The Research Team

Constance Scharff, PhD

Principal Investigator

Dr. Constance Scharff is an explorer of resilience who takes her research far beyond the walls of academia. For nearly two decades, she has investigated mental health at the intersection of addiction, trauma recovery, and personal transformation. With a PhD in Transformative Studies—the science of how change occurs—her work spans continents and cultures, engaging directly with Indigenous communities to understand resilience in the face of crisis.

Her research is rooted in reciprocity and the co-creation of knowledge, incorporating Indigenous methodologies and ways of knowing that broaden how we approach mental health and wellbeing. By working alongside communities, she helps uncover practices that honor tradition while offering globally relevant insights into healing.

In recent years, Dr. Scharff’s focus has expanded to include climate-related trauma, the decolonization of mental healthcare, and the role of bravery in overcoming overwhelming obstacles. She leads The Human Resilience Project’s investigative team, collaborating worldwide to redefine what it means to act, and thrive, under pressure.

Constance Scharff, PhD

Principal Investigator

Dr. Constance Scharff is an explorer of resilience who takes her research far beyond the walls of academia. For nearly two decades, she has investigated mental health at the intersection of addiction, trauma recovery, and personal transformation. With a PhD in Transformative Studies—the science of how change occurs—her work spans continents and cultures, engaging directly with Indigenous communities to understand resilience in the face of crisis.

Her research is rooted in reciprocity and the co-creation of knowledge, incorporating Indigenous methodologies and ways of knowing that broaden how we approach mental health and wellbeing. By working alongside communities, she helps uncover practices that honor tradition while offering globally relevant insights into healing.

In recent years, Dr. Scharff’s focus has expanded to include climate-related trauma, the decolonization of mental healthcare, and the role of bravery in overcoming overwhelming obstacles. She leads The Human Resilience Project’s investigative team, collaborating worldwide to redefine what it means to act, and thrive, under pressure.

Mercedes Garcia

Research Associate

Mercedes (z”l) is a firebrand, providing women and girls opportunities for self- and economic development. She retired from a long career as a membership organizer for the Girl Scouts in Southern California, where she helped women and girls learn new skills, no matter their country of origin. Passionate about sharing her Mexican heritage, Mercedes can often be found displaying her art in and around Los Angeles and traveling the world to experience cultural and culinary exchange. Mercedes serves as a translator and connects the team with women who might at first be untrusting of Western research.

Mercedes Garcia

Research Associate

Mercedes (z”l) is a firebrand, providing women and girls opportunities for self- and economic development. She retired from being a membership organizer for the Girl Scouts in Southern California, where she helped women and girls learn new skills, no matter their country of origin. Passionate about sharing her Mexican heritage, Mercedes can often be found displaying her art in and around Los Angeles and traveling the world to experience cultural and culinary exchange. Mercedes serves as a translator and connects the team with women who might at first be untrusting of Western research.

Kathryn Jensen, MEd

Research Associate

Kathryn is a retired educator who taught Spanish in Minnesota public schools for 33 years. From the Midwest, she is the personification of Midwest civility. Frequently in communities we visit, she spends time in schools working with local educators to learn what their deficits are (often resources such as paper, pens, and books) and helps find ways to fill those needs. She also likes to help educators volunteer in schools where their services are requested. She has a special interest in Latin America and serves as a translator in Spanish-speaking countries. In the USA, you will sometimes find Kathryn onstage performing in community theater. She has served in a managerial role at Nystrom and Associates, a large company that offers mental health services in the Midwest and currently works at Life Essentials Psychology, where she assists with outreach, particularly with the Spanish speaking community.

Kathryn Jensen, MEd

Research Associate

Kathryn is a retired educator who taught Spanish in Minnesota public schools for 33 years. From the Midwest, she is the personification of Midwest civility. Frequently in communities we visit, she spends time in schools working with local educators to learn what their deficits are (often resources such as paper, pens, and books) and helps find ways to fill those needs. She also likes to help educators volunteer in schools where their services are requested. She has a special interest in Latin America and serves as a translator in Spanish-speaking countries. In the USA, you will sometimes find Kathryn onstage performing in community theater. She has served in a managerial role at Nystrom and Associates, a large company that offers mental health services in the Midwest and currently works at Life Essentials Psychology, where she assists with outreach, particularly with the Spanish speaking community.

Laura Lynn van Mierlo, MS Biology

Research Associate

Laura Lynn van Mierlo is a biologist, field researcher, educator, and longtime biology teacher with over 30 years of experience inspiring students and exploring the natural world. Raised in upstate New York and now based in Connecticut, she has combined a lifelong passion for science, adventure, and environmental exploration in her work. She has also lived in the Netherlands, further deepening her appreciation for diverse cultures and landscapes. Her field research has taken her deep into the rainforests of Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, the sacred groves of India’s Western Ghats—where she studied serpent deities and their cultural ecology—and the highlands of Bhutan, as well as the remote backcountry trails of North America. Laura Lynn is deeply committed to using fieldwork to illuminate the vital connections between nature, culture, science, and human resilience, bringing both scientific inquiry and storytelling to the forefront of her practice.

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Laura Lynn van Mierlo, MS Biology

Research Associate

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Laura Lynn van Mierlo is a biologist, field researcher, educator, and longtime biology teacher with over 30 years of experience inspiring students and exploring the natural world. Raised in upstate New York and now based in Connecticut, she has combined a lifelong passion for science, adventure, and environmental exploration in her work. She has also lived in the Netherlands, further deepening her appreciation for diverse cultures and landscapes. Her field research has taken her deep into the rainforests of Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, the sacred groves of India’s Western Ghats—where she studied serpent deities and their cultural ecology—and the highlands of Bhutan, as well as the remote backcountry trails of North America. Laura Lynn is deeply committed to using fieldwork to illuminate the vital connections between nature, culture, science, and human resilience, bringing both scientific inquiry and storytelling to the forefront of her practice.

Rhonda Fifita, LLB

Research Associate

Rhonda is a New Zealand Māori born and raised in Tāmaki Makaurau. She has a law degree from Auckland University and the Institute of Professional Legal Studies, with admission as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand. Her training includes reports for the Ministry of Justice. In her legal work, she emphasizes ongoing training towards cultural awareness and appropriation underpinned by the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. A lifetime learner, Rhonda has a Certificate in Māori Studies in Te Reo Rangatira and has just completed a MA in Community Engagement and Social Impact. She is a passionate advocate for indigenous rights and enjoys sharing her cultural perspectives with the research team.

Rhonda Fifita, LLB

Research Associate

Rhonda is a New Zealand Māori born and raised in Tāmaki Makaurau. She has a law degree from Auckland University and the Institute of Professional Legal Studies, with admission as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand. Her training includes reports for the Ministry of Justice. In her legal work, she emphasizes ongoing training towards cultural awareness and appropriation underpinned by the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. A lifetime learner, Rhonda has a Certificate in Māori Studies in Te Reo Rangatira and has just completed a MA in Community Engagement and Social Impact. She is a passionate advocate for indigenous rights and enjoys sharing her cultural perspectives with the research team.

Julianne C. Shaffer

Logistics Specialist

Julianne is the team’s logistics support. She has spent her life in the western USA, and has served on tall ship crews and aerospace supply chain logistics teams. She’s a great repair-person and tinkerer who likes people, trees, and mushrooms. Her favorite side hustle is a handy-woman service she calls “Handy-Ma’am.” Julianne has earned an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Industrial Maintenance and Mechatronics from Bellingham Technical College and is considering new career options.

Julianne C. Shaffer

Logistics Specialist

Julianne is the team’s logistics support. She has spent her life in the western USA, and has served on tall ship crews and aerospace supply chain logistics teams. She’s a great repair-person and tinkerer who likes people, trees, and mushrooms. Her favorite side hustle is a handy-woman service she calls, “Handy-Ma’am.” Julianne has earned an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Industrial Maintenance and Mechatronics from Bellingham Technical College and is considering new career options.

Lisa Courtnadge

Research Specialist

Lisa Courtnadge holds an Honours degree in Psychology from the South African College of Applied Psychology and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Cape Town. She has recently joined Lucid Minds as a Behaviour Support Practitioner in Buderim on Australia’s Sunshine Coast. Lisa has completed Applied Behaviour Analysis Technician (ABAT) training and has worked therapeutically with children on the autism spectrum at a treatment center in Vietnam. Her experience also includes volunteering in mental health support roles, where she facilitated recovery support sessions and provided one-on-one online counseling. Lisa’s professional interests include psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, community psychology, and addiction recovery. She has served as Research Specialist for the past five years.

Lisa Courtnadge

Research Specialist

Lisa Courtnadge holds an Honours degree in Psychology from the South African College of Applied Psychology and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Cape Town. She has recently joined Lucid Minds as a Behaviour Support Practitioner in Buderim on Australia’s Sunshine Coast. Lisa has completed Applied Behaviour Analysis Technician (ABAT) training and has worked therapeutically with children on the autism spectrum at a treatment center in Vietnam. Her experience also includes volunteering in mental health support roles, where she facilitated recovery support sessions and provided one-on-one online counseling. Lisa’s professional interests include psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, community psychology, and addiction recovery. She has served as Research Specialist for the past five years.