Meet Our Team

Principal Investigator

Anatasia S. Kim, Ph.D., is a tenured Professor of Clinical Psychology at The Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA, and a licensed psychologist specializing in anxiety, depression, neurodiversity, and minority mental health. A UC Berkeley and UCLA alumna and National Ronald McNair Scholar, she is an award-winning clinician, educator, and DEI leader whose work bridges psychology, education, and social justice. She is the founder and executive director of Taking Flight, a mentorship-based psychology internship program for BIPOC and first-generation students, and co-founder and Chief Clinical Officer of YANA, an AI-powered mental health platform. A published author and sought-after DEI consultant for Fortune 500 companies, universities, and healthcare systems, Dr. Kim works to advance equitable pathways and inclusive conversations through her teaching, leadership, and writing.

Senior Research Fellow

Mia Semelman, Psy.D. is an Adjunct Faculty at Palo Alto University and Clinical Supervisor at Life Learning Academy, a training program with The Wright Institute. She also maintains a practice with Pacific Anxiety Group, where she works with teens, adults, and couples. Dr. Semelman’s research and writing explore how people navigate complex interpersonal and cultural dynamics—examining topics such as consensual non-monogamy, bisexual identity affirmation, and mental health stigma in Asian American youth. She also serves as Chair of the Bisexual Issues Committee of APA Division 44 and the Membership and Diversity Committee of APA Division 5, advancing inclusion and representation within the field of psychology. A graduate of The Wright Institute (Psy.D.) and UC Berkeley (B.A. in Philosophy), Dr. Semelman is passionate about creating spaces where open, compassionate dialogue leads to meaningful change.

Research Assistant

Prentice Fairbrother is a fourth-year PsyD student at the Wright Institute in Berkeley, California. Her dissertation explores diagnostic timing and internalized shame in adult women with ADHD, reflecting her broader interest in identity, stigma, and neurodiversity. Prentice has experience conducting quantitative research, and providing psychotherapy to individuals across the lifespan. Clinically, she is passionate about play therapy, supporting children and teens, and integrating Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in work with anxiety and emotion regulation. She is dedicated to becoming a culturally responsive clinician, and values interdisciplinary collaboration, applied research, and the synthesis of knowledge across fields to promote equity, inclusion, and effective communication.

Research Assistant

Eunbin Lee is a third-year doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at the Wright Institute. Her dissertation seeks to understand the experience of Korean parents who send their children for long-term study abroad, highlighting her interest in attachment, culture, and parenting. Her clinical training has focused on providing therapy and assessment services to children, adults, and families in community and medical clinic settings. In her therapeutic work, she integrates relational and evidence-based approaches to foster self-understanding, resilience, and connection. She aspires to a career that bridges therapy, assessment, and research to promote culturally responsive mental health care for children and families.

Research Assistant

Meredith Mogensen is a second-year doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at The Wright Institute. Before beginning her training as a psychologist, she spent a decade in advertising, driven by a fascination with people’s stories and the motivations underlying their behaviors. Her clinical training has emphasized trauma-informed, evidence-based care, integrating mindfulness and behavioral approaches. Her research interests focus on parent-child relationships, adolescent anxiety, and family resilience.

Research Assistant

Malachi has his Masters in Educational Psychology and is a first-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology PsyD program at The Wright Institute. His clinical training has focused on supporting at-risk youth, with an emphasis on fostering resilience and emotional growth in underserved communities. Malachi’s research interests center on Black mental health, particularly among young Black males, and how cultural factors influence attitudes toward education, mental health, and help-seeking behaviors.

Lab Coordinator

Chase Lam is a fourth-year undergraduate student at University of California, Berkeley with a double major in Psychology and Legal Studies with a minor in Anthropology. After graduation, he plans to pursue a PhD degree in Clinical Psychology to become a licensed forensic psychologist to work with local law enforcement. Besides the ConConLab, he is also a research assistant for two other labs at UC Berkeley. Research interests include understanding how incarceration affects the individual and communities, particularly at-risk and/or marginalized populations, exploring structural violence, and awe / moral beauty.

Lab Coordinator

Ashley Hernandez Gudino is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, majoring in Psychology with a possible minor in Child and Development. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in either Clinical or Social Psychology. Ashley’s research interests include human happiness, interpersonal relationships, and psychiatric disorders. She is passionate about understanding the factors that influence mental well-being and hopes to contribute to research that promotes healthier emotional and social functioning.