Alumni

My name is Orestes Pena, I am an undergraduate at FIU pursuing a double major in Psychology and Criminal Justice. I have plan to continue my studies by pursuing a PhD in clinical psychology since my interests lie in both research and treatment. I joined the MUTT lab with the hope of gaining hands on experience on research and learning more about the fascinating process of conducting a successful study.

I am a graduate student at FIU with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, currently in the process of gaining clinical hours for PA schools. I have a big passion for mental health and believe that a healthy body requires a healthy mind. My goal is to become a PA, specializing in neurology. In addition, I also believe in the importance of maintaining public health. I hope to, one day, be able to contribute in improving the accessibility of health care and to work with the underserved communities. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, painting, playing the ukulele, and watching movies.

I was born and raised in Brazil, and I moved to Miami in 2017 in order to pursue my Bachelor's degree at FIU. I'm currently an undergraduate student majoring in Psychology, and Spring 2021 is my last semester. My plan after graduation is to spend a year working as an RA in order to acquire as much research experience as possible before applying to grad school. Because I want to become a clinical psychologist who works with children and adolescents with mood and anxiety disorders, I intend on pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. I joined the MUTT Lab because I believe it's very important for me, as a future clinical psychologist, to have a great understanding and a good foundation of research; this experience will certainly make me a better psychologist in the future. My hobbies include listening to music, hanging out with my friends, and watching documentaries and videos on YouTube.

Working at the MUTT lab has given me invaluable knowledge of the research process and on evidence-based treatments. Here I learned about the beginning stages of a research study and the work that goes into developing it. I am grateful to have been able to share this experience with a great team of research assistants, a supportive lab manager, and Dr. Ng. I have learned so much about myself and my professional goals during my period at the lab. I intend to use what I learned at the MUTT lab when I am accepted into a graduate psychology program and conduct research of my own.