Research Assistants
Alanna Rivera
Alanna is from New Jersey, and she is a junior majoring in Psychology and Film & Media studies. She loves to sing, draw, listen to music, read, and take long walks. She is interested in the intersectionality between social psychology, clinical psychology, and cognitive psychology and the vulnerability of memory in trauma situations. Some groups that she is a part of on campus are YGC (Yale Gospel Choir), Despierta Boricua, HAVEN free clinic, and YGC.
Alyssa Michel
Alyssa is a research assistant at the Emotion, Health, and Psychophysiology Lab at Yale University. She is a senior at Yale University studying Cognitive Science with a strong interest in rationality, morality, and medicine. After her undergraduate studies, Alyssa plans to attend medical school.
Emily Hettinger
Emily isa sophomore in Pierson College, originally from Torrance, California (just outside of LA). Emily is studying cognitive science and is passionate about prison abolition and other social justice work. She love dogs (especially her chihuahua mix, Callie), running, and oatly soft serve.
Sandy Camilo
Sandy Camilo is a research assistant for the Emotion, Health, and Psychophysiology Lab at Yale University. She graduated from Dominican University of California with a B.S in Computer Science. Some of her interests include memory, affective contagion and emotional intelligence.
Harry Keenan
Harry is a rising senior and international student from Australia. He is majoring in cognitive science and taking the certificate in programming. Harry became super interested in neuroscience during my gap year over covid. Mindfulness and our inability to control our perception are two topics within cognitive science that really fascinate him. He is looking forward to participating in the awe study. Outside of the classroom, He is a coxswain on the heavyweight crew team at Yale.
Kyra Bonta
Kyra is a junior at Yale University pursuing a major in psychology-neuroscience. Her research interests include stress, sleep, racial health disparities, neurodegenerative disorders, and how mental states are reflected physiologically. She has previously researched the associations between the APOE genotype, plasma neurofilament light chain (NfL), and cognition in autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease. In the future, Kyra plans to attend graduate school and pursue a career as a neuropsychologist.
Lily Dorstewitz
Lily is a senior in Pauli Murray College majoring in psychology. She is from Kalamazoo, Michigan, and loves to bond with fellow Midwesterners! She is passionate about wellness and providing resources both on and off-campus to promote well-being and a healthy harmony between work and other factors of life. She loves puzzles and a good book or TV show, and you can always interest her in a conversation about photography, poetry, or psychology. She is interested in learning more about the effects of the presence of others on our emotions and behavioral interventions to improve our reactions to stress.
Mona Yan
Mona Yan is currently studying Global Business and Society at the School of Management at Yale University. She graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a double major in Communication and Global Studies, along with a minor in Applied Psychology. She is driven by a curiosity to explore the intricate dynamics between social factors, family relationships, and resilience. Additionally, she is eager to delve into the realm of social psychology within organizations and understand how individuals and groups interact and thrive within these settings. Her long-term goal is to pursue a Ph.D. degree.
Vanessa Anaya
Vanessa is a second year at Yale and she is majoring in Psychology with a certificate in Spanish. She hopes to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology one day in hopes of practicing and conducting her own research. She is originally from Esparto, CA which is a small town in NorCal.
Yaz Liow
Yaz is a junior from New York City double majoring in psychology and comparative literature with a certificate in education studies. With an interest in studying the physiological effects of mental health stigma among minority populations, Yaz hopes to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology in the future. Outside of the lab, Yaz can be found rock climbing, reading, or playing the flute.
Zack Liu
Zhiyuan (Zack) Liu is a graduate student in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department at Yale University. He graduated with the highest distinction and great honors from Duke University’s dual-degree program in May 2023 with a B.S. in Behavioral Science and Psychology from Duke and a B.S. in Psychology from Duke Kunshan. Zack aspires to further his academic journey by pursuing a Ph.D. in Psychology/Social and Behavioral Sciences. He is a fan of lab-based experiments and harbors a keen interest in employing psychophysiological measures to investigate interdisciplinary subjects, encompassing emotion, health, cognitive biases, and the intersectionality of race and gender.
Ziyu Song
Ziyu is a graduate student in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at UNH. She has a strong interest in the interrelationships between emotion and physical health, as well as sleep, creativity, and transformational experiences. She hopes to work with like-minded individuals in the future to achieve academic aspirations and contribute to a greater degree of fairness starting from shaping or reshaping people's cognition. Additionally, she is a hamster lover and a philosophy enthusiast. Her interest in academia arises from its ability to influence the core and nature of "things" to a greater extent.
Odessa Goldberg
Odessa Goldberg is a junior in Branford College from Mill Valley, California. She studies Cognitive Science with a certificate in data science. She currently serves as Co-President of the Yale Hillel Student Board and Co-Head Coordinator of the Yale Community Kitchen (Yale’s only student-run soup kitchen). Odessa caught the research bug her junior year of high school and wants to continue with research for the rest of her life. She’s super interested in interdisciplinary methods studying the intersections of awe, psychedelics, religion, and mental health. Other passions include fantasy novels, art history, poetry and any sort of logistics.
Sage Sarrazin
Sage is a research assistant for the Emotion, Health, and Psychophysiology Lab at Yale University as well as a junior studying Forensic Psychology at the University of New Haven. She is originally from Agawam, Massachusetts, and enjoys exercise, dancing, music, and hiking. She also has an interest in neuropsychology and clinical psychology. At New Haven, she is a part of the university dance team, along with the job titles of Member Service Attendant and Club Sport Supervisor at the Beckerman Charger Recreation Center.
Phoebe Yeh
Phoebe is a sophomore in Ezra Stiles college majoring in Cognitive Science. Her research interests include interpersonal relationships: how and why do we form relationships that we do, and how do these interactions impact us? Outside of the lab, she is involved with yearbook, coaches swimming, and loves to bake. She hopes to get a cat one day.
Ginger Ren
Ginger is a senior majoring in Psychology and Economics in Berkeley College. She is from Boston, MA and is a big Celtics fan. She is interested in social psychology, behavioral economics, and translating psychological research into practical interventions against systemic racism. Outside the classroom, she is on the Varsity Swim & Dive team.
Devin Davila
Devin is a junior at the University of New Haven. Her hometown is in Saddle Brook, NJ. She is a Psychology major with a concentration in Community and Society. Devin loves to go for runs, play video games, and she especially loves cats! She is interested in studying social justice advocacy, cultural psychology, and mental health. She is currently enrolled in her school's dual degree program, going for a M.A in Community Psychology.