Blake A. Allan
CURRENT TEAM
Stacy (Zhizhou) Wang, MA: Stacy is originally from Wuhan, China. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of California, Davis, with minors in Human Development and Education, and her master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from Boston College. Her research interests center on the intersection of work and mental health, particularly how workplace precarity and instability shape individuals’ psychological well-being. She is also interested in how these experiences vary across cultural contexts and intersect with race, gender, and other social identities. In her spare time, Stacy enjoys baking, playing tennis, traveling and watching movies.
Emily Fillip, BS: Emily is from Sugar Land, Texas. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Texas A&M University in 2020. Emily’s research interests include examining wellness and mental health in those with injury or chronic conditions. She is also interested in studying smoother transitions back into the workplace after injury or maternity leave. In her free time, Emily enjoys reading, baking, yoga, and spending time with friends and family.
Kerry Chavez, MS: Kerry is from Atlanta, GA. She earned her bachelor's degree in chemistry from Emory University and a master's degree from Georgia Institute of Technology. While studying stress as a research chemist with an Army Medical Center, she discovered a love of psychology, which led her to UH to navigate a career change. Her research focuses on taking a relational perspective on "bad jobs," examining how attachment orientation shapes the mental health impact of precarious work. More broadly, her research interests include relational factors in trauma impacts, stress effects on health, health disparities, and racial/ethnic profiling. In her free time Kerry enjoys jogging, exploring the Houston area, and spending time with friends and family.
Christina Segura, MA.: Christina was born in College Station, Texas, and raised in Anahuac and San Antonio, Texas. She received her B.S. in corporate communication from Lamar University in 2020 and started her M. Ed. in counseling at the University of Houston in 2021, which she plans to complete en route to her doctorate in counseling psychology. Broadly, her research interests include access to meaningful and fulfilling work and equity in higher education and the workforce. Specifically, she is interested in how work precarity affects working Latina mothers and relates to health disparities experienced in that population. She is also interested in the relationship between trauma and mental health, how people create meaning from their experiences, and the process of resilience. When not working, she enjoys spending quality time with her family, exercising outside, cooking/eating good food, reading, and bingeing Netflix shows.
Elaine Sun, MS: Elaine is originally from Beijing, China. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from The Ohio State University and her master’s degree in biostatistics from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Her research interests focus on vocational recovery for individuals with PTSD and depression, with an emphasis on Asian and ethnic minority groups. She is also interested in how vocational rehabilitation programs can support these individuals, especially in reducing suicidal ideation and fostering meaningful employment opportunities. In her free time, Elaine enjoys spending quality time with her family, traveling, and binging her favorite shows.
Abha Prasad, MBBS, MD: Abha is from Coorg, India and received a MBBS from Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore in 2008 and an MD in Psychiatry from Government Medical College, Kozhikode in 2012. Abha's research interests are in decent work, meaningful work, access to decent work and meaningful work in the marginalized communities, individuals of lower socioeconomic status, and individuals with chronic mental illnesses and mild intellectual disabilities. She is also interested in studying the impact of Covid-19 on low wage workers and burnout in mental health professionals. In her spare time, Abha enjoys cooking, reading books, and listening to (and attempting dance moves) with her family!
Haleem A. Brown, MS: Haleem was born in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He attended Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2018, and master's in community psychology in 2020. Haleem’s research interests include examining Black students success and academic motivation at the collegiate level. When he’s not working, Haleem enjoys hiking, playing and talking basketball, photography, talking with family, and creative stuff.