Calarge Lab Members

As a physician scientist with interest in child and adolescent psychiatry, I have focused my research on examining the long-term effects of psychiatric medications in youth on health, including weight and development, bone health, and iron regulation. I have also been interested in the intersection between psychiatric conditions and psychiatric medications with regard to how each might affect these outcomes and how genetic factors would influence them as well. This includes the role of the gut bacteria in health and illness. The hope is to better understand psychiatric disorders and be able to offer a safer way to treat them. 

I’ve been in the research field for 11+ years and have had the privilege of working with Dr. Chadi Calarge since 2016! The years speak to my passion for the important work we do here. With a Master’s in Counseling (M.Ed.), I’m dedicated to improving mental health, especially for kids and underserved populations. As the lab manager, I ensure our studies run smoothly by overseeing protocols, training staff, and managing our dataset. I’m also involved in creating new protocols and ensuring our research is carried out efficiently and effectively. When opportunities arise, I enjoy attending conferences to stay up to date on various topics like depression, anxiety, OCD, and suicide.

When I’m not in the lab, I’m all about photography! Capturing the shot that inspires a funny, witty, insightful, or mysterious title is my favorite part of this hobby. I hope all our research families enjoy participating in our studies as much as we enjoy working with them!

Hi, I’m Sasha! I’m a Research Coordinator II with four years of experience at the lab, where I started as a student helper and grew into my current role. I manage a range of responsibilities, including participant recruitment and conducting research visits. I earned my B.S. in Psychology from the University of Houston in 2023, and I am particularly interested in mood disorders and their relationship to menstrual cycles. Outside of work, I enjoy reading, working out, attending concerts, and watching movies.

Hi! My name is Juhi Bhatt, and I am one of the assistant clinical research coordinators and have been with the Calarge lab for about three years! I graduated with a B.S. in Public Health from the University of Houston in 2021, Go Coogs! As part of the lab, I assist with sample collection, recruitment efforts, conducting research visits and have had the chance to work on multiple studies over my time here! Outside of the lab, I enjoy exploring the Houston food scene, photography, and doing volunteer work!

Hello! My name is Stephanie Dinh, and I am the Senior Data Analyst for the Calarge lab. I received both my M.S. in Statistics and Data Science and B.S. in Mathematical Biology from UH. I started with the lab in 2021 and take care of the back-end data matters for all the different studies we conduct here. In my free time I like to read, play games, and spend time with my family/friends!

Hi, I’m Aranza, and I am Research Coordinator II with the Calarge Lab. I graduated from Texas A&M University in 2024 with a B.S. in psychology and worked in different developmental psychology research labs throughout my time there as well as volunteering for the Helpline. This led me to becoming really interested in learning more about internalizing disorders such as depression and anxiety. As a research coordinator for the lab, I mostly work on recruiting new families to participate in our research and run the research visits. Outside of the lab, I like to read, sing, and play video games.

Hello! My name is Ana Romero, I joined at the beginning of December of 2024 and am an assistant research coordinator with the Calarge Lab. I help out with prepping for visits, processing samples, and data organization. I graduated from the University of Houston in the Spring of 2025 with my bachelor's degree in Psychology and a minor in Biology. I love going to concerts and trying new food/boba places in the Houston area.

My name is Temesgen Bihonegn, and I am a postdoctoral associate researcher in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences department. I earned an M.S. in Applied Mathematics from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, and a Ph.D. in Mathematics and Statistics, specializing in Geometric Analysis in Medical Imaging, from Masaryk University, Czech Republic. I recently joined the Calarge Lab to contribute to research on quantitative susceptibility mapping and further develop my expertise during my postdoctoral training.
In my free time, I enjoy swimming, traveling, watching science documentaries, and spending quality time with family and friends.

Hi! My name is Deyala Abousaad, and I joined the Calarge Lab in July 2025 and I am an assistant research coordinator. I’m currently majoring in Biomedical Sciences with minors in Medicine & Society and Creative Works at the University of Houston, where I plan to graduate in May 2026. I’m really interested in pediatrics and helping families better understand their health and care. Through my experiences as a Medical Assistant and with the University of Houston’s CHWI, I’ve become passionate about promoting health literacy and making healthcare more approachable for everyone. I love spending time with my friends, especially when we get caught up in endless rounds of Would You Rather questions.

My name is Ali Hobballah, and I am a postdoctoral researcher in Psychiatry. I earned a B.A. in Psychology and an M.D. degree from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. I plan on pursuing residency training in Psychiatry, and I hold a particular interest in the intersection of neuroscience and mental health, which led me to the Calarge Lab, where I study how psychiatric conditions and their treatments influence the body and brain. In my free time, I enjoy playing and watching soccer, exploring different parts of the world, trying new food places, and staying active through fitness and outdoor activities.