Our Team

Sylvia Herbozo, Ph.D.
Founder & President

As a bilingual, Latina psychologist, Dr. Herbozo conducts pre-surgical evaluations and post-surgical interventions with a focus on monolingual Spanish speaking patients in the Bariartic Surgery program at Rush University Medical Center. She is also the director of the Body Image and Eating Behaviors lab. She was recently awarded a healthy equity grant to examine socioeconomic, cultural, and psychological factors influencing weight regain in Latinos after bariatric surgery. As an educator, Dr. Herbozo is invested in both clinical and research training for students. Dr. Herbozo is also a member of various professional organizations, including the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery where she serves on the Diversity and Inclusion committee.

Dr. Herbozo has a passion for training and mentoring students pursuing careers in mental health, particularly Latino students. She founded PLANS with the vision of increasing the representation of Latinos in Clinical and Counseling Psychology at the doctoral level. She values her Peruvian heritage and addresses cultural issues in both clinical and research work.

Dr. Herbozo completed her undergraduate training in Psychology at the University of Central Florida. She completed her doctoral training in Clinical and Counseling Psychology at the University of South Florida, followed by an internship in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Chicago, and a postdoctoral fellowship in the Program for Obesity, Weight, and Eating Research at Yale University.

Yasmin Asvat, Ph.D.
Vice President

In her clinical role, Dr. Asvat provides psychological support services to cancer patients and survivors both in the outpatient clinic and inpatient hospital settings. She is a multi-cultural (Latina, Indian, Muslim) and bilingual (Spanish, English) psychologist who is passionate about promoting equity in access to psychological services in oncology. Dr. Asvat’s research interestes include psychological and behavioral factors that impact coping and adjustment to cancer, and the development, evaluation, and dissemination of interventions that promote physical and psychological well-being among cancer patients and survivors. She is a member of the American Psychosocial Oncology Society, where she has served as a member in the Professional Education Committee and Program Planning Chair.

Dr. Asvat completed her undergraduate training in Psychology and English at the University of Toronto, followed by a Master’s degree in Psychology at San Diego State University. She completed her doctoral training in Clinical Psychology at the University of South Florida and the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, followed by an internship in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Chicago, and a postdoctoral fellowship in psychosocial oncology in the Department of Behavioral Sciences at Rush University Medical Center.

Isabel Quiñones, M.S.
Program Intern

Isabel is currently a Health Psychology intern in the Department of Behavioral Sciences at Rush University Medical Center. At Rush, she continues to provide psychological support services both in the outpatient clinic and inpatient hospital settings in both Spanish and English. Isabel is a member of the Body Image and Eating Behaviors Lab under the direction of Dr. Herbozo. In addition, as part of the Eating Behavior Lab at Illinois Institute of Technology, Isabel is conducting research on eating pathology assessment and prevention with a focus on the Latino population.

Isabel completed her undergraduate training in Psychology at the University of Michigan, followed by a Master’s degree in Psychology at Illinois Institute of Technology. She hopes to complete her doctoral training in Clinical Psychology at Illinois Institute of Technology in Spring 2024 and then move on to a postdoctoral position. Isabel plans to continue serving the Latino community through her clinical and research career. As a proud Latina, she hopes to use her experiences in helping others achieve their goals in the mental health field.

Ramiro Angelino, B.S.
Research Assistant

Ramiro is a recent graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts and Sciences. He majored in Clinical/Community Psychology and minored in Criminology, Law and Society. Prior to U of I, he attended McHenry County College where he graduated with his Associate of Arts in Psychology.

During his undergraduate training, Ramiro participated in various research and clinical activities. At McHenry County College, he was involved in the Undergraduate Research Scholar Program where he performed independent research on “Challenges in Recognizing Latino Depression”. At U of I, he was an undergraduate research assistant for Dr. Catharine Fairbairn’s Alcohol Research Laboratory in the Department of Psychology. In this lab, he investigated social-emotional rewards that contributes to heavy alcohol consumption. Simultaneously, he performed independent research with a doctoral candidate, Marielisbet Perez, on intergenerational mentoring and its function in a transfer receptive culture at a predominantly White Institution.

Ramiro plans to continue working with underrepresented communities through his clinical and research endeavors. He hopes to continue inspiring other students to pursue their careers, whether it is in medicine, law, public policy, education, psychology, or other fields.

Melanie Grad-Freilich
Program Development Intern

Melanie Grad-Freilich is a doctoral student pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical and Developmental Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. Melanie completed her undergraduate training in Psychology with a concentration in Neuroscience at Yale University with Dr. BJ Casey and subsequently completed a post-baccalaureate position at Harvard University with Dr. Leah Somerville.

Now as a part of the Families, Emotions, Neuroscience & Development lab at the University of Pittsburgh and advised by Drs. Jennifer Silk and Cecile Ladouceur, she focuses on interpersonal adversity and psychopathology in adolescence using behavioral and neuroimaging methods.  

In her clinical and research career she hopes to focus on youth who experience interpersonal adversity at an individual and structural level. As a proud bilingual Latina, she hopes to broaden the psychotherapy resources available to Spanish-speaking members of her current community in Pittsburgh and incorporate community outreach into her future clinical practice.

Laura Rosado Philippi
Social Media Coordinator

Laura Rosado Philippi is a sophomore double majoring in Psychology and Anthropology with a minor in Latin American and Latino Studies at Fordham University's Rose Hill Campus. On track to graduate in May 2026, she aims to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree. Laura's post-graduation aspirations include pursuing doctoral training in either Clinical Psychology or Developmental Psychology.

As a born and raised Puerto Rican woman, Laura has firsthand experience of the challenges faced by her community in accessing psychological services. Her move to the US after high school accentuated the disparities in mental health resources. Laura is dedicated to combating the stigma surrounding mental health in Latinx communities. She aspires to work within non-profit organizations and community service projects focused on addressing these issues.

Laura actively contributes to her university's multicultural affairs committees, particularly the Latine Heritage and Women's HERstory initiatives. Recently, she co-founded the Puerto Rican Student Association at Fordham, aiming to strengthen ties between her community and the university.

Excited to be part of the PLANS team, Laura intends to integrate her passion for psychology with her interests in marketing and communications to advocate for mental health awareness effectively.

Darlene Campos
Social Media Manager

Darlene is a senior at Clark University on track to graduate in May 2024 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Sociology. After graduating, she will be an incoming graduate student at Lehigh University pursuing a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology. Her research will focus on Latinx mental health as well as youth interventions as they relate to ethnic-racial identity development.

During her undergraduate training, Darlene participated in various research and off-campus activities. At Clark University, she was an undergraduate research assistant for Dr. Amy Heberle. In her lab, she investigated the feasibility and acceptability of a parent intervention study in which white parents engaged in anti-racist parenting through a mixed methods study. Additionally, she has served as both coordinator and facilitator for the Latina Achievers in Search of Success (LASOS) youth program at the Latino Education Institute at Worcester State University. 

Darlene is excited to join the PLANS teams and looks forward to disseminating valuable information to other passionate, future Latine clinical/counseling students.