Meet the DREAM Team

 

Principal Investigator

Dr. Chardée Galán, PhD (she/her): Dr. Galán is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at the the Pennsylvania State University (PSU where she oversees the Dismantling Racial inEquities Around Mental Health (DREAM) lab. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, and her Masters and PhD from the University of Pittsburgh. She completed her predoctoral clinical internship at Western Psychiatric Hospital.

Her works takes a multipronged approach to reducing racial disparities in child and adolescent mental health by 1) promoting resilience at the individual-level through strengths-based approaches to mitigating the effects of racism-related stressors; and 2) dismantling structural drivers of racial inequities that persist in education and training programs, research institutions, and mental health care settings. Dr. Galán identifies as a cisgender, heterosexual Mexican American woman and the daughter of immigrants.  

Learn more about Dr. Galán’s work:

Reach Dr. Galán:

Email: cag6443@psu.edu

Twitter: @ChardeeGalan

Lab Coordinator

Blanca García Rodríguez, BA
(she/her)

  • Blanca is the lab coordinator for the DREAM Lab and an alumna of Case Western Reserve University. At CWRU, she received a B.A. in Psychology and dual minors in Biology and Chemistry. Blanca was also the lead coordinating research assistant for a dissertation study at the SOAR Institute, which primarily focused on the intersection between cultural identity and resilience in US-based Latinx youth. Furthermore, her senior thesis focused on the effectiveness of both trauma-informed and culturally adapted interventions for Latinx individuals experiencing internalizing symptomatology.  

    Blanca is primarily interested in the discriminate impact of mental illness within the Latino/a/x/e community and in the development of community-based interventions aimed at addressing negative mental health symptoms within this population. She is enthusiastic about exploring methods to implement strengths-based interventions to better serve ethnic and racial minority communities, with the goal of fostering a more inclusive field.  

    Email: bvg5454@psu.edu

Project Coordinator

Anthony Medina, MS
(He/Him/His)

  • Anthony is the Project Coordinator for the RAICES Project at the DREAM Lab and an alumnus of Fordham University and Mercy University. He received a B.S. in Psychology from Fordham University and an M.S. in General Psychology degree from Mercy University. Anthony has volunteered as a research assistant at a Childhood Maltreatment/Trauma Lab where he focused on the effects of trauma on outcomes in children. In addition, during his master's program he conducted an independent research project that investigated the effects of anxiety among student-athletes. Lastly, he completed a master’s thesis that investigated positive parental behaviors and mental health among children during early childhood. 

    Anthony is primarily interested in improving access to mental health services among racial and ethnic minoritized youth through strengths-based approaches. He also hopes to advance antiracism in clinical science as well, to ensure that the next generation of mental health researchers and providers are equipped to work with increasingly racial and ethnically diverse populations. Anthony plans to pursue a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology.  

    Email: akm7665@psu.edu 

Graduate Students

Emily Satinsky, MSc
(she/her)

Adrelys Mateo Santana, BS
(She/Her)

  • Emily is a second year Clinical Science PhD student in the DREAM and Huey Labs. Emily’s research centers on understanding social influences on mental health and increasing access to mental health care for historically oppressed communities. Specifically, she is interested in the consequences of early adversity and racial discrimination on mental health; peer support; and the impact of social networks on behavior and wellbeing. Prior to starting at USC, Emily coordinated a population-based longitudinal social network study in Uganda with Massachusetts General Hospital and researched peer-delivered interventions for substance use in Baltimore and South Africa with the University of Maryland.

    Email: satinsky@usc.edu

    Twitter: @EmilySatinsky

  • Adrelys is a first-year Clinical Science Ph.D. student. Her research interests broadly focus on understanding the developmental consequences of early adversity in minoritized youth and families. Adrelys is particularly interested in assessing the impact of community violence exposure and racial discrimination-related chronic stress on Black and Latinx children’s behavior, emotions, and mental health. She also hopes to elucidate personal, community, and contextual protective factors that can help inform more accessible and contextually relevant interventions for traditionally marginalized youth.

    Email: amateosa@usc.edu

    Twitter: @MateoAdrelys

Research Assistants

  • Kelsey Nguyen

  • Ellie Kalala

  • Simone Warren

  • Kennedy Parker

  • Kelsey is a junior majoring in Biobehavioral Health. She joined the DREAM LAB in hopes of learning more about racial inequities amongst children and how these can affect childhood development, overall expanding her knowledge of adolescent development, the role of race in family structures, and effects of various inequities on children. Kelsey’s interest in these topics stems from her time at Penn State as a BBH major, allowing her to take classes that focus on many different inequities that cause large gaps in the accessibility of healthcare, food, and other human necessities. After graduating, Kelsey plans on taking a gap year to do research and attending medical school to become a pediatric surgeon. Apart from being an RA for DREAM Lab, Kelsey is heavily involved in Penn State THON, a 46-hour dance marathon that focuses on raising money for pediatric cancer research and therapies. In her free time, Kelsey enjoys going on runs and spending time with family and friends. She hopes to educate communities and understand different perspectives of race and marginalized youth, in order to help in the dismantling of racial stereotypes for a more equitable and healthy future for children.

    Email: ktn5133@psu.edu

  • Ellie is a senior at The Pennsylvania State University, majoring in Biobehavioral Health with a minor in Psychology. Her dedication to understanding and addressing mental health disparities, particularly within maternal health and among minority populations, has driven her to join the DREAM Lab. Ellie is eager to explore how racial and ethnic inequities impact child and adolescent mental health, and she is committed to using her findings to promote more equitable access to mental health services. Her passion for dismantling systemic barriers in healthcare systems shape her academic and personal background. After graduation, Ellie plans to attend medical school to become a physician, with a focus on maternal health, improving mental health outcomes for underserved communities.

    Email: rmk6015@psu.edu 

  • Simone is a sophomore at the Pennsylvania State University, majoring in psychology. She is currently Vice President of the Multicultural Women’s Forum, as well as an active member of U-Belong club, NoRefund Theater, and the We Are Runners Club. Last year, she served as a program coordinator for the Bellisario Alliance for Multicultural Students. She hopes to join Centre Helps as a student volunteer this upcoming semester and establish a club dedicated towards bringing minority psychology students together to foster growth and learn from one another. Given the lack of representation in the field and the gaps that still exist among under-serviced communities, Simone believes it is vital to come together to discuss these issues and create a more inclusive future. This past summer, Simone was able to work at S.A.F.E. counseling as a student intern. During this experience she shadowed a licensed clinician, learned different psychological approaches, and interacted with members of her community.

    Email: sxw5840@psu.edu

  • Kennedy is currently a junior at The Pennsylvania State University, majoring in Biology with a focus in Vertebrae Physiology with a minor in Sports Studies. After graduation Kennedy hopes to attend medical school to become an orthopedic surgeon. As a doctor, Kennedy wants to provide impactful experiences through research and treatment. She hopes to work with professional athletes and address the toxic mindset surrounding injuries and athleticism. Kennedy has firsthand experience surrounding the stigmas around mental health in communities of color and thus realizes how detrimental racism is to various healthcare fields. As such Kennedy wants to work to bridge this gap. She joined the DREAM lab to gain experience with understanding the relationship between mental health and racial inequalities. By doing so she hopes to instill confidence within communities of color through outreach and education. Outside of the DREAM lab Kennedy is the Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Sustainability for the Performing Arts Council (PAC). In her free time, Kennedy likes to read, listen to music, and draw. She also makes time to take walks around campus.  

    Email: kfp5384@psu.edu

Alumni

  • KC Aldana (they/them)

  • Erin Heimbecker (she/her)

  • Isaac Morales (He/Him)

  • David Quezada (He/Him)

  • Asha Rudrabhatla (She/Her)

  • Alexis Ware (She/Her)

  • Taylor Daniels (She/Her)