Junye (Alex) Ma

BA in Psychology, BA in Japanese Linguistics, UB;
PhD student, Clinical Psychology

My time as an undergraduate Psychology major at UB prepared me well for a research career. I am indebted to the incredible support from the Psychology Department—I gained hands-on research experience, ranging from quantitative data analyses to manuscript preparation. The Psychology Honors Program was especially helpful for my scientific writing skills, benefitting me to this day. I highly recommend that current psychology students at UB learn about the Honors Program and explore opportunities to transform classroom knowledge into hands-on experiences. My training at UB helped me gain admission to a research-focused MA program to advance my knowledge in LGBTQ+ health. Currently, I am a PhD student in Clinical Psychology, and my research focuses on structural determinants of sexual health disparities (e.g., HIV prevention/treatment) among LGBTQ+ people of color. It is my goal to develop, evaluate, and implement culturally sensitive HIV interventions for LGBTQ+ people of color.