Get to know a bit about me!
¡Hola! My name is Maria and I'm from Madrid, Spain.
Although I was born in Madrid, I grew up as a Third Culture Kid. I got to spend a lot of time living in different places and learning from people from all over the world. It taught me to pay attention not just to what people say, but to how they say it, and what often goes unsaid. This global upbringing instilled in me a deep curiosity about how people think, communicate, and relate to one another across cultural and linguistic boundaries. Now, as a PhD student, I find myself returning to the same questions I asked as a child just with more data, better tools, and a stronger drive to turn insight into impact.
I've had a non-linear journey to research in psychology
I began my academic journey at NYU, where I studied Politics with minors in Computer Science and Child & Adolescent Mental Health. I became increasingly fascinated in the psychology of individuals at the center of political crises: what drives their decisions, how personality traits manifest under pressure, and how context shapes behavior. This led me to the Mood and Personality Disorders Research Program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. There I discovered a passion for the methods behind psychological science and the potential of data and statistics to illuminate complex behavior. I then pursued graduate training in quantitative psychology, where I could bring together quantitative tools, clinical insight, and interdisciplinary thinking. I now apply computational and quantitative methods to study severe mental illness through an interdisciplinary lens!
Being multilingual has influenced how I think about language and its connection to behavior.
The way we express our thoughts, feelings, or emotions, and how others interpret them, is deeply influenced by context, culture, and the structure of the language itself. This is true whether we're speaking to another person or interacting with AI! Being multilingual has shaped how I think about this connection between language, behavior, and AI. It has made me attuned to the nuances of expression and the structure of language, but more importantly it informs my research on how language and large language models can be used to understand, predict, and intervene in mental health and maladaptive behavioral outcomes.
Outside of my research, animals are my life!
My dogs, Bimba and Alfie, have been constant companions through the most demanding stages of my academic journey. Their steady presence has kept me grounded and continuously reminds me of the importance of emotional attunement. I am also an active equestrian, horses have taught me the value of patience, nonverbal communication, and trust. All skills that mirror many of the dynamics I study in human behavior and mental health! My relationships with my animals have helped me appreciate forms of communication that go beyond language and shaped how I think about behavior, connection, and meaning in both my personal life and research.