Ashley Chen (Cognitive Area) was selected as a member of the 2026 cohort of the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society through UCLA’s chapter. Named for the first self-identified African American to earn a doctorate from an American university, the society seeks to develop a network of preeminent scholars who exemplify academic and personal excellence,…
Manuel Ramirez (Health Area) received the HIV and Sexual Health Special Interest Group Outstanding Student Paper Award from the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) for his paper titled “Does activism buffer against the negative effects of discrimination on distress and alcohol use?,” which he will present at the upcoming SBM Annual Meeting.
Enya Daang (Health Area) received a Society for Biopsychosocial Science and Medicine (SBSM) Scholar Award to attend the 2026 Annual Meeting in Chicago. These awards are given to the top student/trainee abstract submissions in different areas of psychosomatic medicine.
Manuel Ramirez (Health Area) received a Meritorious Abstract Award for his upcoming talk titled “Does activism buffer against the negative effects of discrimination on distress and alcohol use among LGBT persons of color?” at the Society of Behavioral Medicine Annual Meeting.
Manuel Ramirez (Health Area) was accepted to the Society for Biopsychosocial Science and Medicine Inclusivity for Impact, Equity, and Engagement (I2EyE) Scholar Cohort Program.
Eric D. Cortez (Health Area) received an LGBT Health Scholar Award from the Society for Biopsychosocial Science and Medicine for his poster titled “Intersectional Discrimination and Mental Health Among Sexual Minority Men of Color: Ethnic Identity as a Buffer.”
Karissa Tran (Health Area) received a Scholar Award from the Society for Biopsychosocial Science and Medicine for her poster titled “HIV-related shame and alcohol use among men who have sex with men: The mediating role of posttraumatic stress symptoms related to being recently diagnosed with HIV.”
Haley Wang (Clinical Area) was quoted in a New York Times article titled “How Bad Are A.I. Delusions? We Asked People Treating Them.” The article is available at https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/us/chatgpt-delusions-psychosis.html?unlocked_article_code=1.HVA.OTAL.5yUw4lKRQkTD&smid=url-share
Naomi Gancz (Developmental Area) received a National Institute of Mental Health F31 fellowship grant titled “Oral Microbiome Dysregulation as a Contributor to Depressive Symptoms and Altered Brain Connectivity in a High-Risk Sample of Youth,” with Associate Professor Bridget Callaghan as sponsor.
Glen Spiteri (Cognitive Area) was featured in a UCLA Newsroom article titled “A connection forged by language.” The article is available at https://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/connection-forged-by-language-maltese.
