Reviewed translated versions of the transtheoretical and transdiagnostic Subjective Emptiness Scale (e.g., German, Chinese, Croatian, Italian, Polish) to ensure items aligned with the original scale's theoretical concepts, preserving its meaning and conceptual integrity across languages.Served as a co-author on several papers.Served as an ad hoc reviewer.The Subjective Emptiness Scale was included in Essentially Alone by Dr. Charles R. Wang, the developer of the Developmental and Systems Approach (DSA), a therapeutic intervention aimed at addressing chronic emptiness.

As a research participant, contributed to UX research by testing a variety of interfaces through A/B testing, menu navigation, and task-based scenario walkthroughs, where I provided real-time feedback on usability and identified potential issues. Experiences included sorting tasks to test information architecture and completing guided scenarios to evaluate user flows and interaction patterns.

Research assistant for Dr. Gerardo Gonzalez and Dr. Heike Mahler, focusing on experimental studies in health psychology and depression.Independent project with Dr. Heike Mahler, Dr. Christopher Hopwood, and two research assistants, using an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design to develop and validate the Subjective Emptiness Scale.Duties:Coordinated between the art department and the laboratory to develop materials for an experimental health psychology study.Recruited 3,141 participants using a multi-prong campaign involving social media outreach and collaboration with community partners, including the Florida Borderline Personality Disorder Association in addition to chapters of Mental Health America, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance.Planned and conducted a content validity study involving an expert panel (n = 15) comprised of psychologists, psychiatrists, and faculty at universities and private practice clinics in the United States and Italy.Conducted in-person cognitive interviews with student participants (n = 53) and in-depth telephone interviews with clinical participants (n = 18) in the USA, Canada, and the United Kingdom.Conducted qualitative telephone interviews and adapted a blend of conceptual metaphor analysis and transcendental phenomenology, incorporating imaginative variation during the interviews.Collected and analyzed 473 anonymous quotes describing experiences of emptiness from public social media and message board posts, employing inductive thematic analysis.Analyzed quantitative data in Excel, IBM SPSS Statistics, and MPlus using content validity ratio, internal consistency reliability, Pearson correlation, MANOVA, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and polytomous item response theory tests.Presented findings at North American Society for the Study of Personality Disorders (NASSPD) annual conferences.

As an intern, conducted an independent project under the supervision of Dr. Christopher Hopwood, analyzing interpersonal patterns associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD) features.Duties:Analyzed pre-collected data from students (n = 360) using multilevel modeling to estimate actor-partner interdependence models in IBM SPSS Statistics.Restructured dyadic data using IBM SPSS Statistics syntax code.Presented findings at the International Society for the Study of Personality Disorders (ISSPD) annual conference.

As an intern, conducted an independent project under the supervision of Dr. Christopher Hopwood, analyzing interpersonal patterns associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD) features.Duties:Analyzed pre-collected data from married couples (n = 140) using multilevel modeling to estimate actor-partner interdependence models in IBM SPSS Statistics.Restructured dyadic data using IBM SPSS Statistics syntax code.Initiated and facilitated sessions with fellow research interns to practice presentations and exchange feedback.Presented findings at the North American Society for the Study of Personality Disorders (NASSPD) annual conference.

Led a video campaign in collaboration with the borderline personality disorder (BPD) community to reframe the narrative around BPD using a strengths-based approach, symbolic interactionism, and archetypal resonance. Focused on the phoenix archetype to develop a meta-narrative highlighting transformation, passion, and creativity. Conceptual frameworks distilled the essence of the archetype, aligning individual stories with broader universal themes. This reshaped meanings, reframing stigmatized traits as sources of strength, resilience, and empowerment. Coordinated a collaborative mental health awareness campaign, partnering with bloggers for guest posts, cross-promotion, and SEO to maximize reach and impact.The website received a "Best of the Web" award from Sandra Kiume at Psych Central.