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)
Isabella Johnson (She/her)
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANTS
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.
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.
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.
Tryston Peacock (He/Him)
Undergraduate Research Assistant
I am a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice. I have a deep passion for youth advocacy and have a background in creating safe spaces for LGBTQ+ students through the GLSEN National Nonprofit and by fighting legislation that endangers the livelihood of LGBTQ+ children and their families. I intend to pursue post-graduate education with a focus on becoming a licensed clinical psychologist.
Gentille Ntakarutimana (She/Her)
Post-Bach Research Assistant
Gentille is a recent UofL MBA graduate 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.
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.
Apolonia Guerrero (She/her)
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Apolonia Guerrero is a junior at the University of Louisville, majoring in Neuroscience. She is a proud Martin Luther King scholar, Woodford R. Porter Scholar, and honors student. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Neuroscience with the goal of conducting research that improves the mental health field and educational systems through a trauma-informed lens. She is also interested in becoming a neuropsychologist to bridge clinical practice and research. She believes her time with the COLOR Lab will help her open new pathways and perspectives as she continues to pursue her academic and professional goals.
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.
AFFILLIATED ALUMNI
Kay Boyd (She/They)
Post-Bach Research Assistant
Kay has recently graduated from UofL with a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology. Kay continues to work with the COLOR Lab during her gap year. This spring Kay will be applying to Forensic Psychology programs in pursuit of a specialized Clinical Psychology PhD.