About the Lab 

The Ethnicity, Culture, and Health Lab, or ECHO Lab, researches how developmental outcomes are influenced by both positive and negative experiences associated with one’s culture or race. We want to learn more how everyday experiences and identities shape health, well-being, and adjustment for racial and ethnic minority youth and their families. The lab is directed by UH College of Education Assistant Professor Elizabeth Jelsma.

Principal Investigator
	Elizabeth Jelsma, Ph.D. Lab Director and Assistant Professor Elizabeth Jelsma is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences at the University of Houston College of Education. She earned a Ph.D. in human development and family sciences from University of Texas at Austin in 2022 and a B.S. in psychology from Tulane University in 2017. Her research interests include adolescent and adult health within the context of race, ethnicity, and family. Currently she is investigating how family members are affected by each other’s experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination and stress spillover within racial/ethnic minority families.
Lab Members
	Mahnoor Ahmad Graduate Student Mahnoor Ahmad is a student in the UH school psychology doctoral program. She completed a B.S. in psychology with minors in human development and family sciences and quantitative social sciences from UH (go Coogs!). She completed her master's in teaching at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. She is very passionate about research and the field of school psychology, particularly in the transition between high school and college. Her research interests are understanding well-being in Muslim and South Asian Americans and factors that affect well-being such as identity development, spirituality/religiosity, substance use, familial relations, and parental-child relations. She is also interested in understanding religious and cultural contexts with ADHD. Her advisors are Professor Brad Smith and Assistant Professor Elizabeth Jelsma.
	Lauren Chapman Graduate Student Lauren Chapman is a student in the school psychology doctoral program, mentored by Assistant Professor Elizabeth Jelsma. She earned a B.S. in psychology from Texas A&M University and an M.Ed. in counseling from UH. Her professional experience includes providing trauma-informed counseling to adolescents and adults and teaching secondary education in Houston ISD, where she integrated fine arts and social-emotional learning. She has facilitated psychoeducational workshops for organizations including NAMI–Brazos Valley, Texas A&M University and The Crown Within and has delivered suicide awareness & prevention trainings at higher education institutions. Her research interests focus on strengths-based interventions that foster identity development, promote psychological well-being and strengthen connections among families, schools, and communities, particularly for marginalized populations. Lauren is passionate about empowering communities, expanding access to mental health care, and advancing inclusive, culturally responsive practices through applied research.
	Nema Kebbeh Graduate Student Research Assistant Nema Kebbeh is a student in the UH school psychology doctoral program. He graduated with a B.A. in developmental psychology from the University of Detroit Mercy. His research interests are broad in child and adolescent development, with a particular emphasis on social-emotional development. This includes studying (a) how emotional regulation and self-control influence growth and peer affiliation dynamics; and (b) how culture and interpersonal relationships contribute to and are influenced by social-emotional development. Additional areas of interest include special education, neurodevelopmental disorders and research methodologies. His advisor is Professor Brad Smith.
	Medha Kukkalli Undergraduate Student Medha Kukkalli is an undergraduate UH student majoring in human development and family sciences. She currently assists ECHO lab members with the UH Black Family Health Study and is conducting a literature review of high-effort coping and Black and African American young adult mental health. Her career interests include working in the social services sector, exploring the development side of the nonprofit industry, and working with underserved communities in the local Houston area.
	Galo Medina Graduate Student Galo Medina is a student in the school psychology doctoral program. He graduated from UH with a B.S. in psychology and a minor in human development and family sciences. His advisor is Professor Bradley Smith. His research interests are on the topic of academic resilience within diverse student populations. Specifically, he wishes to focus on the identification of protective factors to create resilience interventions and strategies for at-risk marginalized students. In addition, he is interested in promoting equitable access to higher education for underserved communities. In his free time, he enjoys cooking BBQ, shopping and spending time with his pets. Feel free to contact him at gamedina@cougarnet.uh.edu with any questions you may have.
	Tiffany Ngo Graduate Student Tiffany Ngo is a student in the UH school psychology doctoral program. She graduated with a B.S. in psychology with a minor in medical humanities from Virginia Commonwealth University. She earned her master’s in psychology from Boston University. Her research interests include examining the resilience of marginalized youth and families in the context of seeking mental health and special education services in school and beyond, equitable access to those services, and cultural humility/sensitivity in research and clinical practices. Her advisor is Professor Brad Smith.