Principal Investigator
Dr. Alissa Mrazek
Alissa started her position as a Research Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at UT Austin in September 2020. Before joining the Longhorn community, she conducted a post-doctoral fellowship with Dr. Jonathan Schooler at UC Santa Barbara. Alissa completed her Ph.D. in 2016 at Northwestern University under the guidance of Dr. Dan Molden. She started appreciating the synergistic benefits of integrative interventions in grad school—particularly when combining mindset training with self-regulatory training. Though her love for interventions really began back in college. Alissa triple majored at Cornell University in 2010 and her honors thesis on altruism planted seeds of curiosity for how we could use psychological science to create lasting wellness for ourselves and others. She feels deeply grateful to spearhead a mission-focused lab aiming to improve the academic performance and mental health of teens across the country.
2026-2027 Undergraduate Research Assistants
Aishi Biswal
Aishi Biswal is a sophomore at UT Austin majoring in Public Health, with a minor in Health Care Reform and Innovation and a certificate in Spanish for Medical Professionals. She found the lab after using Finding Focus herself to cut down on phone use while studying. Aishi is interested in attention, behavior change, and health equity. Outside the lab, she works as an EMT and a crisis line specialist, and she co-founded EmpowerHER, a project that gets menstrual products to people in shelters and detention centers. When she’s off the clock, you’ll find her baking, running, doing yoga, or feeding ducks.
Contact Aishi at: ab86922 [at] my.utexas.edu
Rasika Krishna
Rasika is a junior at UT Austin majoring in Psychology and Anthropology. She is pursuing certificates in Core Texts & Ideas through the Jefferson Scholars Program and Children & Society through the Bridging Disciplines Program. Rasika is fascinated by children’s imagination and their understanding of abstract concepts, as well as the impact of stories on development. She is also deeply interested in children’s moral, emotional, and social learning, as well as expectations and achievement pressure, which led her to the Applied Psychology Lab and the Finding Focus Project. She is passionate about applied research that leads to direct, positive impact. After completing her undergraduate degree, Rasika plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology and become a professor running her own lab. Outside of the lab, she enjoys going to concerts, singing Carnatic classical music, and boba runs with her friends!
Contact Rasika at: rasikapriya.krishna [at] utexas.edu
Team Photos Over the Years
Elijah, Mayah, Alissa, Salta, Sydney, and Dustyn (2025)
Elijah presenting at the UT Austin Psychology Department’s Honors Thesis Poster Session! (2025)
Dustyn, Amy, Jessa, Alissa, and Julia —lab reunion on the Austin Hike and Bike trail! (2025)
Alissa, Amy, Dustyn, and Calvin at a lab event playing laser tag! (2025)
Daniella presenting at the UT Austin Psychology Honor’s Program Poster Session (2025)
Calvin, Amy, Dustyn, Mike and Alissa playing spikeball in Zilker Park (2024)
Mike, Calvin, Amy, Dustyn, Sydney, Elijah, and Alisa at Lab Meeting (2024)
Yaning, Elijah, and Angie presenting at the UT Austin Longhorn Research Poster Session (2024)
left to right —> Mike, Ruby, Alissa, Julia, Amy, Jessa, Yaning, Elijah (2023)
left to right —> Alissa, Jessa, Elijah, Angie, Mike, Julia, Yaning, Hannah (2023)
Iasha presenting at the UT Austin SURE program conference (2023)
Abigail and Angie at a conference presentation (2023)
left to right —> Ellie, Bailey, Aneka, Mike, Justine, Alissa, Alexander, Kat (2022)
left to right —> Mike, Kat, Aneka, Bailey, Alexander, Justine, Alissa (2022)