J*****a
About Candidate
I’m a researcher with a background in neuroscience, psychology, and user experience. I’ve conducted everything from lab experiments and data analysis to interviews, usability testing, journey mapping, and mixed-method studies. I’m comfortable conducting independent research, managing recruiting, writing discussion guides, coordinating with stakeholders, and turning findings into clear, actionable insights.
What drives me is turning research into actionable insights that inform decisions and solve real-world problems. I love connecting the dots between data and people, making sure my findings are both useful and impactful!
Nationality
Location
Education
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill) is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It is a highly selective university with an acceptance rate typically around 20–25% and consistently ranks among the top public universities in the U.S. for academic quality, research output, and student satisfaction. As a student, I achieved the following: - CHispA Member - Hispanic Scholarship Fund Winner - Work-Study Scholar - Lab Research Assistant & Volunteer - UX Research Senior Project. - 2019 Renwick Award - Academic Excellence Award - Winner of 2020 Lindquist Undergraduate Research Award
Work & Experience
- Leads user research initiatives to support creatives and career changers in building personal brands through optimized portfolios, resumes, and personal websites. - Conducts usability audits and user research to improve information architecture, content clarity, and user experience across digital assets. - Mentors aspiring UX professionals by offering career guidance, portfolio feedback, and job search strategies. - Collaborates on creative direction and user-centered content strategy to enhance Bald Monk’s service offerings and client experience. - Advocates for accessible, people-first design approaches that align with Bald Monk’s mission of affordability and empowerment.
-Spearheaded mixed-methods internal and Client research initiatives through methodologies including user interviews, surveys, cognitive walkthroughs, and workshops. - Independently performs analysis and synthesis of user research data, translating findings into comprehensive reports. - Championed UX Research Operations improvements, developing standardized research templates, organizing centralized repositories, and developing and executing onboarding trainings. - Evangelized User Experience, leading UX workshops and developing educational materials distributed company-wide. - Implemented Condens tagging tool, reducing analysis time by up to 75%. - Leveraged DanswerAI and advanced prompting techniques to optimize data synthesis and sentiment analysis for large-scale UX research projects, improving analysis efficiency and accuracy. - Collaborated with AI Lead to analyze feedback from 137,414 users, utilizing AI-driven sentiment analysis, thematic categorization, and statistical breakdowns, supplemented by manual verification, to identify key themes influencing user satisfaction.
- Member of the LNNA (LexisNexis North America) Legal & Professional team. Conducted qualitative and quantitative research for legal products within the Primary Law portfolio. Transitioned from contract Associate User Researcher to full-time User Researcher level 1 in under one year. - Led comprehensive qualitative and quantitative research initiatives to enhance the usability of the Primary Law portfolio, employing methods such as user interviews, surveys, and data analysis. - Collaborated cross-functionally with product and design teams to develop user-centered legal research tools, directly contributing to the successful redesign of the primary law experience. - Conducted user research on the Brief Analysis feature in Lexis+, an AI-powered tool that extracts legal concepts and citation patterns, recommends case law and treatises, highlights Shepard’s treatment and at-risk citations, and offers similar briefs within a streamlined dashboard experience. - Evaluated how legal professionals engaged with these insights, including case recommendations, highlighted passages, and comparative analysis, to ensure accuracy, trust, and workflow alignment. - Recognized with the 2022 LexisNexis Product Excellence Award for research contributions to the redesign of the Shepard’s History Map.
- Selected to be the Summer of 2020's only User Experience Research Intern for Viget, a design agency that creates digital products and experiences that inspire customers and advance businesses. - Conducted cognitive walkthroughs, heuristic evaluations, and tree testing for a local nonprofit to improve website navigation and user experience - Led UX research for a group project developing an app aimed at eco-conscious consumers measuring environmental impact - Collaborated with designers and developers to translate research findings into actionable design recommendations - Gained hands-on experience with mixed-method research and user testing techniques in a fast-paced agency setting
- Assisted with lab research on inter-neural populations and their possible ability to moderate adult hippocampal neurogenesis. - Collected and analyzed qualitative and quantitative data using statistical and thematic analysis methods. - Collaborated with cross-disciplinary teams, honing skills in communication and stakeholder alignment. - Developed proficiency in research tools and methodologies, fostering adaptability and critical thinking. Skills: Animal Handling, Animal Dissection & Perfusion, Animal Behavioral Analysis, Slide Mounting, Buffer Creation, Microscopy & Cell-Counting, Scientific Method, Cryosectioning, Gel Electrophoresis
- Co-researched neural response to inflammation and stress in an effort to interpret sickness behavior in mice. - Designed research studies to address key questions. - Collected and analyzed qualitative and quantitative data using statistical and thematic analysis methods. - Managed study logistics to ensure smooth execution. - Collaborated with cross-disciplinary teams, honing skills in communication and stakeholder alignment. - Developed proficiency in research tools and methodologies, fostering adaptability and critical thinking. Skills: Animal Handling, Animal Dissection & Perfusion, Animal Behavioral Analysis, Slide Mounting, Buffer Creation, Microscopy & Cell-Counting, Buffer Creation, Cryosectioning, Scientific Method
