Meet the COLOR Lab!
Shequanna Belizaire (She/Her)
Graduate Student
Shequanna is a second year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Ph. D. program working with Dr. Mekawi. She graduated from the University of Florida with a B.A. in Sociology and earned her M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Cincinnati. Her current research interests involve studying the cognitive and behavioral motivators of racism and prejudice as well as exploring opportunities to develop population-driven interventions for BIPOC populations
Maryam Ware (She/Her)
Graduate Student
Maryam Ware is a second year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program working with Dr. Yara Mekawi. She graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a Bachelor of Arts in Neuroscience & Behavior with a minor in Psychology. Her current research interests include examining the mechanisms by which racism and its consequences impact development and using this knowledge to develop impactful interventions.
GRADUATE STUDENTS
Graduate Student
Lauren is a first-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program working with Dr. Yara Mekawi. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology. Her current interests revolve around investigating the cognitive impacts of racism and discriminatory stress and its relationship with current and future mental health symptoms as well as developing culturally-sensitive interventions informed by the unique experiences of BIPOC individuals.
Lauren Hall (She/Her)
Graduate Student
Meg is a first-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program working with Dr. Mekawi. She graduated from the University of Louisville with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology and a minor in Biology. Meg’s research interests include anti-racism interventions and the cognitive mechanisms of racism within racially privileged groups. By systemically analyzing how racist thoughts are formed and maintained, Meg hopes to identify effective interventions to reduce racist beliefs and mitigate the impacts of racism on BIPOC communities.
Meg Powers (She/Her)
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Hello! My name is Batool and I am a third-year undergraduate student and the University of Louisville studying Psychology. I hope to make psychology more accessible and help make others of different cultural, racial, and ethnic backgrounds get adequate and quality psychological care. I hope through the COLOR Lab that I will be able to gain the necessary knowledge to get closer to accomplishing these goals.
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANTS
Batool Alderawi (She/Her)
Isabella Johnson (She/Her)
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Isabella Johnson is a Junior who is majoring in Psychology and Pan-African Studies. She is a Porter Scholar and Brown Fellow at the university. She is dedicated to understanding the of impacts of experiencing intersectional discrimination on the mental wellbeing of people with marginalized identities.
Omar Elathamna (He/Him)
Undergraduate Research Assistant
My name is Omar Elathamna, and I am a 4th-year Undergraduate Psychology major with a minor in Philosophy. I am Vice President of SAHA, Treasurer of the Black and Brown Pre-Law Society, and serve as co-chair of Cultural Arts and Heritage on the SAB board.
Gentille Ntakarutimana(She/Her)
Post-Bach Research Assistant
Gentille is an MBA student at the University of Louisville with plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. As a Black refugee from Africa, her research interests center on the racial identity struggles and trauma faced by Black immigrants navigating both the legacy of displacement and the realities of anti-Blackness in America. Through the COLOR Lab, she hopes to strengthen her research foundation and explore the intersections of race, migration, and mental health in underserved communities.
Kelsey Leenerts (She/Her)
Undergraduate Research Assistant
My name is Kelsey Leenerts, and I'm a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Louisville, majoring in Psychology and pursuing a minor in Criminal Justice. My drive to be in the COLOR Lab stems from a passion to understand how racism affects development and to improve psychological testing to be more inclusive for everyone.
Reet Gadhiya (She/Her)
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Reet is a neuroscience major at the University of Louisville with a strong interest in women’s health and reproductive justice. She is passionate about addressing health disparities through research, advocacy, and interdisciplinary approaches that bridge science, art, and community engagement. Through the COLOR Lab, Reet hopes to deepen her understanding of how identity and lived experience shape mental and physical health outcomes.
Tryston Peacock (He/Him)
Undergraduate Research Assistant
I am incredibly interested in researching the experience of children and how they are affected by the current social justice climate of our culture. I hope to better understand the experience and needs of children, especially regarding transgender and non-binary youth, and how we can create safe spaces for them to learn and grow in our society.
I pursued a position in the COLOR Lab to be a part of the social-justice-driven research to better understand the ongoing legacies of racism that exist in the field of psychology and our culture at large. I have a desire to gain education and training in how psychology research is conducted and applied to the goal of creating a more inclusive society for all.
Dunia Abdillahi (She/Her)
Undergraduate Research Assistant
My name is Dunia Abdillahi and I am a Sophomore Majoring in Psychology. I want to research how the discrimination and micro-aggressions that Black people face doesn't just stop as words said or actions that are done to them. It goes beyond that and has long-lasting psychological effects on them that are present in their everyday lives. I joined this lab because its mission aligned with my goals, and I believe that the work this lab is doing is incredible for awareness of Black mental health.
Jolea Powell (She/Her)
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Jolea Powell is a junior at the University of Louisville working towards a B.S. in Psychology with the future goal of becoming a Psychologist. As an involved member of her community working with youth, she has seen the many ways that race and one's cultural background influence one's life and the ways they are perceived. While these factors can be seen outwardly, she hopes to gain insight into the myriad of ways people are affected psychologically.
Dr. Yara Mekawi (She/Her)
Director and Assistant Professor
Dr. Yara Mekawi is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and head of the Challenging Ongoing Legacies of Racism (COLOR) Lab. Dr. Mekawi earned her PhD in Clinical and Community Psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
FACULTY & STAFF
FACULTY & STAFF
Maddie Bailey (She/Her)
Lab Manager
Maddie is continuing to work in post-bacculareate research to enhance her research skills and prepare to apply for Clinical Psychology Ph.D programs. She is interested in research on the stress/anxiety/trauma continuum in high-risk adult populations and examining social and societal factors interactions with severity of symptoms and presentation. She is also a research assistant for the Kent School of Social Work for a project partnered with Wellspring to evaluate integrated care for persons experiencing homelessness and co-occurring substance use and mental illness.