Lab Director

Adela C. Timmons, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Science and Quantitative Psychology
Clinical Science in Child and Adolescent Psychology Program
University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts

Ph.D., Clinical Science and Quantitative Psychology, University of Southern California
M.A., Clinical Science and Quantitative Psychology, University of Southern California
B.A., Psychology; Minor, Quantitative Psychology; University of Kansas

Dr. Adela Timmons is the director of the Technological Interventions for Ecological Systems (TIES) Lab. Dr. Timmons’ research examines how childhood stress, trauma, and adversity become biologically embedded and impact stress reactivity and emotion regulation capacity in the context of interpersonal relationships. She is particularly interested in coregulation processes, or how people in interpersonal relationships share in their moment-to-moment physiological and emotional states. To conduct her research, she uses both laboratory-based and ambulatory assessment methods to capture relationship dynamics as they naturalistically unfold. She is also interested in the development of new technologies and measures for automatically and passively capturing and quantifying interpersonal functioning in real-life contexts. She is currently developing just-in-time adaptive mobile health interventions using machine learning and wearables, with the goal of improving mental health for children, couples, and families. Her research is interdisciplinary, spanning clinical science, quantitative psychology, and engineering domains.

Dr. Timmons received a combined Ph.D. in Clinical Science and Quantitative Psychology from the University of Southern California in 2018 and completed her predoctoral internship in Clinical Psychology at the University of California, San Francisco in 2018. She obtained a combined M.A. in Clinical Science and Quantitative Psychology from the University of Southern California in 2013 and graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Behavioral Sciences Research Methodology from the University of Kansas in 2011. She joined the faculty at Florida International University as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Science and Quantitative Psychology in 2018. In 2022, she joined the faculty of the University of Texas at Austin and teaches an undergraduate course on Childhood Trauma and Adversity. She has published over 30 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings in psychology and engineering outlets and has received multiple national awards and fellowships, including the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, the American Psychological Association Dissertation Award, the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students Basic Psychological Science Grant, and the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students Junior Scientist Fellowship. She holds two pending patents for inventions relating to mobile health machine learning applications for couple and family therapy. Her work has been featured in various press outlets, including BBC, NBC, Yahoo News, CNET, and TechCrunch. Visit our research page to learn more about Dr. Timmons' work.

Dr. Timmons is also the founder and CEO of Colliga, a startup company funded through an NIMH STTR grant that uses technology, AI, and pervasive computing to build research tools for promoting wellness.

Google Scholar
Colliga Apps Corporation

Doctoral Students

Jacky Duong, M.S.

Jacqueline Duong is a fifth-year clinical doctoral student. She obtained an M.A. in Psychology from San Diego State University and a B.A. in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley. Her research interests involve 1) conducting disparities-focused digital health implementation research through equitable algorithm development and 2) identifying protective factors that promote families’ socioemotional competence in the face of adversity and psychological distress

Alyssa Carrasco, B.A.

Alyssa Carrasco is a first year clinical doctoral student at the University of Texas at Austin, where she also earned her B.A. in Psychology. Her research interests focus on understanding how socio-cultural factors and contextual stressors shape parent-child functioning within marginalized communities. She is passionate about creating culturally responsive interventions that support family well-being and foster resilience.

Grace Jumonville, B.A.

Grace is currently a second-year doctoral student at UT Austin, where she also received her BA in Psychology. Grace is interested in studying various aspects of familial and romantic relationship dynamics. She is particularly interested in the process of co-regulation, which is a mutual, interactive process where individuals support each other in managing and regulating emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.

Kayla Carta, M.A.

Kayla is currently a fourth-year clinical doctoral student at UT Austin. She received her BA from Keene State College and an MA in Psychology from UT Austin. Before her doctoral studies, she was a research coordinator at Johns Hopkins University and Stanford University. Her prior work involved studying neuropsychiatric drug development with a precision medicine approach and the investigation of the neurobiological basis of childhood depression and mood disorders.

Her research centers on understanding family dynamics, specifically focusing on family stress and parent-child interactions. She is passionate about investigating stress spillover within families and is dedicated to developing innovative interventions. Leveraging her interest in technology, she aims to integrate cutting-edge machine learning and data science methodologies to enhance family well-being and alleviate the burdens of stress in everyday life.

Sierra Walters, M.A.

Sierra Walters is a fourth-year clinical doctoral student at UT Austin. She received her B.S. in Psychology and Kinesiology & Health Sciences at the College of William & Mary. Sierra is interested in studying the impact of family relationships on child well-being, such as the effects of family stress and caregiver-child conflict on child development outcomes. She is also interested in utilizing data science, artificial intelligence, and mobile technology to develop innovative methodologies for conducting psychological research.

Lab Managers

Ishita Khurd, M.S.

Ishita Khurd earned a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Social and Behavioral Sciences from the University of Texas in 2023 and completed her M.S. in Psychology with a concentration in Experimental Psychology from the University of Texas at San Antonio in the summer of 2025. She plans to apply to Ph.D. programs in Clinical Psychology in 2027. Ishita’s research interests include examining the long-term neurobiological effects of childhood and adolescent trauma and developing mindfulness- and meditation-based interventions for PTSD. In her free time, she likes to spend time with her two cats or sew!

Daniela Romero, M.A.

Daniela Romero is a current project coordinator. Originally from Colombia, Daniela holds a master’s degree in Psychological Research. She hopes to pursue a PhD in social psychology. Daniela’s research interests include trauma, resilience, and mindfulness, particularly in children and adolescents.

Collaborators

Dr. Jonathan S. Comer, Ph.D.

Dr. Jonathan Comer is the Director of the Mental Health Interventions and Technology (MINT) Program and is also a professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at Florida International University. Dr. Comer received his B.A. from the University of Rochester, and went on to receive his M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a Concentration in Developmental Psychopathology from Temple University. His research examines child psychopathology and youth mental health care, placing central emphasis on the nature and family-based treatment of pediatric anxiety disorders, irritability, disruptive behavior problems, and traumatic stress.

Theodora Chaspari, Ph.D.

Dr. Theodora Chaspari is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University. She graduated from the National Technical University of Athens in 2010 with a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering and received her M.S. and Ph.D. in EE from the University of Southern California in 2012 and 2017, respectively. Her research interests include Biomedical Signal Processing, Behavioral Signal processing, Affective Computing, Wearable Applications, Data Science, and Machine Learning.

Matthew Ahle

Matthew Ahle is a software developer and data scientist specializing in integrating data science algorithms with web and mobile applications. He has developed research applications for data collection on projects applying machine learning processes to ambulatory big data. He is the Vice President and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the Colliga Apps corporation and oversees the technical development of Colliga Apps AI-based software.

Kleanthis Avramidis

Kleanthis Avramidis, originally from Athens, Greece, is a PhD Student in Computer Science at the University of Southern California. He is advised by Proffesor Shrikanth Narayanan and his interests lie in the broad fields of Human-centered Signal Processing and Machine Intelligence. More specifically, he is currently working on computational models of behavioral, physiological and affective aspects of human experiences.

Abdullah Aman Tutul

Abdullah Aman is pursuing his PhD in Computer Science at Texas A&M University. He completed his undergraduate studies in Computer Science and Engineering Department from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology in 2019. His research interests include artificial intelligence, explainable machine learning, deep learning, and data analytics. He is also interested in the trust factors of machine learning models.

Kexin Feng

Kexin Feng received his B.S. degree in computer science from Texas A&M University in 2020. He is currently a Ph.D. student working with Professor Theodora Chaspari in Human Bio-Behavioral Signals (HUBBS) Lab at Texas A&M. He is a student member of IEEE and IEEE Signal Processing Society. His research includes the transfer or few-shot learning methods in general emotion recognition, and the application of machine learning in real-world mental health (stress or depression) evaluation.

Gabrielle Freitag

Gabrielle Freitag is a doctoral student in the Clinical Science Ph.D. program at Florida International University. Gabrielle completed her B.A. degree in Psychology with a minor in Child Development at Vanderbilt University. Following graduation, she pursued a two-year post-baccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award fellowship at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in the Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience under the mentorship of Daniel Pine, MD. Her research works to elucidate transdiagnostic mechanisms underlying clinical heterogeneity and comorbidity in order to refine the assessment of youth psychopathology and ultimately inform the identification of effective targets for personalized intervention.

Research Assistants

Aairah Salam: My name is Aairah Salam, an incoming freshman at UT Austin as a Public Health major! I am a strong advocate for gender based health equity, with a deep passion to uplift and empower individuals from all walks of life. In my free time, I enjoy scrapbooking, writing, and traveling.

Jessica Norton: I'm a senior at St. Edwards University majoring in Psychology, I am planning on going to grad school after graduating and focusing on Child Clinical Psychology to get my doctorate. I like crocheting, going to the movies, and spending time with kids or animals.

Khanh Nguyen: Khanh Nguyen, a sophomore and international student from Vietnam, is currently pursuing a Psychology BA with a minor in Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. Additionally, she is exploring the option of undertaking a Bridging Disciplines Program (BDP) focused on Children and Society. With aspirations to pursue graduate school after graduation, Khanh aims to specialize as a Child Therapist or Counselor, leveraging her interdisciplinary background in psychology and education. She is particularly passionate about Child Development and Family Dynamics, which she plans to further explore and integrate into her future academic and professional endeavors.

Nahiba Ahmed: Nabiha is a senior pursuing a double major in Government and Psychology at UT Austin, focused on a career in forensic psychology. She aims to complete a Ph.D program in Clinical Psychology and specialize in forensics. She is interested in childhood trauma, early impacts of trauma, substance use, and the incorporation of mental health in the legal system.

Om Patidar: I am a rising senior at UT, majoring in Nueroscience. I come from Dallas, Texas and I have a passion for reading, writing and research in general, hoping to persue a PhD and using what I have to give back to those that have given so much. In the end I hope to do work with brain computer interfaces and mental health as these are the areas I have the most interest and passion in.

Roshni Prasad: My name is Roshni and I am a third year psychology major with a minor in statistics and data science! I am interested in working with children and psychological research. Some of my hobbies are cooking, shopping, and spending time with my friends!

Saanvi (Noni) Seth: Bio: My name is Noni and I'm a junior from austin majoring in molecular and cellular biology and minoring in psychology in the HSS program! After I graduate I hope to go to medical school and go into adolescent psychiatry focusing on inter generational trauma. Outside of academics, I enjoy doing yoga, hanging out with my friends, and exploring the live music scene in Austin

Sydney Fuller: Here is the bio: "Hi everyone! My name is Sydney, and I graduated from UT Austin in Spring 2026 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. I have been a Research Assistant with the TIES Lab since Fall 2024. During my time with the lab, I have gained experience in qualitative coding, participant recruitment, administration, and independent research. I am interested in the health sciences, and I am considering a career in medicine and/or public health. I am grateful for all of the valuable experience I have gained at the TIES Lab, as it has provided me with a strong foundation in research!"

Trieu Tran: My name is Trieu Tran from Vietnam, and I will be graduating Spring 2027 as a Psychology (B.A.) and Chinese double major, with minors in Educational Psychology and Statistics and Data Science. I joined TIES in Fall 2025 because I am interested in mental health research in families while also interested in their work involving digital data collection tools. My research interests include parent-child and family relationships, child/adolescent, and mental health in a culturally diverse context, especially concerning people of Asian origin. Indeed, I will be completing a Psychology Honors thesis on the Model Minority Myth in native-born and international Asian students. In the future, I hope to go to grad school for a PhD in Clinical Psychology, ultimately becoming a psychologist. In my free time, I enjoy going to the gym, hanging out with friends, traveling, and exploring different cuisines.

Kiara Hamilton: My name is Kiara Hamilton, I'm originally from Oklahoma but moved to Texas 8 years ago. I'm a 4th year BA Psychology student pursuing a minor in American Sign Language Studies. My interest in Psychology are around the topics of child development and family dynamics. More specifically understanding how family relationships/dynamics affects how children understand and regulate their emotions. :)

Abby Rogers: I'm a senior health and society major hoping to go to PA school in the future. I really enjoy running, reading, and science!

Melissa Vela: Hi! I'm Melissa, a Research Assistant in the TIES Lab at The University of Texas at Austin, where I code and analyze English and Spanish audio recordings to support research on family interactions and child development. I also work in the Daily Activity Lab, where I help lead research visits with families, collect behavioral and audio data, and contribute to research on maternal mental health and child development. Outside of research, I volunteer at Texas Children's Hospital, where I enjoy supporting pediatric patients and their families. I earned my B.S. in Psychology from UT Austin and am passionate about using both research and clinical practice to improve the well-being of children and families.

Grayson Allen: Hello! My name is Grayson and I am a second year Public Affairs major. I like camping hiking and anything outdoors.

Paola Perez Perez: Short Bio: I am a recent graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a BA in psychology. My future plans include earning a master's degree and becoming a therapist.

Dayanara Carbajal: My name is Dayanara, and I recently graduated from UT Austin with a Bachelor's in Psychology of Arts and a Minor in Business. I'm currently working as a cognitive wellness intern at a Wellness Company. For now, I'm taking a gap year, but I plan to attend graduate school in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis on working with children.

Kenyan Jakai Eldridge: Bio: Jakai Eldridge is a Research Assistant who earned his BS in Psychology at UT Austin. He is interested in research surrounding how people cope with significant experiences of trauma. He is especially interested in researching the impact trauma has on the brain, body, behavior, and daily functioning to help implement effective interventions that facilitate long term growth and adjustment for trauma survivors. He plans to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology.

Catherine Jackson: Short Bio: I am currently a senior psychology major pursuing a B.S. in psych with a minor in History. I have future plans to attend grad school overseas to gain experience working in cultures outside my own to further my understanding of people's development and how it can influence someone's reaction to trauma. I enjoy swimming, traveling, reading, and trying new foods.

Santo Maharaj - Riddell: Bio - Senior Psychology major, minoring in educational psychology with the goal of pursuing a phd. In my free time I enjoy playing soccer and watching movies.

Shahed Sulaiman: Bio: I recently graduated with a B.S. in Psychology, and I am currently taking a gap year(s) before applying to medical school. I have been with the TIES lab for one semester and also work with the SAWA center for research on Arab American health! My interests are primarily in the intersection of forensic psychology, trauma, family systems, and holistic metabolic health to address the root causes of behavioral and relational challenges.

Gaby Alvarado: My short bio is "Hi my name is Gaby and I am a recent graduate from UT studying Psychology and Social and Behavioral Science. I'm originally from Austin and I love the music scene in town! Working in the TIES lab allows me to put my real world skills of statistical analysis into play daily while also getting to collaborate with my fellow RAs on many different interesting projects!"

Ashley Charbula: Ashley is a 3rd year Psychology (B.A.) and Government Major within the Liberal Arts Honors program. She is interested in studying adverse family dynamics and familial stress, particularly between parents and children. Outside of school, Ashley enjoys live music, crafting, and going on long walks. Ashley hopes to attend law school following graduation.

Shivani Ojha: Shivani Ojha is a junior at UT Austin with a major in Psychology and a minor in Business Foundations. Currently, she is exploring her interest in clinical psychology, specifically interventions surrounding romantic and familial relationships. In her free time, you can find her perfecting her at-home matcha recipes and exploring downtown Austin.

Sasha Romans: Bio: My name is Sasha, I am a Senior Psychology Major. I want to become a clinical psychologist, and I can play 5 instruments!

Avishag Shvil: Short bio: Hi! I'm a psychology student at UT Austin with the goal of earning a PsyD and becoming a clinical psychologist. I'm passionate about understanding people, building meaningful connections, and making mental health care more compassionate and accessible. I enjoy yoga and listening to music in my free time!

Hudsen Pedrotti: Hey everyone! My name is Hudson, and I am a rising sophomore studying Psychology under the Bachelor's of Science track! I love to read, exercise and enjoy nature. I am also an avid card collector and enjoy cars. I am thrilled to be a research assistant this semester (new RA), and I am looking forwards to what this next semester will bring.

Olivia Bursnall: Bio: Hello! My name is Olivia Bursnall, and I am a rising senior at the University of Texas at Austin. I am majoring in Sociology with minors in Educational Psychology and French, and I hope to become a child psychologist. During my time at UT, I have held several leadership positions within Delta Gamma sorority and volunteer with the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. I have also performed in productions with the Texas Dance Department and teach dance when I am home in Houston. I work part-time as a nanny, and through both nannying and teaching dance, I have discovered how much I love working with children!

Janice Zhang: My name is Janice Zhang, and I'm a sophomore Biology major from Katy, Texas. My long-term career goal is to become a pharmacist.

Anoushe Mushtaq: Hey my name is Anoushe and I am incoming sophomore public health major. In my free time, I love to go on runs, listen to live music, and hang out with my friends!

Sabrina Suarez: Hello! My name is Sabrina Suarez, I'm a rising Senior Psychology major with a Spanish Certificate, hoping to go to grad school for counseling. I have a passion for the arts and hope to integrate that into my future career, as well!

Lydia Salbilla: Lydia Salbilla graduated with a BA in Psychology from UT Austin in December of 2025. She works as a Research Associate at Dell Medical School & volunteers on the SBIR Coding Project in the TIES Lab. In her free time, she enjoys running and baking!

Julia Grace Schuetze: Bio: My name is Julia Schuetze. I have recently graduated in the spring with a BA in Psychology. I am currently interested in studying neuropsychological disorders and how it impacts language. I hope to apply this fall to graduate schools to further my education. Some hobbies of mine include reading and hanging with friends!

Manasvi Jonna: Hi! My name is Manasvi Jonna. I'm from Cypress, Texas, and I'm an incoming sophomore at UT Austin majoring in Public Health. One of my current hobbies is picking up new habits and routines for myself. I recently got into reading self-help books.

Shabeeba S. Sheikh: I'm a rising senior majoring in Psychology with a minor in Arabic. My long term goal after graduating is to complete a PhD in Clinical Psychology to further explore trauma and resilience processes in culturally minoritized populations. In my free time, I enjoy journaling, reading, spending time with friends & family, and tending to my plants.

Debanshi Pattanaik: Bio: My name is Debanshi Pattanaik, I'm a junior double-majoring in Psychology and Government, and I am super excited to be a part of the TIES Lab! I have always been interested in the fundamental relationship of parents and their children, so I am looking forward to learning more about those relationships through being an RA in this lab.

Samantha Saldana: Hello! My name is Sam and I am a Senior psychology student from the Rio Grande Valley. I am excited to be part of the TIES lab, because of my interest in familial relationships, development, and learning how to code different behavioral aspects. Some of my interests involve collecting vinyl records, going to concerts, and trying new restaurants and coffee shops with my friends.

Estelle Browne: Bio: My name is Estelle Browne I am a Junior at The University of Texas at Austin, I am majoring in Psychology with a minor in Communication studies. My post-grad plans are to attend nursing school to achieve a Bachelors of Science in Nursing and work as a pediatric nurse. I am the vice president of Alpha Chi Omega and I am a certified yoga instructor!

Andrea Chavez: Bio: Andrea Chavez is a senior pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, with a minor in Educational Psychology at The University of Texas at Austin. Andrea's research interests include studying interpersonal mechanisms, as well as examining accessible and diverse treatments within global mental health. She aspires to attend a Masters or PhD program in counseling.

Isabella Sorn: I'm an incoming sophomore psychology and English major. I'm from The Woodlands, Texas. I love all kinds of music! My dream job is to work as a child psychologist!

Aarushi Poddar: short bio: Aarushi Poddar is a sophomore pre-med majoring in Biology. She is passionate about research, healthcare, and understanding how science can make a difference in people's lives. Outside of the lab, she enjoys spending time with family, going to concerts, and exploring Austin.

Ella Trubek: Hi! I'm Ella Trubek, a rising senior at UT Austin majoring in Psychology with a minor in Educational Psychology. I serve as President of Alpha Epsilon Phi and am involved in several psychology-related clubs and organizations on campus. This summer, I am interning with Dr. Crystal Collier, where I am researching adolescent brain development and substance use prevention. After graduation, I hope to pursue a career in mental health and become a licensed psychologist.

Brooke Willingham: Short bio: Brooke Willingham is a current senior at The University of Texas at Austin, earning her B.A in Psychology and minoring in Rhetoric and Writing. Alongside her work for the TIES Lab, she works as a research assistant for the Mood Disorders Lab. She hopes to eventually pursue her Ph.D. in clinical psychology. She is also a member of the Longhorn Band.

Devon Nguyen: Bio: Devon Nguyen is a current undergraduate senior at the University of Texas at Austin majoring in psychology. He plans to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology in the future. Devon's research interests include anxiety, depression, PTSD, and disinhibition.

Gavin Hong: Short Bio: Hello! My name is Gavin and I graduated from Penn State University about a year ago majoring in Psychology. As I plan to spend a couple of years developing my research experience for grad school, I hope to better understand areas of clinical care involving the use of digital mental health technologies, especially for children and adolescents. Outside of research, I enjoy cooking/tasting unique cuisines, listening to Utaite/Vocaloid songs & music, and learning new things (languages, playing the piano, and more!).

Neena Haiderzaidi: My name is Neena Haiderzaidi and I am a junior majoring in psychology on the pre med track. My plan is to go to medical school and further advance into psychiatry with a focus on family relationships, stress, and child mental health. Outside of academics, I love discovering new coffee spots, baking sweet treats, and finding creative ways to spend my free time!

Maya Sternthal: A quick bio is "I'm a rising senior from Houston with a passion for psychology because it helps me understand people on a deeper level. In my free time, I love being outdoors, whether I'm hiking, walking, or exploring nature."