Faculty Members
Colette (Coco) Auerswald, MD, MS(link is external)
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Hometown: Washington D.C.
Coco is a Professor of Community Health Sciences in the School of Public Health. She is a pediatrician and specialist in adolescent medicine. She is the co-Director/co-Founder of i4Y (Innovations for Youth(link is external)(link is external)), a collaborative academic/community hub committed to improving youth wellbeing through structural change. For the last twenty-seven years, she has studied the social determinants of wellbeing among historically marginalized youth, particularly youth experiencing homelessness. She is committed to working in partnership with communities in ways that prioritize youth voice and partnership in research.
Postdoctoral Researchers
Benjamin Parry
Pronouns: He/him/his
Hometown: St. Albans, UK
Ben holds a PhD in sports psychology, applying his expertise to community-based settings, specifically within a youth development program for young people experiencing homelessness. His applied and scholarly research is grounded in strengths-based approaches, intervention science, and psychological theories. In a previous postdoctoral role, Ben specialized in youth development leadership, partnering with various youth organizations to complete program evaluations, managing community-based research initiatives, and teaching youth development classes. Currently, as a postdoctoral researcher with the YAAH team, Ben is continuing his early research path of conducting research that promotes engagement with and serves young people experiencing homelessness. As a mixed methods researcher, Ben values participatory qualitative data collection methods and is dedicated to community-informed program evaluations.
Laura Petry
Pronouns: She/her
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
Laura Petry is a postdoctoral scholar on the evaluation of California's Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Youth Set-Aside funds. She has over a decade of experience working alongside and in service to youth experiencing homelessness, from direct services and program development to policy implementation and community-engaged research. Laura holds a PhD in Social Work from the University of Southern California, where her research focused on the socio-environmental and structural factors associated with couch-surfing and transactional sex among young adults experiencing homelessness.
Graduate Students
Emma Hui Hu
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: China
Major: Social Work
I am a Visiting Research Student at the YAAH Lab and a PhD candidate at the University of Hong Kong. My research focuses on enhancing the mental health and well-being of vulnerable and underserved children and youth. I am currently investigating school-based strategies to improve digital well-being among adolescents in rural schools, along with teachers’ social-emotional competencies and mindfulness-based interventions. At the YAAH Lab, I am excited to engage in research projects and learn from the lab’s work with youth experiencing homelessness. In my free time, I enjoy reading and traveling.
Jennifer Pham
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: West Covina, CA
Jennifer Pham is a Master of Public Policy student interested in education, youth development, and quantitative methods. Previously, she worked as a data analyst in the public sector, evaluating programs at the City of San Jose and the San Mateo County Office of Education to improve services for residents and students. At the lab, she works on population size estimates to provide a more accurate count of youth experiencing homelessness throughout California communities. Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematical and Computational Science with a minor in Education from Stanford University.
Amber Peake
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Albemarle, North Carolina
Major: Public Health
I am currently a third year undergraduate studying Public Health. I am part of the Cal ICH pod of the lab which focuses on evaluating programs and funding for youth experiencing homelessness. Outside of the lab, I volunteer at John Muir Medical Center on the medical surgical ICU and the mother baby recovery. I also volunteer with hospice and have an interest in end of life care and processes. I am passionate about providing access to care for underrepresented and marginalized populations along with women’s health. In my free time, I love to spend time with my family, hike, and experience live music!
Staff Members
Sahra Nawabi
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Hayward, California
Major: Sociology
Sahra, also known as the Youth advocate and Researcher, graduated from Chabot College in 2023 and strives to continue her education. She met YAAH through her current role at the Alameda's Youth Advisory Board (YAB), as Youth Lead where she works in partnership with currently and formerly unhoused youth to inform, advise, and take action on programs, projects, metrics and processes for our youth homeless responses system in the County. She has described the lab as an honor and opportunity of how it feels to work with evolving like-minded individuals who are actively working to evaluate and address the root cases of youth homelessness. In her free time she enjoys self care activities such as reading, skating, & baths.
Tessa Stapp
Pronouns: They/Them
Hometown: San Diego, California
Tessa Stapp holds a B.A. in Gender & Women’s Studies and Political Science from UC Berkeley. Their academic focus included feminist cultural studies and political psychology; with a strong emphasis on feminist research & ethics. Tessa has been a Berkeley Copwatch Organizer, Berkeley City Council Policy Aide, and a non-profit Program Coordinator in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco. Tessa has a proven track record of working with vulnerable and marginalized populations. As the YAAH Research Coordinator, Tessa views this role as continuing their long-term goal of leveraging research to support unhoused and marginalized community members. In their spare time; Tessa enjoys printmaking, hiking, visiting museums, and sitting in the sun.
Undergraduate Researchers
Shantel Bonet
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: East Bay Area, CA
Major: Interdisciplinary Studies (Business, Real Estate, and Law)
Shantel is a part of the Cal ICH team at the YAAH lab, and is triple majoring in Business, Real Estate, and Law at UC Berkeley. She has single-handedly written statewide curriculum for the CA YMCA Youth and Government Program, worked on three public media projects, and currently does Marketing for International House at UC Berkeley. She is committed to examining youth homelessness through a multidisciplinary lens and partnering with communities to prioritize underrepresented voices.
Natalie Cheng
Pronouns: she/they
Hometown: Corsicana, TX
Major: Public Health
I’m a fourth-year Public Health major, with a strong passion for community health and assisting underserved communities. As part of the Covenant House International (CHI) team, I contribute to scoping reviews and help collect and analyze focus group and survey data. Outside of the academic world, I love spending time tutoring kids in after-school programs and teaching English to students in Cambodia. However, when I am not busy, you’ll probably find me exploring new coffee shops or unwinding with some video games!
Kate Chung
Hometown: Pleasant Hill, California
Major: Statistics
I am a third-year undergraduate studying Statistics at UC Berkeley. I am a part of the Quant team of the YAAH lab which deals with the quantitative data regarding homelessness. I have always been passionate about advocating for affordable and accessible housing in the Bay Area. It has been a great privilege to participate in research that has such significant real-life impacts on housing equity. In my free time, I like to crochet and watch movies with friends and family.
Madison DeVries
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Major: Political Science and MCB
My name is Madison DeVries (she/her/hers). I am a third year studying Political Science and MCB. I am currently an officer within Suitcase Clinic and an intern with the California Department of Health. I have also participated in various legal organizations as I am particularly passionate about the intersection of healthcare and the legal field, especially as it impacts unhoused and LGBTQIA+ individuals. In my free time, I love to read and spend time with my siblings!
Thanh Nghiep Ong
Pronouns: He/Him
Hometown: Oakland, California
Major: Public Health
I am a third year transfer student studying Public Health. I am a part of the Internship & CAL ICH pod of the lab which focuses on qualitative data gathering/analysis. Outside of the lab, I am also part of AAPIHRG Cohort 17 research program and a neuroscience club. In my spare time, I love to hang out and play basketball with my friends. Additionally, I love to drink boba and try out new foods, so feel free to reach out if you have any questions or just want to spend time with me!
Jasleen Kang
Any Pronouns
Hometown: San Jose, CA
Major: Public Health
I'm currently a fourth-year undergrad studying Public Health. I'm a part of the Research & Dissemination pod of the lab which focuses on website development and infographic creation. Outside of the lab, I'm also a part of the Medical Section of Berkeley Free Clinic and participate in the Women's & Children's Clinic for Suitcase Clinic. I'm currently really interested in women’s health, with an emphasis on reproductive care. In my free time, I also love to crochet and read!
Jasmine Mah
Major: Sociology & Public Health
My name is Jasmine Mah and I am a junior studying Sociology and Public Health at Berkeley! In all my studies, I have always gravitated toward human rights advocacy, and I have always hoped to be able to exercise my privilege by helping those who are at a disadvantage. I still have so much to learn, but it is an honor being a part of a team that holds similar values!
Hazel Warner
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Major: Psychology
Hazel is currently a third-year undergraduate student majoring in Psychology and minoring in Global Poverty and Practice, with a focus on Public Health. Within the lab, she works on the Qualitative team of the Cal ICH project, as well as the Internship Team. She is also the Mental Health Chair for her sorority and is extremely passionate about making mental health resources more accessible to all. In her free time she likes to read, hike, and drink chai lattes!
We Love Our Alumni!
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Maddy Cuyler (she/her, Project Coordinator)
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Karen Esparza Lopez (she/her, Undergraduate Student Researcher)
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Claire Genese (she/her, Graduate Student Researcher)
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Silvana Larrea Schiavon (she/her/ella, Graduate Student Researcher)
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Nicole Sears (she/her, Undergraduate Student Researcher)
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Shukri Suhir (he/him/his, Undergraduate Student Researcher)
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Sydney Tucker (she/her, Graduate Student Researcher)