September 3, 2024
My Journey for My Research
Writing my research paper, Education's Role in Moderating Cultural and Religious Beliefs in Scientific Explanations of Mental Health, was one of the most challenging and rewarding projects I've worked on. I analyzed the Wellcome Global Monitor Mental Health dataset, spanning responses from over 100 countries, and learned R from scratch to clean data, run statistical analyses, and interpret results.
Working closely with my mentor, Dr. Nestor Lopez-Duran of the University of Michigan, I found that higher levels of education were associated with stronger beliefs in scientific explanations of mental health, and that education helped reduce the gap created by religiosity. The project taught me that research isn't just about finding results. It's about asking thoughtful questions, carefully evaluating evidence, and continuously improving your work.
