exploring places to eat. She is excited to start her journey with the Women’s Mental Health Research Program and looks forward to collaborating with other interprofessional students to better her understanding of the field.

Nandini Sarup

Psychiatry Volunteer

Nandini Sarup is a first-year student majoring in Integrated Health Studies on a Pre-Health Information Management and Pre-Medicine Tracks. She is excited to assist in the MoMent research study and bring new ideas to the Women's Mental Health Research Program. Additionally, Nandini is freshman representative on Indian Student Association Board and member of Society of Future Physicians. She is also on the Volunteering Committee of the Honors College Advisory Board in the Honors College. During her free time, Nandini pursues Indian classical dance and Hindustani singing as well as playing the violin. After graduation, Nandini is hoping to attend medical school and work with international organizations.

Zainab Shah

Zainab graduated from the Honors College with a B.S. in Biological Sciences. She worked on the Perinatal Mental Health research projects in the Women’s Mental Health Research Program from August 2017 until graduation in May 2019. She hopes to attend medical school following her gap year. She completed an Honors Capstone research project looking at the “Relationship between Perinatal and Postpartum Depression and Glucose Levels.”