People

Danny Rahal is an Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department and an affiliate of the interdisciplinary Global and Community Health Program. Dr. Rahal completed his undergraduate training at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in psychology and biochemistry under the mentorship of Drs. Beth Kurtz-Costes and Vanessa Volpe (currently at NC State University). He received additional training from Dr. Stephen Porges’ lab, primarily under Dr. Greg Lewis. Dr. Rahal then completed his doctorate in developmental psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles under the mentorship of Drs. Andrew Fuligni and Theodore Robles with support from a NIDA NRSA F31, and then completed his postdoctoral training at The Pennsylvania State University as part of the Prevention and Methodology Training Program. His research is broadly focused on understanding the daily experiences of youth throughout development. He employs psychobiological measures to examine how marginalization, with respect to being treated as and feeling of lower status, can negatively impact on health, with a focus on alterations in stress processes as one pathway. CV

Christine is a PhD student in the developmental psychology program at UCSC. She graduated from UC Davis with a B.S. in Psychology. Before being a graduate student, she worked as a lab manager at UC Davis, looking at how biological and environmental factors predict social disconnection in youth and its impacts on well-being. She is currently interested in how adolescents’ social relationships help buffer against stressors and adversity from a biopsychosocial perspective, especially among those with marginalized identities. Outside the lab, she likes to crochet, embroider, and spend time with her family (and cat)! CV

Analisa Guerrero Padilla is a proud Chicana and developmental psychology PhD student at UCSC. She attended Fresno City Community College and received her AA-T in psychology. She then transferred to California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) where she completed her B.A. in psychology and M.A. in general/experimental psychology under the mentorship of Dr. Rosa Toro. While attending Fresno State, she was involved in three developmental psychological laboratories focusing on systemic issues and uplifting historically underrepresented communities. These labs specifically examined psychometric and program evaluations, interpersonal experiences of Latinx adults and adolescents, and food-related stigmas and resources for college students. Analisa has a general interest in marginalized adolescent and emerging adult experiences and development of risky behaviors (e.g., substance use behaviors, sexual behaviors), and how intersections of environmental influences (e.g., familial, culture, economic) can impact those behaviors and overall well-being. Additionally, Analisa has a budding interest in political engagement and critical consciousness as a means for recognizing systems of oppressions and its associations with well-being. Besides school, Analisa loves reading horror or fiction, checking out the local tea scene, attending concerts, talking with her family, and spending time with her partner and cats.

Narissa is a second-year student studying Psychology and Legal Studies. Her primary research interests are within the field of psychology and law. She wants to explore not just why people commit crime, but how they are affected by the penal system, such as the psychological effects of solitary confinement. Although there are many directions within the subfield she finds interesting, she particularly wants to work with female prisoner populations, a demographic she finds to be underrepresented in the field and societal conversation. She wants to help in the crucial fight for the expansion of psychological data’s presence in the legal system with her future work and plans to pursue a Ph.D. after graduation. Outside of school, Narissa loves reading, thrifting, listening to music, and going on adventures, both in nature and around downtown Santa Cruz.

Sydney is a third year double major in intensive psychology and feminist studies. Her research interests surround studying stress, trauma, discrimination, and poverty within childhood and how that possess a greater risk for psychopathology amongst youth. After undergraduate she hopes to obtain a PhD in clinical psychology and publish research on childhood adversity and practice part time as a clinical psychologist focusing primarily on adolescents. In her free time outside of the lab, she enjoys going to the gym, hiking, trying out new cafes in the area, and learning new cooking recipes. 

Gibran is a fourth-year student studying Psychology. His research interests involve how interpersonal relationships, stress, trauma, and other experiences relate to substance use disorders, especially among adolescents and young adults. He also works with substance use disorders as a behavioral health associate and welcomes any questions from those looking for advice on how to get hands-on experience. After undergraduate, he hopes to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology focusing on furthering literature on substance use disorders, cravings and decision-making, and working on developing more effective treatments for substance use disorders while practicing therapy. In his free time, he enjoys coffee shops, working out, and spending time at the beach catching sunsets with a Jersey Mike’s sub.

Claire is a 4th year Intensive Psychology major at UCSC. Her research interests are focused on economic justice and housing inequalities in Santa Cruz county. Based on her previous experience with the Center for Economic Justice and being a part of the Off Campus Housing Researchers for the Health Equity in Youth Lab, she hopes to better understand how external factors such as income and housing affects college students’ overall well being. She wants to take a deeper look at students’ stress and mood changes to understand how that affects their academics and personal life. Outside of the lab, Claire is a Facility Operations Supervisor for UCSC Athletics and Recreation and a health coach at Healthy Connections. She enjoys reading fiction novels, doing yoga, and going on long walks near the beach. 

Liv graduated from UCSC in June of 2025 with an Intensive Psychology B.A. and highest honors in the major. Her research interests lie broadly in developmental psychopathology, with a focus on how ADHD, trauma, and chronic stress influence development and mental health outcomes, particularly among girls and marginalized communities. At UCSC, she served as Co-Director for the Psi Chi Research Symposium and Off-Campus Housing Researcher for the HEY lab. She also gained hands-on experience as a teaching assistant for the largest class taught at UCSC, Personal Finance and Literacy, as well as through the intensive psychology field study placement at Gateway School, where she supported the social and academic development of K-8 students. Beyond her academic work, Liv has been involved with mental health advocacy through the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), participated in the Cognitive Science Student Association, and was part of the UCSC Mentor Collective. She is currently taking a gap year before applying to Ph.D. programs in Developmental Psychology in fall 2026. Outside the lab, Liv loves listening to music, spending time in nature, thrifting, traveling (she’s been to over 20 countries!), and cooking

Check out her LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/violet-kwan/

Check out her LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katelyn-ma-sf/

Check out her LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zahara-cuevas-kovanis-b37b10310/

Check out his LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/armaan-singh-38abb41a2/