Rachel is entering her third year of the Clinical Psychology PsyD program at Albizu University, with a focus on substance use and health psychology. She is currently completing a clinical practicum at a community mental health clinic and will begin her next practicum rotation at the University of Miami Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, where she will receive training in pre-transplant psychological evaluations and provide behavioral health services to individuals living with HIV and other complex medical conditions. In parallel with her clinical work, Rachel has spent the past two years contributing to research at University of Miami focused on Hispanic suicidality and mental health, resulting in multiple academic publications. Outside of academics, she enjoys spending time with loved ones, playing tennis, and exploring the outdoors.

Emily Matusz, a 2023, 2024, and 2025 Stephanie Nicole Ross Foundation (SNRF) scholarship recipient, is entering her sixth and final year of the Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Neuropsychology at the University of Florida. Her research focuses on the intersection among biomarkers, cardiovascular risk factors, and cognition in Alzheimer’s and related dementias across diverse populations. Over the past year, she successfully published the first aim of her dissertation and is currently finalizing analyses and preparing manuscripts for her two remaining dissertation aims. She recently matched to a predoctoral clinical internship at the University of Florida and plans to defend her dissertation in Summer 2026. Emily presented her work at the 2026 International Neuropsychological Society (INS) Annual Meeting. In the past year, she has co-authored four peer-reviewed publications and contributed to ten research abstracts accepted for presentation at international scientific meetings. Beyond her research contributions, Emily mentored undergraduate and junior graduate students, supported lab-wide data collection eWorts, and engaged in collaborative training initiatives at the 1Florida Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. In the upcoming academic year, Emily will be completing her predoctoral clinical internship at the University of Florida, where she looks forward to further developing her clinical skills while continuing to build on her ongoing research eWorts. During this time, she will also be applying for postdoctoral fellowship ahead of her August 2027 graduation. Through these next steps, she remains committed to advancing research that improves early detection of cognitive decline and addresses health disparities in aging and dementia care. Outside of academics, Emily enjoys spending time outdoors with her dog and going scuba diving in the Florida springs!

Carlos Rocha is a fifth-year doctoral candidate in the Psy.D. program in Clinical Psychology at Carlos Albizu University, specializing in substance abuse and addictive behaviors. He is currently completing his predoctoral internship at the Yale University School of Medicine within the Division of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment Unit (SATU), where he provides evidence-based care to underserved individuals struggling with substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions who often face significant barriers to treatment access. In addition to his clinical training, Carlos serves as the program manager for Riverside House, a nonprofit organization focused on homelessness, addiction recovery, housing stability, reintegration, and family reunification. His professional experience also includes forensic mental health work assisting with competency restoration services for individuals with severe mental illness. Carlos is passionate about promoting integrative and multidisciplinary approaches to mental health and addiction treatment through collaboration with psychiatrists and other healthcare professionals to improve treatment outcomes and address the growing substance use epidemic. His research interests focus on innovative psychedelic-assisted therapeutic approaches and the evaluation of their efficacy and safety in treating substance use disorders and other mental health conditions.