Team
Lab Director
Mike Chmielewski
Across all areas of science, it is essential that models of the phenomenon of interest are as accurate as possible. Moreover, measurement is critical to all areas of research. The overarching goal of Dr. Mike Chmielewski's research is to enhance the accuracy of our models of psychopathology/clinically relevant constructs and improve our ability to measure/assess these constructs. Dr. Chmielewski (he/him) accomplishes this through three inter-related programs of research: (1) by focusing on psychometrics, construct validity, measurement, and scale development, (2) by enhancing the conceptualization and classification of psychopathology through empirically based structural models, and (3) by examining links of normal personality traits with psychopathology and other psychological constructs. Dr. Chmielewski also has multiple ongoing collaborations allowing him to apply these lines of research to health and developmental psychology. Recently, Dr. Chmielewski has become interested in identifying other barriers to replicable and valid research.
Email: mchmielewski@mail.smu.edu
CV
Graduate Students
Mayson Trujillo
Mayson Trujillo (she/her) is a sixth-year graduate student in Southern Methodist University's Clinical Psychology doctoral program. She earned her BA in Psychology with honors from the University of Notre Dame (2018) and her MA in Clinical Psychology from Southern Methodist University (2022). Her research interests center on the measurement of personality and psychopathology. In particular, she is interested in improving the psychometric properties of our measurement tools by examining factors that influence reliability, including transient measurement error.
Email: mntrujillo@mail.smu.edu
CV
Alexa Jimenez
Alexa Jimenez (she/her) is a fourth-year doctoral student and Mustang Fellow in the Clinical Psychology graduate program. In May 2020 she graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University at Buffalo, earning her B.A. in Psychology with Highest Honors and completing minors in Sociology and Counseling. Her personal research program centers on combining psychometric research and measurement development procedures with Ecological Momentary Assessment methodologies to clarify and model the structure of psychopathology. Alexa aims to understand the differences in within- and between-person structures of personality and internalizing psychopathology, and to use this information to inform dimensional models of psychopathology.
Email: alexajimenez@mail.smu.edu
CV
Caroline Lee
Hyungseo (Caroline) Lee (she/her) is a second-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology program. She earned a BA in Psychology with a Minor in Quantitative Sciences from Emory University in May 2022. Caroline is interested in a) investigating the impact of minority stress on the assessment, conceptualization, and treatment of psychopathology, b) refining transdiagnostic approaches to classification of psychopathology and clinical interventions, and c) using ambulatory assessment to model the dynamics of psychological processes.
Email: carolinelee@mail.smu.edu
CV
Elizabeth Bell
Elizabeth Bell (she/they) is a second-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program. They earned a BS with research distinction in Psychology and minors in Women and Gender Studies, Neuroscience, Cognitive Science, and Statistics from SMU in May 2022. Their research interests are rooted in a) measurement, b) the dimensional structure of psychopathology, and c) intersectionality. Their current work is on the role of repetitive thinking—a broad construct that taps aspects of ruminations, obsessions, worries, and several other maladaptive cognitive processes—as an underlying mechanism of psychopathology and personality. As they continue studying individual differences in mental health outcomes, they plan to examine factors related to gender, sexual, racial, ethnic identity and community contexts, such as stigmatization and cultural pride. In line with the purposes of open science, their goal is to promote greater inclusivity and representation of diverse experiences in clinical science.
Email: belle@mail.smu.edu
CV
Research Assistants
Mary-Kate Bennett
Mary-Kate Bennett (she/her) is a junior from The Woodlands, TX. She is a part of the University Honors Program and is majoring in psychology with minors in neuroscience and cognitive science. After finishing her undergraduate degree, Mary-Kate plans to pursue a masters degree in clinical psychology and her specific interests include personality, psychopathology, and criminal psychology. She's involved with many organizations on campus such as Mental Health Matters, Alpha Chi Omega, Psi Chi, University Honors Program, and STUMO. Additionally, she works as an academic tutor for high school students and plays classical piano in her free time.
Jane Kalinina
Jane Kalinina (she/her) is a sophomore from Rockwall, TX. She is majoring in Psychology, minoring in neuroscience, and pursuing the distinction program in psychology. After earning a BS in Psychology, she plans to pursue an advanced degree in psychology in graduate school. She is interested in the connection between personality and psychopathology, especially depression and anxiety.
Kaitlyn Polhemus
Kaitlyn Polhemus (she/her) is a junior from Las Vegas, NV. She is majoring in psychology with minors in cognitive science and anthropology. Kaitlyn’s academic journey is fueled by her passion for understanding the human mind and behavior. Her interests in the field of psychology include forensic and criminal psychology, personality, and psychopathology. After undergrad, Kaitlyn hopes to attend graduate school and eventually work as a forensic or criminal psychologist.
Lab Alumni
