Our Team

Thania Galvan, PhD

Principal Investigator

Dr. Galvan is the director of the FUERTE lab and an assistant professor in the clinical psychology program at the University of Georgia. She received her doctorate from the clinical child psychology PhD program at the University of Denver, did an APA-accredited internship in the child track at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and completed an NIMH-funded T32 postdoctoral fellowship in traumatic stress at the Medical University of South Carolina. Her research is centered on promoting the well-being and positive development of Latino/a youth and their families via the elimination of health disparities. Specifically, Dr. Galvan uses community-driven, culturally and contextually responsive research methodologies to understand the factors that contribute to, maintain, or exacerbate health disparities for Latino/a families. As a bilingual (Spanish/English) and bicultural psychologist, she is also a strong advocate for increasing representation in the mental health field.

Area of Interest:

Latino/a Youth and Families
Mental Health Disparities
Traumatic Stress
Developmental Psychopathology
Community-Based Research Methodologies
Prevention and Intervention Science

Graduate Students

Amanda Perozo-Garcia

Amanda is a fourth-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program at UGA. She is interested in researching mental health in Latino/a youth and within the Latino/a family structure. In her free time, Amanda likes to read, dance, do yoga/pilates, and cook

Daylin Delgado

Daylin is a first-generation Cuban-American woman, currently in her third year of the Clinical Psychology PhD program. Her research interests are broadly focused on teen mental health in underserved communities and ethnic minority communities through an implementation science lens. Specifically, she's interested in the role of family and community (e.g., schools, extracurricular groups, sports team) in promoting mental health and particularly pertaining to mental health concerns, such as ADHD and dyslexia, that impact academic achievement and long-term success. In her free time, Daylin can be found with her cat, Luna, drinking coffee and birdwatching in her backyard. She also enjoys baking, gardening, and watching the latest movies in theaters.

Research Coordinator

Evelin Regalado

Evelin holds a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Latin American and Latino Studies from DePaul University. Her research interests center on leveraging parent-child relationships to inform the development of mental health interventions for Spanish‑speaking communities. In her free time, she enjoys building puzzles and crafts.

Undergraduate Research Assistants

Sofia Fuenmayor-Diaz

Sofia is a fourth-year Psychology major pursuing minors in Human Development & Family Sciences and Spanish. Her research interests are in addressing how mental health and culture collide, as well as the interactions with child/adolescent development and religion. After graduation, she intends to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology. Sofia loves fashion, music, staying active, and always having fun with friends!

Aubrey Katz

Aubrey is a fourth-year student majoring in Spanish, Psychology, and Philosophy. Her research interests focus on how social identity and structural inequality shape mental health outcomes, particularly within Latinx and LGBTQ+ communities. After graduation, she plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology and ultimately work to develop accessible, culturally informed mental health care. Outside of academics, she enjoys riding and training horses, reading, writing, and spending time with friends.

Yeyetzi Perez

Yeyetzi is a fouth-year biology major with a minor in Spanish. Her research interests include mental health disparities affecting underrepresented communities, such as Latino youth, and using this research to advocate for these individuals and educate others about these important issues. After graduation, she plans to attend medical school and pursue a career as a neonatologist. In her free time, she enjoys running and spending time with friends

Julia Levy

Julia is a fourth-year psychology major with minors in Human Development and Family Science and Public Health. After graduation, she plans to pursue a full-time research position before applying to doctoral programs in clinical child psychology. Her research interests focus on understanding how cultural differences influence the relationships and interactions between autistic children and their parents. In her free time, she enjoy reading, working out, and traveling.

Ava Cosgrove

Ava is a third-year psychology major with a minor in Sociology Her research interests revolve around adolescent mental health and emotional regulation, with focus on the role of family relationships. After graduation, she plans to pursue a master’s degree in mental health counseling. In her free time, Ava enjoys playing guitar and has recently started burning her own CDs.

Lola Harris

Lola is a second-year intended major in Health Promotion with a minor in Spanish on the pre-med track. Her research interests include addressing health disparities in marginalized populations. After graduation, Lola intends to attend medical school to pursue her dreams of being a women's health provider. In her free time, Lola is always seeking to expand her trinket collection, is equally eager to attend orchestra events and loves traversing the gardens.

Lab Alumni

Graduate Student

Dominique La Barrie, PhD (2019-2025)

Now: Assistant Professor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Lab Coordinator

Cindy Argueta (2022-2025)

Now: Doctoral Student at the University of Oregon

Undergraduate Research Assistants

Danna Cervera '26

Camila Del Olmo-Colon '26

Gabriella Castillo '25

Emily Garcia-Delgado '24

America Hernandez '23

Bianca Cardona '26

Alejandro Lopez '25

Bansari Shah '24

Hannah Robinson '23

Gabby Schlossberg '23

Audrey Patty '26

Ximena Cabrera '25

Sofia Castaneda '24

Maya Giselle Forcier '23