Sheila has worked and volunteered with several non-profits. From women's health in developing countries, to environmental consulting, to career opportunities for those with barriers to employment: her work has allowed her to facilitate the growth of many worthy organizations. Her mission is “helping the helpers.”

Christina is a recent graduate from the University of Southern Maine. She graduated with a B.S. in human biology with a minor in biochemistry. Her family is originally from South Sudan but immigrated here when she was younger and Christina grew up right here in Portland, Maine. She enjoys community engagement and trying to better serve her community while also finding time to grow closer to those around her. She has a passion for sports, anything adventurous, and learning more about mental health. 

Dr. Asia Eaton is a feminist social psychologist and interim Executive Director of Mindbridge. Her research explores how gender intersects with identities such as race, sexual orientation, and class to affect individuals’ access to and experience with power. For example, she has published work on intersectional discrimination in academia and the workplace, as well as power dynamics in diverse intimate partner relationships. She is a compulsive baker, has a new-found love of strength-training, and is a single mom of two.

Laura is the Founder and original Executive Director and Founder of Mindbridge. Laura’s interest in the intersection of neuroscience and human rights emerged at the Saxelab Social Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory at MIT, where neurobiological research often sought to understand the biological underpinnings of implicit bias, inter-ethnic social conflict, violence and conversely collective empowerment and change. Laura’s work on inter-ethnic social conflict sought to elucidate the bidirectional, mutual constitution of culture and neurobiological processes that give rise to bias, discrimination and violence. Today, Laura integrates the latest in neuropsychological research in support of human rights worldwide using neuroscience and psychology to uncover the mechanisms underlying bias, racism, disinformation and extremism. Laura also teaches at the University of Southern Maine. 

Andrea, at heart, is an educator and lover of the Earth. She is passionate about systems that support the environment, including people, while working at the intersection of environmental sustainability, education, and justice. Her background blends secondary science education and restorative justice, creating space for young people to explore identity and belonging through scientific discovery. At Mindbridge, Andrea finds joy in the connections – building relationships through human rights work while threading science, wonder, and care throughout. When not working, you can find Andrea playing in the mountains, swimming in a lake near her home in western Maine, or baking endless batches of muffins.

Briana is a human rights activist and neuroscientist. Her academic training has focused on understanding the influence of environment, age, and substance misuse on the brain and behavior. Her experiences have also been in communicating data and understanding the ways in science can better serve the public. Outside of her career, Briana remains committed to active volunteering and social justice efforts. She is a steadfast believer in championing equality in and outside of the U.S., and can usually be found in her reading nook or curled up with a good video game.

Victoria is a personality and social psychologist and works as a Research Scientist at Mindbridge. Her research background draws on theories from personality psychology, interpersonal relationship science, and human intelligence to understand how people reason about others and use this understanding to facilitate smoother interpersonal relationship dynamics. Victoria is excited to utilize her psychology background to address social justice issues – that is, to understand the “human” in human rights issues and how this knowledge can help address critical problems faced by those from marginalized communities. In her free time, Victoria enjoys cooking, gardening, and, depending on the season, hiking or skiing.  

Tyler is a multi‑passionate communicator with academic roots in communications and women’s studies, motivated by one through‑line: connection. Her experience spans nonprofit development, civic leadership, and creative and experiential collaboration. She expanded community-based nonprofits into regional outdoor education networks. During her seven years as an elected public official, she guided her local public school district through pandemic-era crisis communications while building frameworks and policy for equity and belonging. Tyler is a Mainer at heart and finds medicine in the Atlantic whenever possible.

Alex is the Research Assistant for the Mindbridge Research and Evaluation Department. She graduated from the University of Maine in 2025, receiving her BA in Psychology with minors in Neuroscience and Philosophy. She has spent many years studying how White Christian Nationalism promotes and perpetuates racism and transphobia in the United States, as well as studying how Second Generation Iranian Americans (like herself) find belonging in the United States. She has also researched interventions for youth suicidality focusing on rural and transgender mental health. 

Alex is from Downeast Maine. When not researching, she is knitting, gardening, or visiting her long-distance partner and friends! In the long term, she will return to school to get a doctorate degree in the field, continue her research, and work with folks with diverse backgrounds.

Christine is a Buddhologist, writer, and philanthropic advisor living in Maine. She holds an MA in Modern Languages from the University of St Andrews, a MPhil in Modern South Asian Studies from Oxford University, and a PhD in Religious Studies from University of California, Santa Barbara. Her first novel, NOTES ON SURVIVING THE FIRE, is forthcoming from Knopf/Penguin Random House in February, 2025.

Emily is the Social Media Coordinator at Mindbridge, formerly a member of the Mindbridge Research team. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of New England (UNE) and is currently pursuing a master’s degree from the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University. Emily’s research background is in social psychology with a strong focus on topics related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). She previously worked as a research assistant in the Self and Close Relationships Lab and interned with her university’s Office of Community, Equity, and Diversity as an undergraduate student. Her interdisciplinary approach supports her passion for meaningful engagement and social impact on human rights issues. When Emily has a break from work, she’s an avid world traveler who enjoys photography, painting, and cozy nights in reading romantasy or thriller novels!

Ranuka is a senior Psychology major with a Marketing minor at Florida International University. As a first-generation international student from Pakistan, her interests span Al and gender equality, workplace psychology, cultural trends, shame, crime against women, and systems of patriarchy and matriarchy. She is also passionate about the psychology of intimacy and sexual pleasure.

Camille is a French psychology student at the University of Paris Nanterre, specializing in political psychology. She currently works at Mindbridge as a Communication and Research Intern. Alongside her degree, she also contributes to several research projects on ideological polarization, antecedents of feminist collective action, and the psychological and political dynamics of post-conflict societies. Her main academic interests include political reconciliation, post-conflict reconstruction, and the prevention of humiliation, torture, and gender-based violence as tools of war, with a focus on transitional and restorative justice.

Fluent in French, English, and Spanish, she is now learning Norwegian and Arabic. Passionate about cultural diversity, she travels extensively and devotes much of her free time to cinema and film photography.