Research Associates
______________________________________________________________________

Steven Arias 
Research Psychology Technician,  VA San Diego Healthcare System
858-552-8585 

Steven received his Bachelor of Science in Biology with a concentration in Physiology & Neuroscience from the University of California, San Diego in 2019. He is a psychology technician for the Veterans Medical Research Foundation and VA Hospital. Steven has previously worked as a research assistant focused on learning more about disparities in language concordance and cancer treatment within the latino population.  He plans to, eventually, go on to pursue a medical degree and practice medicine in underserved communities. However, for now, his focus is on the study of conditions that include: anxiety disorders, depression, substance abuse and traumatic brain injuries and their effects on the brain and overall behavior.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Nathalie Dugas
Research Psychology Technician, VA San Diego Healthcare System
858-552-8585 x2511

Nathalie received her Bachelor of Science in Cognitive Behavioral Neuroscience from the University of California, San Diego in 2021.  As an undergraduate, she volunteered in the Stress and Neuroimaging Lab, focusing on a project that examined public speakng anxiety and working memory.  She is now a Psychology Technician for the lab, studying anxiety, depression, and learning models using bothe EEG and MRI.  She plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Danielle Dun
Research Psychology Technician, VA San Diego Healthcare System
858-552-8585

Danielle received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from University of California, San Diego in 2020.  During undergrad, she worked as a research assistant focused on investigating whether biases in social perceptions emerge from rational inference of a complex, ambiguous world.  Danielle recently worked with the Morrison Research Lab at California State University, Sacramento on a project exploring whether cognitive deficits that accompany aging can be attributed to declining hearing levels.  Currently, she is a Psychology Technician for the Stress and Neuroimaging Lab at the San Diego VA, studying the effects of PTSD, depression, and anxiety on the brain and behavior.
______________________________________________________________________________________________

Svein Gonzalez
Research Psychology Technician, VA San Diego Healthcare System
858-552-8585 x2635

Svein received his Bachelors of Science in Social Psychology from University of California, San Diego. Before arriving at the VA, Svein explored eating disorders and related comorbidities at the Eating Disorders Research Center using neuroimaging. Now, in affiliation with Veterans Affairs Hospital, Svein works as a research coordinator for the Stress & Neuroimaging Lab to study the impacts of clinical disorders (PTSD, MDD, Anxiety, SUD) in the veteran population and investigate potential treatment solutions. Future prospects include attending graduate school to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.
______________________________________________________________________________________________

Morgan Marvin
Research Psychology Technician, VA San Diego Healthcare System
858-552-8585 x2509

Morgan Marvin received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from San Diego State University, in 2018. She is a psychology technician for the Veterans Medical Research Foundation and Veteran Affairs Hospital in La Jolla, California. Her research interests include neuroimaging and treatment of PTSD, substance abuse, depression, and anxiety. Previously she worked as a research assistant with a focus on utilizing EEG to study cognitive control and emotional processing in the Spatiotemporal Brain Imaging Lab. She plans to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Krupali Patel
Research Psychology Technician, VA San Diego Healthcare System
858-552-8585

Krupali received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Central Florida in 2021.  While she was there, she was the manager of the Adult Development and Decision Making Lab conducting research on healthy aging and cognition in older adults.  Currently, Krupali is a Psychology Technician for the Stress and Neuroimaging Lab at the San Diego VA.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Alex Skupny
Research Psychology Technician, VA San Diego Healthcare System
858-552-8585 x2872

Alex Skupny received her Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience & Cognitive Science at the University of Arizona in 2019. In her time at the University of Arizona, she was a member of the Neuroscience of Reinforcement Learning and Decision-Making Lab doing research focused on the effects of aging on decision-making and cognition. Alex currently works as a Psychology Technician for the Stress and Neuroimaging Lab at the VA in San Diego, CA. 
___________________________________________________________________________________________