Principal Investigator
Anna E. Epperson, PhD
Dr. Anna Epperson is an Assistant Professor of Health Psychology in the Department of Psychological Sciences at the University of California, Merced. Her research focuses on racial/ethnic equity in health, exploring how social and cultural factors impact health behavior and perceptions of health risk, particularly among American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) and Latinx communities. She examines health behavior through community-based research and current projects focus on: 1) increasing vaccine confidence and uptake among AIAN and Latinx communities; and 2) reducing substance use among AIAN youth and Latinx young adults. Prior to joining the faculty at UC Merced, Dr. Epperson was an Instructor of Adolescent Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine. She completed postdoctoral training at the Stanford University Prevention Research Center as an National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute T32 research fellow in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention. She earned her PhD in Health Psychology from the University of California, Merced, an MA in Psychology from California State University, Stanislaus, and a BA in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of California, Berkeley. She is an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
[email protected]

Lab Manager & Research Coordinator
Mary Garcia
Mary Esperanza Garcia was born and raised in the San Joaquin Valley and transferred from community college with a UC Regents Scholarship to the University of California, Merced. While attending University, Mary received a Bachelor's in psychology and completed an internship at the Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center where she investigated the cessation related needs amongst Latinx tobacco users in the Central Valley. Mary is currently the Research Coordinator in the Epperson Lab for the Connect/Conectados: Social Networks and Health among Indigenous Californians Research Collaborative grant project. Mary’s research interests are grounded in a commitment to address the health disparities that continue to affect central Californian’s and other vulnerable populations.
[email protected]

Graduate Student
Selina Espinoza, MA
Selina Espinoza (she/her/ella) is a first-generation Latinx and third year health psychology Ph.D. student under Dr. Anna Epperson's advisorship and is a part of the Epperson & Health Behaviors Lab. Selina graduated with an A.A. in Art and an A.A.-T in Psychology from Hartnell Community College. Additionally, Selina graduated with a B.A. in psychology and a minor in statistics from California State University, Monterey (CSUMB). She also graduated with 4 scholar titles which include 2020-21 Sally Casanova Scholar, McNair Scholar, Stanford Phoenix Scholar, and CSUMB Undergraduate Research Opportunities Scholar. Selina's research interests include factors that influence cannabis perceptions and uptake among vulnerable subgroups such as veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, college students, and Mexican American young adults. Selina is also interested in community engagement and advocacy, which involves applying her research knowledge and skills that serve community members in order to improve public health. Selina also has conducted research within these research areas among these groups during the COVID-19 pandemic.
[email protected]

Graduate Student
Sarah Alnahari
Sarah Alnahari (she/her) is a Public Health PhD candidate, focusing on tobacco control research, particularly among minority and immigrant communities. She has been awarded a California statue Tobacco Related Disease Research Program predoctoral fellowship to complete her dissertation, which investigates tobacco use behaviors among Arab Americans in California's Central Valley. Specializing in qualitative and quantitative methods, Sarah is dedicated to understanding determinants of smoking to promote culturally informed tobacco cessation strategies. She has also actively engaged in public speaking and community outreach, notably as a finalist in the UC Merced’s Grad Slam competition.

Graduate Student Alumni
Allison Temourian, PhD
Dr. Allison A. Temourian received her doctorate in Psychological Sciences (Health Psychology) in 2024. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California, San Francisco. Her current research examines 1) cognitions as they relate to addictive behavior and 2) antecedents to health risk behaviors. Specifically, her work aims to address the psychosocial factors that encourage youth and young adults to engage in tobacco and/or cannabis use. During her postdoctoral training, Dr. Temourianwill continue her work examining perceptions of nicotine addiction and their overlap with the clinical dimensions of tobacco use disorder.
Website: https://aatemourian.owlstown.net/
[email protected]

Undergraduate Student Interns

Brandon Castillo Flores
Brandon Castillo Flores is a first-generation Latinx college student and a fourth-year Psychology major with a minor in Public Health at the University of California, Merced. He assists Dr. Anna E. Epperson in researching Latinx health behaviors and perceptions of cannabis use. As a summer undergraduate research fellow (part of the UC Merced Undergraduate Research Opportunity Center), Brandon independently led a project investigating the relationship between generational status and health risk perceptions of cannabis use among Mexican-Americans. He also interns at the Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center, where he connects research with community needs and collaborates with public health departments on tobacco-related initiatives.

Brandon plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Health Psychology, focusing on health risk behaviors, substance use, and racial/ethnic health disparities. His goal is to remain in academia, conducting research, teaching, and mentoring first-generation and low-income students. Passionate about using education as a tool to prevent substance use, Brandon is dedicated to advancing research that enhances the well-being of underserved communities like his own.

Aida Hassani
Aida Hassani is a Muslim Moroccan-American from the Bay Area. Currently she is a first-year undergraduate student at UC Merced majoring in Psychology and minoring in Global Arts. She is interested in behavioral psychology and decision making. Her goal is to continue research into graduate school, as well as work towards a career in film. With both passions in mind, she aims to become a psychology and criminology documentary filmmaker.

Victoria Ness
Victoria is a fourth year undergraduate psychology student. She was a founding member of the UC Merced Social Justice Club, in charge of media management. Her interests center around ADHD stigma and disparities surrounding this. She is currently leading an undergraduate research team examining mental health among college students. She aims to achieve a PhD in Psychology in research with a focus on mental health and ADHD, and she is currently applying to graduate schools.

Charu Raihan
Charu is a third-year undergraduate student majoring in Psychology with an emphasis in Health Psychology and a minor in Public Health. Her goal is to address health disparities and improve health outcomes. She is particularly interested in psychoneuroimmunology, which combines her interests in mental health, physical health, and the immune system, providing a coherent understanding of how psychological factors can influence overall health. At Epperson Lab, Charu focuses on vaccine uptake initiatives as part of the CONNECT project, a joint effort with UC Santa Cruz and UCSF aimed at community outreach. She is also an undergraduate research assistant for the HEART Lab with Dr. Durazo, a public health research lab focused on nicotine and cannabis use prevention. After obtaining her bachelor's degree, Charu aims to pursue higher education and earn a PhD in Health Psychology. 

Selected undergraduate Alumni

Meztli Galicia
Sonia Serrano Garcia
Estrella Rico
Luis Solorio
Joselyn Vasquez