Ivanova is a Fulbright scholar from the Dominican Republic and a graduate student in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Rice University as part of the Health Psychology & Behavioral Medicine and Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience programs. They received their B.A. in Clinical Psychology from Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE), Dominican Republic. Their research interests are regarding the neurocognitive and psychophysiological effects of stress, discrimination, and negative life situations within marginalized communities. Specifically, in the way these experiences impact health and wellbeing. They are also interested in possible actions that can be taken in order to prevent and/or mitigate these effects.