PEOPLE
Amanda S. Morrison, Ph.D
DIRECTOR
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Dr. Morrison is the director of the East Bay Anxiety Lab. She is an associate professor at Cal State East Bay as well as a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. She completed her doctoral training at Temple University, clinical internship at the Palo Alto Veteran's Affairs (VA) Health Care System, and postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University. Dr. Morrison is interested in understanding and treating anxiety disorders. Specific areas of interest include social anxiety disorder, emotion regulation, and attention. She is also interested in mechanisms of treatment for anxiety. CV
CSUEB Fall 2025 Courses
PSYC 381 Psychopathology​​
Fall 2025 Office hours:
Wednesdays 2-3 in Zoom or office, no appointment needed
Thursdays 10-11 in Zoom, make a BayAdvisor appointment​
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Research Assistants
Collin Bessette
Collin recently graduated from CSU East Bay with a B.A. in Psychology. Currently, Collin attends Palo Alto University and is planning on getting his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. He currently works as a client care coordinator at a therapy office in San Ramon where he performs phone consultations, scheduling, and overall the managerial side of a therapy office. Collin's research interests include trauma experienced through generations as well as anxiety and depression. He hopes to one day have his own private practice and work at a university performing research.
Marfa Ditiatkovskaia
Marfa graduated from CSU East Bay with a B.A. in psychology. She has clinical work experience at a mental health rehabilitation center treating patients with psychosis related disorders. Her research interests include researching brain imaging, access to treatment, and psychosis-related disorders. She intends to attend graduate school for the Fall 2026 term where she will pursue her Ph.D. in clinical psychology to become licensed and serve populations as both a clinician and a researcher. Marfa hopes to expand her knowledge by volunteering in this lab and continue her journey in exploring the world of mental health and treatment.
Shaiesta Ghafoorzai
Shaiesta is a psychology major at California State University, East Bay. In addition to volunteering at the East Bay Anxiety Lab, she is a research assistant in the Metascientific Investigations and Scientific Training (M.I.S.T.) Lab, where she explores how beliefs about artificial intelligence relate to mental health and behavior. She is also involved in the STEAM Lab and has previously contributed to art therapy research. Her research interests include anxiety disorders, culturally responsive therapy, and the psychological impacts of oppression. Shaiesta hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and work toward becoming a licensed clinical psychologist.
Mina Hakozaki
Mina is currently an undergraduate student majoring in Psychology, with a strong academic foundation and a passion for the connection between mental health and neuroscience. Her primary research interests include trauma, stress-related disorders, nervous system regulation, and neuroplasticity. Mina is intellectually curious and driven to understand the complex mechanisms underlying brain function and emotional processes. By volunteering as a research assistant, she hopes to gain meaningful experience and develop the skills necessary to prepare for her future in the field.
Sohni Masood
Sohni is currently a student at California State University, East Bay studying psychology. Her research interests include depression, anxiety, PTSD, art therapy, and emotional support animals. She hopes to research and work with minorities and underserved populations. By volunteering in the lab as a research assistant, she hopes to gain research experience to pursue further education. Sohni plans to attend graduate school to earn a Ph.D in clinical psychology.
Taylor Moriarity
Taylor has graduated from California State University, East Bay, with a B.A. in Psychology and is a member of the Psi Chi Honors Society. She has a passion for connecting with others and the inner drive to be a reliable support system through challenging times, aiming to become a clinical psychologist in the future. Her interests lie heavily in clinical psychology, particularly in understanding anxiety disorders such as panic disorder, as well as conditions like obsessive-compulsive disorder. In addition to her interests, she has enjoyed conducting research in both cognitive and personality psychology.
Daniel Nava
Daniel graduated from California State University, East Bay with a B.A. in psychology. In addition to volunteering at the East Bay Anxiety Lab, he is a case manager at La Clinica de la Raza's Integrated Behavioral Health Department and behavioral aid for various schools in the East Bay. His research interests include social anxiety disorder and innovative intervention methods. Daniel hopes to get into a clinical Ph.D. program to work his way to becoming a clinical psychologist.
Research Assistant Alumni
Jasmine Aleman
Dominique Boynton
Pedro Diaz
Naomi Gashaw
Jessica Goldman​
Whitney Gonzales​
Camryn Graver-Dowd
Kayla Gray
Haya Haddad
Jacynda Harp
Alec James
Jenna Kim​
Jordan Lemieux
Olivia Magana
Jexy An Nepangue
Katarina Merk
Bruna Mota
Alfredo Perez
Sanjana Satishkumar
John Tolentino
Jhamon Venerable
Lindsay Vanderstraeten
Taylor West​
Michelle Yu​