Biography

Growing up in Goiânia, Brazil, I witnessed how structural and social determinants often triggered and perpetuated psychological distress. As an undergraduate at Harvard, I directed my passion for psychology toward understanding how mental illness stigma impacts help-seeking and service use among the largest cohort of Brazilian youth at high risk for mental illness. My honors thesis findings revealed that youth who endorsed more stigma were significantly less likely to seek and receive treatment. At Cambridge, I aim to build on this work with Dr. Sharon Neufeld to answer key questions: Do mental health services improve outcomes among youth? Which services are most effective, for whom, and under what conditions? In collaboration with people with lived experience, clinicians, and policymakers, I hope to inform service provision in low- and middle-income countries. As the first from my state to study at Harvard College, and now the first Gates Cambridge Scholar, I feel a strong responsibility to use my opportunities to improve the well-being of those often left out of research and policy. I’m deeply grateful to join a community of diverse changemakers who will keep inspiring me to pursue this mission.

Previous Education

University of Oxford Psychology
Harvard University Psychology