Micaela Ciambrone is a rising senior and Stamps Scholar at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and minoring in Health and Human Services with an emphasis on Counseling. Her interest in psychology was sparked from a young age as she worked to understand the underpinnings of varying mental illnesses. She quickly came to realize the abundance of detrimental stereotypes that were consistently associated with mental illnesses and strove to diminish these stigmas through her efforts.
This summer, Micaela worked under the supervision of Dr. Phil Kreniske, investigating how mobile technology could be utilized to prevent HIV and mental health issues in a youth population in Uganda. She primarily focused on assisting Dr. Kreniske and his team on a systematic review centered on assessing suicidality in youth living with HIV. She compiled the search terms necessary to accumulate the literature and is excited to continue this work in the following months. She also worked on tasks for the CUGMHP related to organizing their ten-year anniversary celebration. Micaela worked alongside her fellow interns to conduct interviews with GMH scholars and Council Grant recipients, getting insight into the work that the GMHP fosters.
Micaela is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to participate in this internship. Not only did she obtain invaluable experience in the global mental health field, but she was exposed to professionals in varying fields granting her perspectives that have proved influential in determining her future path in this field.