Exploring Team Dynamics and Leadership
Meet the Team
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Principal Investigator
Alexander Ochoa
Dr. Ochoa received his undergraduate degree from Occidental College and his PhD from Saint Louis University. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of San Francisco, teaching courses such as Clinical Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Advanced Research Methods: Values in Athletics, and Statistics.
He also is the faculty advisor for the Future Clinicians Association which was created to support students interested in pursuing careers in clinical work, as well as the Faculty Advisor for the Hawaiian Ensemble. When not teaching or working on lab research Dr. Ochoa can be found participating in sports such as rugby and judo, spending time with his family, or developing a green thumb in his garden.
Current RA's

Lab Manager
Jasleen Kooner
Jasleen is a fourth-year Psychology major with minors in Chemistry and Neuroscience, she is on the pre-med pathway! She is the social media manager of the Indian Student Organization and the Vice President of Active minds club. She is a certified peer educator for USF’s Health Promotion Services and teaches alcohol awareness workshops. She is looking forward to an interesting and productive year in lab!

Lab Manager
Karolyne Lajera
Karolyne is a fourth-year Chemistry and Psychology student. She is the President and Founder of PERIOD, Senior Lead Mentor of the Magis Emerging Leadership Program, the USF x Tribe Rising Youth Leadership Program Lead, a Campus & City Connections Fellow Lead with the UM Interfaith and Social Justice Team, and involved with Kasamahan and Delta Zeta. In her free time, Karolyne can be found at the gym, thrifting, or exploring the bay with friends.

Lab Manager
Sydni Yoshida
Sydni is a fourth-year Psychology major with a double minor in Japanese studies and Legal Studies. She is on the pre-law track, hoping to pursue a career in law. She is on the women’s soccer team here at USF as a midfielder. She is excited to join the athletic systems research lab!

Research Assistant
Sophie Connolly
Sophie is a second year psychology major studying at the University of San Francisco. She is an international student athlete from Tasmania, Australia as part of the USF D1 Cross Country Women's team. She has a deep curiosity about psychology, and in particular sports performance psychology and hope to go into a clinical field. She enjoy sports, the beach, hiking and exploring all of the amazing coffee spots that San Francisco has to offer

Research Assistant
Brandon Liu
Brandon is a second-year Psychology major and pre-med student at the University of San Francisco, pursuing a minor in Chemistry and a dual degree in teaching. He works as an assistant Junior Varsity/Varsity baseball coach, where he created a high school baseball analytics team to apply data-driven strategies and focuses on player and team development. He also serves as a pitch clock operator for the USF D1 baseball team. He gardens and plays the guitar in his free time.

Research Assistant
Danielle Rayne Fermin
Rayne is a third-year Psychology major at USF. She’s always been passionate about combining her sports & mental health worlds. Her future aspirations include working within the sports psychology field. She hopes to bring stronger awareness to this space, regardless of where her future career takes her. She’s a proud member of Kasamahan and the Vice President of the Aspiring Researchers Association. She’s running it back with the lab and continues to look forward to what it will bring & contributing. In her spare time, you’d probably catch her watching college basketball and football games, singing & writing music, or reading in a cute corner!

Research Assistant
Vanessa Loza
Vanessa is a second year psychology student at USF. She is apart of Honors College and is a community ambassador for the Horizons Collective. Vanessa is interested in becoming a Marriage and Family therapist and pursue grad school after finishing her bachelors. For fun, Vanessa likes to craft, swim, and get icecream with her friends!

Research Assistant
Alejandra Alvarez-Guerra
Alejandra is a fourth-year Psychology major with a minor in UX/UI Design. She hopes to combine these two fields and work as a people/user experience researcher and then become a therapist. She is an active member of Psi Chi and works at her school's students employment center. While the gym has been a consistent way to keep active, Alejandra was on the field hockey team all of high school and did karate/boxing outside as well. Sports have a connection to her physically and emotionally, so she is super excited to be on this team and joining her first lab!

Research Assistant
Ben Brody
Ben is a fourth year psychology major and a member of the Men’s soccer team at USF. USF is my third university I have attended and this will be my first lab. I am really excited to get started and explore all the things this lab has to offer. In the future, I hope to have a job that helps me explore human consciousness and help as many people as possible. In my free time I enjoy spending time with friends, reading, cooking, and playing soccer.

Research Assistant
Sophie Robinson
Sophie is a fourth-year psychology student with a minor in neuroscience at the University of San Francisco. She is gearing up for graduate school, where she wants to pursue her PhD in clinical psychology, focusing on the brain and understanding neurological disorders. She is on the USF Psychology Student Association E-board and enjoys being in the water as a member of the USF Women’s Club Water Polo team. In her free time, Sophie enjoys thrifting, trying new food spots, and hiking with friends all around the city!

Research Assistant
Joselyn A Fuentes
Joselyn is a second-year Biology major at the University of San Francisco. She is currently on the pre-med track and has a specific interest in pediatrics. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, trying new foods, and spending time with friends. She is excited to join the lab this year.

Research Assistant
Sindhu Vellanki
Sindhu Vellanki is a fourth-year psychology student and Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) with a passion for working with children and adolescents. She currently serves as the President of the Future Clinicians Association and is interested in supporting youth and families through evidence-based mental health care. She hopes to pursue a career as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). In her free time, Sindhu enjoys reading, spending time outdoors, exploring San Francisco, and making memories with friends and family.
Lab Alumni
See what some of our former lab members are currently up to.


















