Umara Hansen

Umara Hansen (she/her) is a fourth-year doctoral candidate in the School Psychology program at UC Berkeley. She graduated with highest honours, Summa Cum Laude, with a B.Sc. in Psychology from the University of Ottawa, where she conducted fMRI-based research on the impact of stress on well-being. Before graduate school, Umara served as Outreach Lead for Anxiety Canada and contributed as a research assistant in multiple labs across Canada and the United States, including the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Lab at the University of British Columbia and the Stress and Development Lab at Harvard University. At UC Berkeley, Umara has built a broad range of professional and mentorship experience. She has taught Clinical Psychology in the Academic Talent Development Program (ATDP) for the past two summers, provided peer support services, and worked as a Graduate Tutor.

Her research centers on trauma-informed practices in schools, guided by a developmental ecological systems framework that recognizes each individual as embedded within interconnected environments. Over the past two years, she has worked with youth from diverse backgrounds in school and clinical settings. Her dissertation investigates the intersection of ADHD and trauma-related symptoms, with a particular focus on how early childhood maltreatment affects girls with ADHD and contributes to long-term outcomes such as interpersonal functioning, occupational success, and quality of life. She examines mediators and moderators including parenting practices, social relationships, executive functioning, and attachment.

Umara’s long-term goal is to bridge research and practice by developing effective, culturally responsive interventions within school and family systems to mitigate adversity and promote positive development. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the California coast through running, surfing, sailing, and hiking.