Manuel Alvarez

Hello, I'm Manuel Alejandro Alvarez. I am a Navy-veteran and a first-generation college graduate, triple majoring in neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy, with a minor in religious studies. I was awarded summa cum laude for successful completion and defense of an honors thesis in the Psychology and Neuroscience Department titled: "Lifetime Awe Experiences and Bipolar Mood Risk: A Mixed Methods Affective Analysis in Emerging Adults". In this project I employed a quantitative and qualitative sequential explanatory mixed methods paradigm. Quantitative methodology equates psychological phenomena to validated statistical metrics and units, while qualitative methodology equates psychological phenomena to theoretically driven phenomenological and linguistic analysis. A mixed methods design is meant to augment the generalizability of statistical findings with idiosyncratic experiential insights and bridge the epistemological gap left by varying empirical methodologies concerning human experience.

Post-graduation plans include cashing in on well-deserved R&R in Mexico, attending "Psychedelic Science 2025" in mid-June where I hope to earn a post-bac position in a psychedelic research lab. My research interests are interdisciplinary and lie at the intersection of cognitive and pharmacological neuroscience, clinical psychology, and phenomenological psychopathology. I hope to contribute to the naturalization of phenomenology, theories of mind, and the field of psychedelic science.

Of the many things I have learned at CU, the most valuable one is the importance of community. I am grateful to have the privilege of being surrounded by amazing friends and a caring family. Without your warmth and support, I would not have the passion or strength to succeed. Thank you.

Manuel was advised by  Dr. Michael-Paul Schallmo in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota.