STEPP Lab UIUC

We are currently recruiting parents/caregivers of 7th and 8th grade students to be a part of a NEW research study. This study consists of viewing a digital trauma-focused intervention (RENEW), completing an online survey about the intervention, and a focus group discussion. Caregivers who have a middle school-aged child who has experienced a major life event (e.g. violence, poverty, incarcerated parent, death of loved one, etc) are eligible. You will earn a $100 Amazon gift card for viewing the digital intervention, completing a brief survey, and participating in an 1-1.5 hour virtual focus group. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out by calling the research team at (217)-265-7587 or email us at [email protected]. Please share with others! 😊

Meet Mara- One of our STEPP Lab Research Assistants 🧠✨ She is currently a sophomore majoring in molecular and cellular biology with a minor in psychology.
She wants to become a pediatric oncologist. She loves working with kids and is excited to be a part of the STEPP lab. Outside of academics, she is a member of Gamma Phi Beta and Phi Delta Epsilon, a pre-medical fraternity!

Before the semester starts, we wanted to highlight a STEPP lab research assistant that graduated this past spring! Erika graduated with a degree in integrative biology and is currently working as a clinical research coordinator at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. She coordinates studies in the Department of Hematology. Congrats Erika and good luck as you apply to medical school! 🥳
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Another STEPP lab research assistant just recently graduated!🥳 Khushi graduated with a degree in psychology and is headed to NYU to complete a research fellowship as a part of the Quality Undergraduate Education and Scholarly Training Program. She will be mentored by doctoral students in the Researching Inequity in Society Ecologically (RISE) Lab. Congrats Khushi and good luck as you apply to clinical psychology doctoral programs! 😊
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Congrats to our newest research assistant alum Roqaya!🥳 Roqaya recently graduated with a BS in integrative biology honors and a minor in chemistry. She will be attending the Northwestern Medicine Gap Year Internship in Chicago where she will continue to engage with her research interests and learn more about medicine before applying to medical school. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the STEPP lab Roqaya and we are excited to see what you accomplish!
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May is The STEPP lab wants to highlight some fantastic AAPI leaders within the mental health field! Additionally, we want to recognize that there are health disparities and barriers to treatment for AAPI individuals that still persist today. Check out our post below for more information ⬇️
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May is month 😊 Throughout May, the STEPP lab will be posting mental health educational resources for adolescents & young adults. Our first post talks more about prevalence rates of mental health in hopes of helping people recognize they are not alone in their struggles with mental health. Stay tuned for more tips to manage your mental health 🧠
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In honor of & finals week approaching, here are a few quick reminders on how you can lower your stress to assist your physical & mental health. 😀

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(TW: sexual violence; assault; CSA) April is month. One of the research initiatives in the STEPP lab is to research forms of violence (including CSA and TDV) to prevent the negative mental health outcomes stemming from experiencing trauma. We stand in solidarity to support survivors of sexual violence.

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Yesterday was The STEPP lab stands in solidarity and supports those who are transgender and those who are a part of the gender diverse population.

From a research perspective, the STEPP lab is an ally in supporting the health and well-being of for those who are trans and gender diverse. The MMOTH study in our lab is committed to understanding health disparities in alcohol use within a transgender and gender diverse (TGD) population, so we can prevent risky substances use. Want to learn more about Trans Day of Visibility or our MMOTH study, check out the links below:
https://apnews.com/article/transgender-day-visibility-gender-affirming-0858d8f42ece877cfad27488a4ad83dd
https://stepplabillinois.weebly.com/research.html
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Curious to learn more about aka adverse childhood experiences? Check out our infographic materials below! The STEPP lab aims to prevent psychopathology resulting from ACEs with our studies. Comment below what topics you would like to learn more about!

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The STEPP lab is recruiting research assistants (RAs) to start in Fall of 2024! 😊 If you or anyone you know has an interest in developmental psychopathology and is looking to gain more research experience, check out the QR code for our RA application!