Principal Investigator
Jennifer N. Felder, PhD, studies ways to improve mental health during pregnancy and early parenting. Her main focus is on improving sleep and mood. She is an Assistant Professor and clinical psychologist in the UCSF Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Osher Center for Integrative Health. You can learn more about her research and publications here.
Co-Investigators
Project Manager
Post-Doctoral Research Fellow
Carolyn Ponting, PhD
Carolyn Ponting, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral fellow in the UCSF department of psychiatry. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from UCLA and completed her APA-accredited clinical internship at UCSF's Clinical Psychology Training Program- Public Service & Minority Cluster. Her research examines the sociocultural factors that contribute to the risk and alleviation of mental health problems in Latinx families, with an emphasis on pregnant women and children. As a bicultural and bilingual psychologist, she is also interested in making evidence-based interventions for common mental health disorders more responsive to the needs of ethnically/racially minoritized individuals.
Clinical Research Coordinators
Richelle Mah
Richelle Mah received a BA in Psychology from the University of San Francisco (USF) in 2021 and joined the Felder Lab in May 2023. Prior to joining the Felder Lab, Richelle worked as a research assistant at the Stanford Project on Adaptation and Resilience in Kids (SPARK) Lab as well as USF’s Ethnic Minority Mental Health Lab. She is curious about how mental health conditions manifest differently among minoritized communities and is interested in the development and implementation of accessible, culturally competent interventions. She hopes to pursue a doctoral degree in clinical psychology to further explore her research interests. In her free time, she enjoys scenic hikes and savoring each bite of a delicious dessert.
Berni McClelland
Berni McClelland received her BS in Psychology from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in December 2020. She is interested in alternative treatments for mental health, and improving accessibility to mental healthcare for underserved communities. She hopes to attend a doctoral program in clinical psychology to continue her career in research. Outside of work, she loves to spend her free time traveling - prior to working in the Felder lab, she spent a year living abroad in Spain!
Chenoa Levy
Chenoa graduated with a BA in Psychology from UC Berkeley in 2020. She is passionate about improving the accessibility of mental healthcare and is interested in finding ways to incorporate mental healthcare into our everyday practices. She aspires to pursue a medical degree and specialize in psychiatry. In her free time, she has been trying to master the skill of making the perfect focaccia.
Project Alumni
Riya Mirchandaney
Riya Mirchandaney graduated with a degree in Psychology from Columbia University in 2020, where she worked as a research assistant at the Perinatal Pathways Lab. She is passionate about supporting women's mental health, developing evidence-based treatments for mood and anxiety disorders, and improving the accessibility of mental healthcare. In Fall 2023, Riya will begin attending the University of Pittsburgh's Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology.