Lorenzo-Blanco’s research investigates how issues related to culture, ethnicity, gender, family, and media come together to influence the health and well-being of Latina/o youth and families in the U.S. and Latin American countries. One of Lorenzo-Blanco's longterm goals is to translate her research into social-justice oriented preventive interventions. She is currently working with working with community stakeholders in Austin schools to develop culturally-senstive and developmentally-appropriate preventive interventions for Latina/o youth and families.
My name is Kimberly (Kim) Henriquez and I am a first-year graduate student. I graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2017 where I majored in Psychology and minored in Anthropology. My time as an undergraduate student solidified my research interests around understanding how cultural factors influence developmental psychopathology within Latinx adolescents and how these findings may be used to shape and disseminate culturally-sensitive evidence-based interventions. Thus, joining the JUNTOS lab and being able to work with Dr. Lorenzo-Blanco was a perfect fit. During my free time, I love to play online games with friends, watch fantasy movies, and explore places to eat.
Hi y'all, I'm Isabella (she/her)! I am a recent graduate with a B.S. in Human Development and Family Sciences from UT Austin (CO 2022). Currently, I am serving as the project coordinator for the JUNTOS Lab after spending 3 or so years as an RA with the lab. If someone were to ask me what my favorite part about my college experience was, I would have to say JUNTOS. I decided to join Project JUNTOS my freshman year as an effort to explore a research interest of mine, which is the parenting practices of Latinx Immigrant families in the US. I am very grateful to have had Dr. Lorenzo-Blanco and Kim advise me on my senior honors thesis that covers the very research interest that I entered the lab with (ask me about how to get involved with the Lab for your thesis!). The environment in JUNTOS is so friendly and inclusive, one of the major reasons why I chose JUNTOS. When I'm not working for the lab, you can find me at the ESB-Mexican American Cultural Center (ESB MACC). At the MACC, I lead a youth arts internship, ATX Caminos, alongside one of our research assistants, Nil! Other than that, I am interested in the arts, house plants, camping, and the beautiful nature that Texas has to offer. Welcome to our lab!
Hello, my name is Karla (she/her)! I’m a recent graduate of UT Austin with a B.S. in Psychology and certificate from the Bridging Disciplines Program in Children and Society; I was also part of the Liberal Arts Honors program. I’ve always had an interest in how societal factors influence personal experiences, especially when it comes to children and youth, as well as shaping educational services to really serve students and meet their individual needs. During my time at UT, I served as a Project Coordinator for Dr. Su Yeong Kim’s Project SEED, a Teaching Assistant for Reacting to the Past, and worked with organizations such as Girlstart and Students Expanding Austin Literacy (SEAL) to support the educational experiences of Austin-area youth. I also took part in the Archer Fellowship Program and interned with Congressman Joaquin Castro in Washington, D.C., which aligned very well with my interest in policy and was a wonderful experience in the country’s capital. I was so excited to return to Austin after graduation, and the JUNTOS Lab was a great fit to combine my interests and passions! I love to travel, explore new outdoor places, cook and try new foods, listen to music, and (re)discover new and old cinema.
Research Assistants
We are so grateful for all of our current and past research assistants!
See below to learn a little bit more about them.
My name is Fernanda Calderón and I recently graduated with a B.S. in Psychology from UT Austin. I am very interested in mental health and marginalized groups, especially when having to do with children, adolescents, and young adults, which is why I want to be a child psychiatrist. I was born in Mexico and grew up very immersed in the culture, so even though I moved to the U.S. at a very young age, I have a deep love and appreciation for my Latinx/Hispanic community. My family moved around a lot so I attended three different high schools: my first two high schools were well-off schools with numerous resources; however, my third high school had a predominantly economically disadvantaged population, with the majority being Latinx/Hispanic. Due to the drastic difference between my first two high schools as opposed to the third in the support students received from both school and their parents along with the different lifestyles led by the students outside of school, I was keen on joining a research project that deeply looked into the various challenges Latinx/Hispanic students face that affect their education in order to provide them with more resources and support. And that is exactly what JUNTOS does! During my free time, I love to hang out with my friends and family, watch movies/shows, play volleyball, and sleep!
My name is Sabrina Reyes and I am a biology major in the class of 2025! I’ve lived in Texas my whole life and have always had a passion for research, marginalized groups and combating prejudices and biases in many fields. I am currently on the pre-med track and I hope to become a surgeon or an OB/GYN. I’m also involved in WIM and UT Catalyst here on campus! In my free time, I love to craft, color, bake, watch TV, enjoy music, and thrift shop.
Hey everyone! My name is Isabel Serralde and I am a Public Health major here at UT in the class of 2024! I am getting my Spanish for medical professionals certificate and pre health professions certificate. I am on a pre- PA track hoping to become an emergency medicine physician assistant. I am involved in Global Medical Training and this lab! I grew up in a small rural town in Missouri and never understood what it meant to be Latinx and to have such a large community of people for support, until I moved to Texas. Over the years, I have developed a passion for what it means to be part of an underrepresented group of people and the implications that brings on everyday life. Mental health and the ability to overcome the obstacles that life throws at us everyday is very valuable and should be spoken about more. In my free time, I love to paint, bake, binge watch Netflix series, and go places to dance with my friends.
Hi! I'm currently a biology major with a history minor in the class of 2025. I'm originally from Houston, TX and grew up in a large latinx community which drew me to the focus of this lab. I'm passionate about understanding health inequity in our world and currently i'm a advocacy co-coordinator for the Partners in Health Engage chapter on the UT campus. I hope to eventually work in the pediatric field and help advocate for better healthcare access in the US and abroad. Outside of school, I love to dance, read, and bake for my friends!
Hello! I’m Nilmarie (Nil for short) and I use they/she pronouns. I’m a First-gen, eldest daughter of 5 siblings, Mexican-Honduran-American studying Communication Design Major and CompSci Minor at Texas State University. I participated in an early college program in high school that made it possible for me to earn an Associates Degree in General Studies from ACC, a Certification in Engineering Technology and my high school diploma in ‘21/’22 and (hopefully) graduate from TXST in 2025 instead of ‘26. I interviewed the JUNTOS Lab’s Project Coordinator (Isabella Hernandez) and created a booklet about her experience with the program as part of a final project for my Fall Semester at TXST. Amazingly, it led to me getting the opportunity to work with the Lab as an RA specializing in Graphic/Website Design 🙂 I’m ever grateful to be a part of this lab and the values it upholds. I know I'm lucky to be able to say I’m working on something I care about and is impactful so early on in my career as a designer, thank you JUNTOS! (It’s already smo much fun).
My name is Faroha Khan (she/her/ella). I am currently a UT undergrad majoring in Biochemistry with a minor in Educational Psychology, and I am very excited to be part of the JUNTOS team! I am originally from Houston. I am a first-generation college student. As a result, I am extremely interested in topics related to mental health and resources for first-generation students. Additional research areas that fascinate me are developmental and educational psychology. My future career goals include research, healthcare, and academia. I hope to contribute and learn a lot as part of the team. In my free time, I love reading, listening to music, and learning new languages.
Hi! My name is Vianey and I'm a current public health major on the pre-med track in the class of 2024. I was born in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico but graduated high school from El Paso, TX. I was really drawn to the JUNTOS lab since I was interested in understanding more about cultural stressors that the Latinx community, especially students, may face. As someone with similar experiences, I wanted to work towards finding and creating resources to make the journey as a Latinx/Hispanic student a little easier for future generations. In my free time, I love to watch movies, whether they're period pieces or superhero movies, and find new places to get coffee at!
Hi! My name is Jennifer and I am a psychology major on the pre-med track in the class of 2025. I am originally from Venezuela, but I grew up in Australia before moving to the United States. Since I moved around various cities and countries, I became interested in the cultural stressors and challenges Hispanic/Latinx immigrants face. In the future, I hope to work as a psychiatrist and lessen the barriers to mental health treatments in Hispanic/Latinx communities. In my free time, I watch F1, listen to music, and go to concerts.
Hello! I'm Roman Garza, a third-year Human Development and Family Sciences Major from McAllen, Texas, proudly representing the 956. As a first-generation Mexican-American, my passion lies in advocating for issues that impact underrepresented communities, particularly in empowering Latinx youth and addressing systemic barriers in education and social services. I'm committed to creating supportive environments where people have access to equitable opportunities and resources necessary for their success.
Graduates and Past RAs
We also want to thank all of the JUNTOS RAs who have graduate from UT to pursue their career paths. To learn more about their experience in the lab, click here!