Current Lab Members
Dr. Sturm
Dr. Sturm is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Loyola Marymount University and she is the founder and principal investigator of the M3 Lab. Dr. Sturm is a quantitative methodologist and developmental psychologist whose research focuses on the use of large, and often combined, databases (i.e., big data) to address issues of measurement and the impact of heterogeneity on cognitive and psychosocial outcomes in autism research. Her more recent work involves collaborative efforts with autistic self-advocates to conduct mixed-methods research studies that aim to understand the lived experiences of autistic adults. Dr. Sturm received her doctorate from the University of California, Los Angeles in Human Development and Psychology with a concentration in quantitative methodology and psychometrics. She is passionate about teaching, mentoring students, and conducting research that aims to inform and support the lived experiences of autistic individuals through autistic-partnered research. She is also the perpetually tired, but fulfilled, mom of a two-year old boy who keeps her on her toes!
Angie
Angie Matar has been a part of Sturm Lab since the end of her sophomore year in April 2023. Throughout her time in lab she has worked in coding in R, graphic design, and literature review. Recently she presented research at the Undergraduate Symposium, presenting a data analysis conducted over the Summer of 2023. The data analysis utilized demographic, standardized testing, and enrollment data from LAUSD between the years 1998-2023. Angie has also helped with an autistic women’s health project and, most recently, a menstruation and cognition project. Angie is also working on an Honor’s Thesis discussing the well-being of college students and loneliness.
Major(s): Psychological Science
Minor(s): Studio Art; Statistics & Data Science
Class of 2025
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelina-matar-592b1b265/
Ava
Ava Nariman, a new addition to the Sturm Lab, is a rising senior studying Psychology and Health and Society with a special interest in health-related disparities. She has been working on an autistic women’s health data project analyzing sensory experiences and generating themes across qualitative data. In addition, she is involved in a current DEI project related to the women’s health data that utilizes geographic information systems (GIS), and, as of most recently, a menstruation and cognition project. Ava has also been awarded with the Ellen Barreto Research Fellowship, an opportunity to explore and carry out an independent research project; her study aims to examine the intersecting role of anxiety, socioeconomic-related stress in socioeconomic status on gastrointestinal symptoms. She plans to present her findings at the 2025 Research Symposium.
Major(s): Psychological Science
Minor(s): Health & Society
Class of 2025
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ava-nariman-ab3a4a211/
