Dr. Tess Z Griffin, PhD, MEd
Tess is a research coordinator and works with Dr. Nicholas Jacobson on the Tracking Depression Study, a study utilizing passive sensing and EMA data to help predict changes in an individual’s depressive symptoms across short periods of time. Prior to joining the lab, Tess studied evolution of the HIV genome in the brain and its impact on molecular-level changes in the brain, including identification of signaling pathways shared by both HIV-1 and glioblastoma multiforme, the most common primary brain tumor in adults.
Tess has also worked in the field of science education developing technology-based STEM programs for K-12 teachers and students. As a Latina, she is especially interested in delivering quality educational resources to underserved communities. Her work in education has spanned from creating hands-on teaching programs in astronomy for use in community centers throughout Boston, to supporting teachers in rural areas of Peru in their use of technology to learn from and collaborate with one another.
Tess’s hope is to keep finding new ways of applying her skills and interests in psychology, education, and technology to positively impact the lives of others, and she is excited to continue growing in this effort as part of the Jacobson Lab and the CTBH community.