{"id":38,"date":"2016-11-14T11:38:54","date_gmt":"2016-11-14T17:38:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.edb.utexas.edu\/prl\/?page_id=38"},"modified":"2026-10-23T00:38:23","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T05:38:23","slug":"lab-members","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.edb.utexas.edu\/prl\/lab-members\/","title":{"rendered":"Lab Members"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\n\t
\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\tGraduate Students\n\t\t<\/summary>\n\n\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t
\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Portrait\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEsmeralda (Esme) Ramirez, MA\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPrevention Science\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEsme Ramirez (she\/her\/hers) is a PhD student in Prevention Science in the College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin and a member of the Prevention Research Lab. Her research aims to reduce health inequities among young adults and populations placed at increased risk by structural inequities. She focuses on how commercial determinants of health intersect with social and cultural factors to shape mental health, substance use, and related behavioral health outcomes, and how the same digital platforms that drive these influences, particularly social media, can be leveraged for prevention and health promotion. Her graduate work has been supported by the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Graduate Fellowship, the Teresa Lozano Long Endowed Graduate Fellowship, the Mary Buice Alderson Scholarship, and the Texas New Scholars Award.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPreviously, Esme was a Research Project Director at the University of Southern California, where her work examined syndemic conditions among disenfranchised populations, including substance use, intimate partner violence (IPV), depression, anxiety, and barriers to care. Projects she worked on included a longitudinal study of substance use and IPV among low-income women in San Antonio (1 R01 DA039269) and a binational study of transitory migration between Los Angeles and Mexico City (1 R01 MD013628-01). She holds a bachelor’s degree and an MA in Radio-TV-Film and Media Studies from UT Austin. Her master’s thesis examined media use and social mobility among Latino families in Austin.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\nCV<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGoogle Scholar<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEmail<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t

\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Yao\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tYao Tong, MS\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBiostatistics\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tComing soon!\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCV<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGoogle Scholar<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEmail<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/details>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\n\t\tUndergraduate Research Assistants\n\t<\/summary>\n\n\t
\n\n\t\t
\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Portrait\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tJocelyn Chiu\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPublic Health \u00b7 Pre-Medical\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t

\nJocelyn Chiu is a second-year Public Health student at the University of Texas at Austin on a pre-medical track. Her research interests focus on food insecurity, nutrition, and the factors that shape young adults\u2019 health behaviors. She is especially interested in how food access, digital media, and food environments influence eating behaviors and health outcomes. Her current research examines food insecurity, unhealthy food advertising on social media, and food purchasing through delivery apps.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t

\nJocelyn joined the Prevention Research Lab because of its focus on everyday influences on health. She hopes to study how food access and media environments contribute to nutrition-related behaviors and health disparities.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t

\nIn her free time, Jocelyn enjoys singing, playing instruments, traveling, and spending time with her cat. She is also an avid sports fan and proudly supports the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Rockets.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\n\t
\n\t\t\"Portrait\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\t
\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tElijah Echevarria\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tSociology \u00b7 Applied Statistical Modeling\n\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tElijah Echevarria is a senior Sociology major at the University of Texas at Austin and is completing a certificate in Applied Statistical Modeling. His research interests focus on equity for marginalized populations in the United States and the development of more effective machine learning models.\n\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tElijah plans to pursue a PhD in Statistics and Data Science and hopes to build machine learning models that improve how researchers analyze data and draw conclusions. He has previously worked with the Prevention Research Lab and is particularly interested in health and nutrition equity for marginalized communities.\n\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tOutside of research, Elijah has held several leadership positions in the retail and food service industries.\n\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tIn his free time, Elijah enjoys working out, reading fiction and nonfiction, and playing soccer.\n\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t

\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\n
\n \"Max\n<\/div>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tMax Gu\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tBehavioral and Social Data Science \u00b7 Business and Public Policy\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tMax Gu is a second-year student at the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in Behavioral and Social Data Science and minoring in Business and Public Policy. His research interests focus on using data to understand how media and social environments influence health behaviors.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAt the Prevention Research Lab, Max is currently working on research projects related to mental health and social connection. He is particularly interested in how quantitative research can inform policy and decision-making and was drawn to PRL for the opportunity to apply data science to real-world social and health issues.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tIn his free time, Max enjoys exercising, traveling the world, and trying new foods and recipes. \n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n \n
\n\n \"\"\n\n <\/div>\n\n \n
\n\n

\n Hannah Jang\n <\/h3>\n\n

\n Psychology \u00b7 Social Work\n <\/p>\n\n

\n Hannah is currently a sophomore studying psychology and social work. She is interested in learning more about how people are affected by the environment around them, whether that\u2019s media, intentional marketing, or interactions with others. Being a part of the PRL is a way that she\u2019s able to explore these interests!\n <\/p>\n\n

\n After graduating, Hannah plans on being a counselor that works with vulnerable populations. She wishes to make art more accessible to these communities, and equip them with the resources that they need.\n <\/p>\n\n

\n In her free time, Hannah enjoys making music with her band and cooking for her friends.\n <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t

\n\n\t\t\t\t\n
\n\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tJiana Kuruvilla\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHealth and Society \u00b7 Pre-Medical\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tJiana Kuruvilla is a second-year Health and Society student at the University of Texas at Austin on a pre-medical track. Her research interests center on how media, advertising, and social environments influence health behaviors among youth and underrepresented populations.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tJiana is drawn to the Prevention Research Lab because its work sits at the intersection of public health research and real-world policy impact, particularly the MEDIA Studies examining how advertising shapes the health decisions of young people.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tOutside the lab, she serves as a Healthyhorns Student Outreach Ambassador, a Young Adult Advisory Board Member for the ENDSight Study at the University of Oklahoma, and a community health researcher through the Health Leadership Apprentice Program at Dell Medical School.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tIn her free time, Jiana enjoys baking, photography, content creation, guitar, exploring hidden gems around Austin, and finding the perfect matcha.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n \n
\n \"Portrait\n <\/div>\n\n \n
\n\n

\n Amanda Udenyi\n <\/h3>\n\n

\n Humanities \u00b7 Pre-Medical\n <\/p>\n\n

\n Amanda Udenyi is a sophomore Humanities major at the University of Texas at Austin on the Pre-medical track. Her research interests focus on Substance Use, Preventative Medicine, and Mental Health. Her current research examines the relationship between Cannabis Use and Perceived Neighborhood Disorder in Young Adults.\n <\/p>\n\n

\n Amanda has previously worked with the Prevention Research Lab and is interested in the Prevention Research Lab because of the intersection between preventative medicine and health disparities\n <\/p>\n\n

\n Outside of research, Amanda serves as a Younglife Leader at McNeil High School and is involved in Ignite Texas and Global Medical Training,\n <\/p>\n\n

\n In her free time, Amanda loves working out, playing volleyball, trying new foods, reading books, and traveling.\n <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Graduate Students Esmeralda (Esme) Ramirez, MA Prevention Science Esme Ramirez (she\/her\/hers) is a PhD student in Prevention Science in the College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin and a member of the Prevention Research Lab. Her research aims to reduce health inequities among young adults and populations placed at increased risk by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":54,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":7,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-38","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.edb.utexas.edu\/prl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/38","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.edb.utexas.edu\/prl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.edb.utexas.edu\/prl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.edb.utexas.edu\/prl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/54"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.edb.utexas.edu\/prl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38"}],"version-history":[{"count":48,"href":"https:\/\/sites.edb.utexas.edu\/prl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/38\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":294,"href":"https:\/\/sites.edb.utexas.edu\/prl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/38\/revisions\/294"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.edb.utexas.edu\/prl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}