Alicia Vela Sandquist completed her Bachelor's degree in Psychology at the University of Zurich between 2023 and 2025 and began her Master's degree in Psychology there in September 2025. During her Bachelor's studies, she worked at both the Chair of Clinical Psychology and the Chair of Work and Organizational Psychology, during which time she, among other things, published a paper as first author. During her Master's studies, she spent her first semester at Humboldt University in Berlin and subsequently completed two clinical internships: one at the PDAG on a ward for trauma-related disorders and chronic depression and one at Clienia Schlössli on a ward for addictive disorders.

Her interest lies in clinical psychology, particularly substance use and addictive disorders. In her Bachelor's thesis, she examined cocaine use, and in her Master's thesis, she is investigating longitudinal predictors of cannabis use motives among young adults.