Research Team | BOBA Project

Our Research Team

The BOBA Project team is a group of professors, researchers, and volunteers who are dedicated to supporting Chinese American families and the Asian American community at large.

Faculty

Cindy Liu, PhD

Brigham & Women's Hospital

Principal Investigator

Cindy H. Liu, PhD is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Developmental Risk and Cultural Resilience Program within the Departments of Pediatric Newborn Medicine and Psychiatry at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Her research focuses on mental health and stress across the lifespan, with a particular focus on mental health disparities among marginalized groups.

Her favorite boba drink is passionfruit green tea with jelly.

Linda Charmaraman, PhD

Wellesley College

Co-Investigator

Linda Charmaraman, PhD is a senior research scientist at Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW) and founder and director of the Youth, Media, & Wellbeing Research Lab. Her research interests include technology and adolescent health, digital citizenship, and how social identities (e.g., race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, political) affect wellbeing.

Her favorite boba drink is ube milk tea with lychee jelly.

Tiffany Yip, PhD

Fordham University

Principal Investigator

Tiffany Yip, PhD is a Professor of Psychology at Fordham University and director of the Youth Development in Diverse Contexts Lab at Fordham University. Her research focuses on ethnic identity, discrimination, and sleep among minority adolescents and young adults.

Her favorite boba drink is passionfruit green tea.

Hyeouk “Chris” Hahm, PhD

Boston University

Co-Investigator

Hyeouk “Chris” Hahm, PhD is an Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Social Work at Boston University. She is dedicated to reducing health disparities among Asian American populations with a particular emphasis on building empirical evidence of health risk behaviors (e.g., self-harm, suicide and HIV risk behaviors).

Her favorite boba drink is fruit tea with jelly.

Peggy Wang, PhD

University of Notre Dame

Co-Investigator

Peggy Wang, PhD is a quantitative psychologist at the University of Notre Dame. She is interested in developing, evaluating, and applying cutting-edge statistical models and research methodology in order to better understand the psychological processes involved in Asian American mental health.

Her favorite boba drink is black milk tea with grass jelly.

Staff

G. Alice Woolverton, PhD

Brigham and Women's Hospital

Postdoctoral Fellow

G. Alice Woolverton, PhD is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Developmental Risk and Cultural Resilience Lab at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Her research focuses on youth mental health, discrimination processes, and anti-racism.

Her favorite boba drink is brown sugar boba.

Anthony Menor, BA

Brigham and Women's Hospital

Research Assistant

Anthony Menor received his B.A. in Political Science with minors in Global Studies and Film from the University of California, Los Angeles. He is passionate about conducting community-engaged research on childhood trauma in marginalized populations and culturally sensitive interventions.

His favorite boba drink is vegan taro tea.

Maya Hernandez, PhD

Wellesley College

Postdoc Research Scientist

Dr. Hernandez received her PhD and MA in Social Ecology from UC Irvine and BA in Psychology from Johns Hopkins University. Her interdisciplinary research brings together developmental psychology, education, public health, and informatics to understand the risks and affordances of social technology on adolescent wellbeing, with an emphasis on historically underrepresented communities. As a postdoc at the Youth, Media, and Wellbeing Lab at Wellesley College, she is engaged in action-based research and programming to support positive youth development.

Her favorite boba drink is honeydew milk tea.

Jenny Zhao, PhD

Brigham and Women's Hospital

Postdoctoral Fellow

Chang (Jenny) Zhao is a developmental scientist with a PhD in Family and Human Development from Arizona State University and a BA in Psychology from Pennsylvania State University. She conducts culturally and contextually informed research within ethnically and racially minoritized communities. Her current work focuses on how families' ecologies (e.g., neighborhoods and activity spaces) shape family processes, parental mental health, and youth development in U.S. Latinx families. She is dedicated to expanding her research on ethnic-racial socialization and mental health in Asian American families.

Wenbo Zhang, MA

Brigham and Women's Hospital

Graduate Research Assistant

Wenbo received his BA and in Psychology and Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences from Northwestern University and his MA in Clinical Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University. He is interested in culturally-adpated, cost-effective interventions for adolescents who are at risk of mental health issues.

His favorite boba drink is osmanthus oolong tea with lychee jelly.

Alyssa Gramajo, BS

Wellesley College

Research Associate

Alyssa Gramajo received her B.S. from Simmons University in Biology with a minor in Public Health. She is a Research Associate at the Wellesley Centers for Women at Wellesley College. She supports the work of the Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab as the project coordinator for data collection.

Her favorite boba drink is brown sugar milk tea with tapioca pearls.

Hannah Feng, BA

Fordham University

Brigham and Women's Hospital

Graduate Research Assistant

Hannah Feng is a Counseling Psychology Ph.D. student at Fordham University. She received her B.A. in Psychology and International Studies with a minor in Business Administration from the University of Michigan. She is passionate about conducting community-engaged intervention research with cultural and sexual minority groups and expanding mental health access for marginalized populations.

Her favorite boba drink is Mango Coconut Boom

Alice Cui, MPH

Wellesley College

Research Associate

Alice Cui, MPH received her BA in Psychology with a minor in Public Health from Boston University and MPH in Biostatistics and Epidemiology from Boston University School of Public Health. She is a Research Associate/Data Analyst at the Wellesley Centers for Women at Wellesley College, where she supports the work of the Youth, Media, and Wellbeing Research Lab.

Her favorite boba drink is black milk tea with tapioca pearls.

Mary R. Shen, MD, MS

Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Harvard Medical School

Research Assistant

Mary R. Shen, MD, MS is an associate psychiatrist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and an Instructor at Harvard Medical School in the Department of Psychiatry. Her work focuses on intergenerational Asian American mental health, culturally sensitive care, novel therapeutics, and leadership development. She is passionate about creative, evidence-based approaches that help people feel more connected, understood, and able to live meaningful lives.

Her favorite boba drink is black milk tea with tapioca pearls.

Students

Jiawei (Ada) Wu

Fordham University

Ph.D. Student

Jiawei (Ada) Wu is a sophomore at Fordham University Rose Hill campus majoring in Psychology. She is interested in studying clinical psychology and is especially interested in mental health problems and related physical conditions among minority groups in society. Ada hopes to receive a Ph.D. in psychology and become a professor to educate future generations about the importance of mental well-being in the future.

Her favorite boba drink is oolong milk tea.

Julie Hong

Wellesley College

Undergrad Research Assistant

Julie Hong is a freshman at Wellesley College who loves people, art, and culture. They care deeply about solidarity in advocacy, taking action through AANHPI Congressional Advocacy Day and the UCA National Youth Conference, learning more about healthcare disparities at the MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute Medlytics course, and serving their own community as a member of the Massachusetts AAPIC Youth Council and editor-in-chief of their school’s art and literary magazine. Above all, they value empathy.

Their favorite boba drink is black milk tea with boba.

Ava Qiu

Wellesley College

Undergrad Research Assistant

Ava Qiu is a student at Wellelsey College with interests in social and political issues, especially those related to marginalized communities. She is passionate about AAPI advocacy, contributing to her school's Asian-interest magazine and having organized cultural events and workshops in her town.

Her favorite boba drink is oolong milk tea.

Sancha Gonzalez

Wellesley College

Undergrad Research Assistant

Sancha is a senior at Wellesley College pursuing a double major in Political Science and American Studies. She hopes to use her passion for researching racialized and gendered hierarchies in America to better advocate and understand the forces that inspire community-building and political action.

Her favorite boba drink is taro slushee with extra tapioca pearls.

Yihan Ling

Wellesley College

Undergrad Research Assistant

Yihan is a sophomore at Wellesley College majoring in Media Arts & Sciences and Mathematics. She is passionate about combining analytical thinking with design principles and creativity to build user-centered technology solutions. She plans to pursue a career in software development or product management.

Her favorite boba drink is jasmine milk tea.

Chelsie Wong

Harvard Graduate School of Education

Graduate Research Assistant

Chelsie holds an Ed.M. in Human Development and is currently pursuing a Certificate of Advanced Study in School Counseling at Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is completing her practicum at Somerville High School, supporting college- and career-readiness and contributing to mental-health initiatives focused on prevention, early identification, and referral pathways.

Chelsie’s practice is trauma-informed and culturally responsive, centering family–school–community partnerships. Her interests include the intersecting identities of immigrant families, ecosystem supports that help students thrive, and the global dimensions of mental health, especially how diagnostic processes influence access to compassionate, evidence-informed care. She has worked with youth across school and community settings in the U.S. and internationally and is passionate about reducing barriers to services, strengthening protective factors, and translating research into everyday counseling practice.

Syeda Aktar

New York University

Graduate Research Assistant

Syeda Aktar earned her B.S. in Psychology from Fordham University and is currently a second-year graduate student in the Mental Health Counseling and Wellness program at New York University. Her research interests include culturally responsive approaches to mental health, with an emphasis on identity development and acculturation processes among BIPOC and other marginalized communities, including immigrant and Muslim adolescents and young adults. She is particularly interested in how cultural identity, belonging, and systemic stressors shape mental health experiences, coping mechanisms, and access to care.

Syeda hopes to become a licensed mental health professional and open her own private practice focused on serving minority youth and underserved communities.

Her favorite boba drink is taro milk tea.

Xiaoping (Eric) Yu

Fordham University

Ph.D. Student

Xiaoping (Eric) Yu is currently a 1st-year graduate student in the Applied Developmental Psychology program at Fordham University. His research interests include health disparities and the intersectional development of identity in marginalized communities.

His favorite boba drink is a warm honeydew milk tea.

Felix Lou

Vanderbilt University

Undergrad Research Assistant

Felix Lou is a freshman at Vanderbilt University. He is part of his school's HOSA chapter, LexStopHunger, and Asian Student Union. He enjoys running and listening to music in his free time. He is excited to learn about Asian American issues and collaborate with researchers and other students to find solutions to those issues.

His favorite boba drink is taro milk tea with grass jelly.

Alyssa Zhang

Wellesley College

Undergrad Research Assistant

Alyssa Zhang is a student at Wellesley College majoring in Philosophy and Computer Science. She is exploring applied ethics in technology, education, public health and legal contexts, with a focus on rights and advocacies for Asian American communities.

Her favorite boba drink is brown sugar milk tea.

Kaitlyn Wang

Wellesley College

Undergrad Research Assistant

Kaitlyn is a Wellesley alum who majored in Neuroscience. She cares deeply about increasing social support and mental healthcare access for youth. She hopes to pursue medical school in the future.

Her favorite boba drink is wintermelon milk tea with boba.

Estella Zhu

Wellesley College

Undergrad Research Assistant

Estella is a junior double majoring in History and Economics. She is interested in studying social issues from both historical and contemporary perspectives, focusing on the interplay between culture, economy, and politics.

Her favorite boba drink is jasmine milk tea (with whipped cream).

Seetha Davis

Harvard Medical School and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Graduate Research Assistant

Seetha Davis is a MD-PhD student at Harvard Medical School and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She received her BA in Educational Studies and Psychology from Swarthmore College. Her research focuses on how residential mobility and migration influence mental health in childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood.

Her favorite boba drink is jasmine tea with mango jelly.

Sophia Guo

Lexington High School

Research Intern

Sophia Guo is a rising freshman at New York University majoring in Psychology. Her interests in adolescent medicine include the influence of environmental factors on child development and the diagnosis of mental health disorders.

Her favorite boba drink is strawberry milk tea.

Yutian Li

Harvard College

Undergrad Research Assistant

Yutian Li is a freshman at Harvard College, studying Psychology and Economics. Outside of school, Yutian is a human rights activist and public speaker who advocates for racial justice, medical equity, and more. She is passionate about how the model minority myth and discrimination impact Asian American youth's mental health.

Her favorite boba drink is brown sugar milk tea with boba and aloe jelly.

Alice Zhang

Wellesley College

Undergrad Research Assistant

Alice is a senior at Wellesley College majoring in Data Science with a concentration in Bioinformatics. She is interested in studying the intersection of Bayesian statistics and computational biology to advance precision medicine.

Her favorite boba drink is original milk tea.

Angela Li-Mei Yong

Wellesley College

Undergrad Research Assistant

Angela is a junior at Wellesley college majoring in Psychology and minoring in Computer Science. She is passionate about adolescent mental health, and is interested in pursuing psychology in graduate school after receiving her Bachelor’s Degree.

Her favorite boba drink is matcha milk tea with boba.

Izzy Zhou

Wellesley College

Undergrad Research Assistant

Izzy is a sophomore majoring in Media Arts and Sciences and Minoring in German Studies. She is interested in how technology can help generate various media for different purposes of creative expression.

Her favorite boba drink is oolong milk tea with boba.

Binhao Wu

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Graduate Research Assistant

Binhao Wu is second-year Ph.D. student in personality, individual differences, and behavior genetics at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. His research interest revolves around the role of interpersonal relationships in shaping adolescents' and young adults' sense of self.

His favorite boba drink is Jamine milk tea with taro balls.

Consultants

Richard Lee, PhD

University of Minnesota

Consultant

Richard Lee, Ph.D. is a professor of psychology and Asian American studies at the University of Minnesota. He is interested in the ways in which race, ethnicity, and migration relate to the development, well-being, and mental health of Asian American individuals and families.

Russell Jeung, PhD

San Francisco State University; Stop AAPI Hate

Consultant

Russell Jeung, PhD is a Professor of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University and is the author of several books on race and religion. He co-founded Stop AAPI Hate, a coalition that addresses anti-Asian racism and xenophobia.

His favorite boba drink is taro milk tea.

Shirley Yen, PhD

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Consultant

Shirley Yen, PhD is an Associate Professor in the BIDMC Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and the Psychology Training Director at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center. She is a clinical psychologist who is interested in identifying risk factors and developing interventions for suicidal behaviors in adolescents and adults.

Her favorite boba drink is lychee green tea with grass jelly.

Linda Juang, PhD

University of Potsdam, Germany

Consultant

Linda Juang, PhD is a Professor in the Department of Inclusive Education at the University of Potsdam, Germany. Her work focuses on how experiences of immigration relate to minoritized adolescents’ development and adjustment in school, family, and community contexts. She is especially interested in understanding youth experiences of discrimination and ethnic-racial socialization.

Her favorite boba drink is lychee green tea with jelly.

Heang Rubin, EdD

CHIC Community Engagement Consulting LLC

Consultant

Heang Leung Rubin has twenty-five years of experience with the Asian American community as a researcher, teacher, and community advocate. She is a national expert on stakeholder and community engagement and has worked to build authentic research relationships between academics and underserved communities.

Her favorite boba drink is passionfruit green tea with lychee jelly.

Albert Lo, PhD

Cambridge Health Alliance

Consultant

Albert Lo, PhD is a child psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at Cambridge Health Alliance. He has research and clinical interests in parenting and adolescent development in families with immigration backgrounds.

His favorite boba drink is black milk tea.

Alumni

Finneas Wong, Research Assistant

Ava Lu, Graduate Research Assistant

Melanie Chernin, Research Trainee

Pei Wang, Graduate Research Assistant

Michael Zhang, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Vivian Wang, Research Trainee

Gia Wang, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Qingyu Jiang, Postdoctoral Fellow

Connie Gu, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Elizabeth Kiel, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Kyle Lorenzo, PhD Student

Jodie Chen, Research Trainee

Martin Lee, Graduate Research Assistant

Angel Xing, Graduate Research Assistant

Stephy Hsu, Graduate Research Assistant

Annika Liu, Graduate Research Assistant

Cindy liu, Undergrad Research Assistant

Janey Chiang, Undergrad Research Assistant

Scott Lee, Resident Physician

Vi Nguyen, Graduate Research Assistant

Jessica Wang, Research Assistant

William Xuan, High School Volunteer Research Assistant

Alice Tseng, High School Volunteer Research Assistant

Ritika Rastogi, Postdoctoral Fellow

Candice Ma, Research Assistant

Sherry Huang, Graduate Research Assistant

Rucha Kulkarni, Undergrad Research Assistant

Deniz Gur, Undergrad Research Assistant