I am a PhD (Psychology) candidate at the School of Medicine and Psychology, ANU College of Health and Medicine. Over the past six years, I have dedicated myself to mentoring undergraduate psychology students in the Philippines. Before pursuing my PhD at ANU, I was a lecturer at the Department of Psychology at the University of San Carlos (Philippines) and the University of Southern Philippines Foundation.

I am a licensed psychometrician and HIV counselor in the Philippines, and I completed my master’s degree in clinical psychology at the University of San Carlos (Philippines) and my bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of Southern Philippines Foundation.

As a researcher, I use my social activist lens to understand how inequities have shaped health outcomes among multiply marginalized populations across cultures. I have had the opportunity to publish our peer-reviewed works in the following journals: Qualitative Health Research, Culture & Psychology, PLOS Mental Health, International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, International Perspectives in Psychology: Research, Practice, Consultation, Journal of Communication in Healthcare, and Medical Care Research and Review.

You can access my CV here. 

My current research focuses on critical health community psychology, with an emphasis on health conditions associated with stigma, such as HIV and mental health. Using a cross-cultural lens, I investigate the experiences of multiple marginalized populations, including the LGBTQIA+ community and Indigenous Peoples. My work examines how individuals within and across cultures make health decisions amid inequities and stigma and how these experiences shape their health outcomes.

My research spans diverse areas, from analyzing health communications across cultures to investigating stigma and moralization in Australia, Hong Kong, and the Philippines. I have explored the intricacies of HIV stigma in the Philippines and the cultural markers of COVID-19 stigma in Indonesia and the Philippines. Additionally, I examine experiences of stigma among Indigenous students in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

Currently, my work focuses on the experiences of Southeast Asian LGBTQ+ researchers and activists, as well as the mental health and research landscape among the queer community in Southeast Asia. For my PhD, I am exploring how intersectionality can be applied to lived experience leadership in HIV and mental health service provisions among gay and bisexual men, aiming to address their syndemic conditions.

Licensed Psychometrician 0005775 (Philippines)