Umara Hansen

Umara Hansen (she/her/hers) is a first year doctoral student in the School Psychology program at UC Berkeley. Umara attended the University of Ottawa, Canada and graduated with the highest distinction of Honours in Psychology, BSc where she studied the impact of stress on wellbeing through fMRI measures. Prior to graduate school, Umara worked as a research assistant in a variety of research labs throughout Canada and the United States, including the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Lab at the University of British Columbia and the Stress and the Development Lab at Harvard University. Umara has spent her past few years working as an outreach lead for Anxiety Canada supporting a diverse group of youth across the nation, and as an executive activities coordinator with Best Buddies Canada helping those with intellectual and developmental disabilities to promote inclusivity within the community.

Umara is interested in bridging the gap between the home and school environment through exploring how teachers and parents can work together to create a supportive and nurturing school climate where educators can help their students regain control, foster resilience and encourage positive growth regardless of the turbulent home environment they have been reared in. Specifically, Umara is interested in exploring how the school environment can buffer against the ill effects of toxic stress and adversity through supportive networks and a positive teacher-student relationship.