Sheba Aikawa is currently working on her Ph.D. in Social Psychology at the University of Colorado Boulder under the guidance of Dr. Evava Pietri. She previously obtained a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University at Albany, SUNY, and a Master’s degree from New York University. Broadly, Sheba’s research explores how having multiple identities (e.g., race, gender) can intersect to impact feelings of trust and inclusion as well as stereotyping and mistreatment across multiple domains (i.e., mental healthcare, academia). Specifically, she is examining what factors promote welcoming spaces and how negative stereotypes may lead to hostile environments for Black women. In her first line of research, she is testing how to engender feelings of trust in mental healthcare for Black people, using targeted health messaging and identity-safety cues. As a Graduate Research Assistant for Girls Like Us, Sheba is motivated to create positive change through her research by continuously using her lived experiences and research skills to communicate the importance of diverse perspectives and racial and ethnic questions.