Faculty Advisor

Alexandria Bauer, PhD
Dr. Bauer received her BA in Psychology from San Diego State University in 2013, after transferring from community college, and she earned both her master’s degree and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City following her predoctoral clinical internship at the Charleston Consortium in Charleston, SC. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship in Traumatic Stress and Addictions at Rutgers University Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies (CAS). She is currently an Assistant Professor at Rutgers CAS and the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP). She also serves as a faculty mentor for the Translational Research Training in Addictions for Racial/Ethnic Minorities (TRACC) program. 

Affiliated Graduate Students

Menjia Ji
My name is Mengjia and a fun way to pronounce it is if you think of the word pangea, just replace the p with an m. Other than creative ways to introduce myself, I enjoy learning and understanding different facets to how and why people make certain decisions based on their personal history, which may include their community, past traumas and preferences. Currently, my interests cast a broad net, but they all center around people. I'm also what you call a "mature student", which means I've had a decade long field experience that helped me cultivate my decision to re-enter academia to pursue psychology and further the field in a meaningful way.
Carolyn Bazan​
Carolyn Bazan is currently pursuing a PhD degree in Counselor Education and Supervision at Rutgers University. Her past work includes serving as a clinician and project manager on “Treating hidden barriers to employment: Integrated treatment for PTSD in supported employment”, a research study funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research under the mentorship of Dr. Weili Lu. Her work during this time has allowed her to gain an understanding of the barriers clinicians face when serving individuals with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder as well as the symptoms that interfere with this population’s ability to seek and maintain employment. Her research interest includes examining the intersection of trauma, addiction, and spirituality.
​Ayanna Gilmore, MA
​Hi I am Ayanna!
I received my MA in psychology from The City College of New York-CUNY. After my graduate studies I joined Rutgers Division of Addiction Psychiatry-RWJMS as a RA on the study Mindfulness Oriented Recovery Enhancement in Methadone Treatment for Chronic Pain Management and Opioid Use (MORE). Working on the MORE study piqued my interest in substance use trends and treatment outcomes amongst African Americans. Specifically, I am interested in understanding how social and neighborhood characteristics affect substance use treatment outcomes in African American populations. Additionally, I would like to design novel substance use intervention methods that address unique and specific needs of African Americans with substance use disorders.
Jahnayah Bellot
Jahnayah Bellot is pursuing a Clinical Psychology PsyD degree at Rutgers University’s Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP). She completed her B.S. in Psychology at Howard University. During her time at Howard, she gained research experience focusing on general well-being, which led to a passion for health psychology. She is interested in researching the factors involved in systemic inequities in mental health care, particularly within the black community. Her research interests include minority mental health, women’s health, health equity, and health promotion. ​
Allyson Cameron
Allyson (Ally) is a first-year sociology graduate student at Duke University. She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with Bachelor’s degrees in Social Work and Sociology with high honors and a minor in American Sign Language. Ally’s research interests currently center around racial identity formation, media representation, and systemic racism in education, mental health, and the carceral system. Outside of her research, she enjoys painting and hiking.
Kaan Kideys
My name is Kaan Kideys and I am a graduate of the Rutgers Master of Applied Psychology program. My research and clinical interests include understanding the nature of traumatic experience and its effects on physical and mental health. I am interested in examining how the effects of post-traumatic stress affect bodily functions, the development of comorbid mental health and substance use disorders, how the effects of trauma manifest among different populations, as well as approaches to healing, resilience, and post-traumatic growth among various cultures and identities.

Collaborators

In addition to the students and affiliates listed above, we work with with a dynamic and ever-growing group of researchers, community members, mental health service providers, and individuals with lived experiences related to trauma, substance use, and other areas of mental health. Many of our community partners are associated with the Community Advisory Board (CAB) at the Rutgers Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies, which gives us the opportunity to work with an engaged, incredible group across multiple research projects. We are always looking for new community connections and people who can give us nuanced insight into all aspects and stages of the research that we do. Please contact us if you're interested in learning more about the CAB or collaboration interests.