Research Assistants

**Hope Quinones**

Hope graduated from Carleton University with a BA in Psychology. Her research interests include neuropsychology, positive psychology, and health psychology, specifically how wellness/mindfulness practices can improve brain health. In her free time she enjoys creating art and participating in markets, yoga, and window shopping.

**Semira Mohamed**

Semira is a senior at Yale majoring in Psychology with a certificate in Human Rights Studies. She's interested in the intersection of the social and clinical areas, including how evolving social interaction in our modernizing world through media consumption impact wellbeing at a societal level. Aside from her studies, Semira enjoys watching TV, eating ice cream, and baking.

**Naomi Okunrobo**

Naomi is a junior from The Bronx, New York. She is in Trumbull College majoring in psychology. She is interested in clinical and social psychology, and is passionate about food insecurity and social justice. Outside of the classroom, Naomi is part of Steppin' Out (Yale's first and only step team!), is co-president of BPHY (Black Pre-Health Students at Yale), and is a tutor for YETI (Yale Education Tutoring Initiative). Naomi will be attending the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai as part of the FlexMed program after college.

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.

**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.

**Calley Lewis**

Calley is a senior at the University of New Haven studying psychology with a concentration in forensic psychology. She also has minors in criminal justice and sociology. Her research interests include criminal psychopathology, psychopathy, femicide, and mental health assessments. She is originally from Kentucky, and in her free time you can find her cuddling with her cats or on a hike.

**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.

**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.

**Lena Jones**

As a senior at Yale University, Lena Jones is building her career in public health evaluation. For her senior thesis in Cognitive Science, Lena is assessing whether psychophysiological indicators of conflict/lack of reconciliation could inform new evaluatory frameworks. Her professional experience includes roles with the Yale School of Public Health’s Community Alliance for Research & Engagement (CARE), the Los Angeles Department of Public Health, the Sonoma County Department of Health Services, and the California Department of Justice.

**Sophia Davis**

Sophia is a junior at Yale who grew up in rural South Carolina. She is majoring in Psychology and hopes to continue her studies into graduate school before becoming a family therapist. She is interested in the intersection between her Christian faith and social psychology, specifically in how it impacts both family and social life. In her free time, Sophia loves hanging out with her many siblings, playing music, writing (especially poetry!), going on picnics, and spending time with God through all of it.

**Gelber Lemus**

Gelber Lemus Jr. is pursuing a BA in Psychology, with a strong interest in neuropsychology and social psychology. His research focuses on advancing the study of neuroplasticity, exploring the potential benefits and risks of various substances, and integrating neuroplasticity concepts into artificial intelligence. Outside of academics, Gelber has a background in varsity soccer and enjoys learning random facts about animals and human anatomy.

**Marina Ruelas**

Marina is a sophomore at Yale University from Las Vegas, Nevada. She is majoring in Psychology and pursuing a certificate in Education Studies. Marina is interested in clinical psychology, particularly how emotional processes impact mental health and well-being. Outside of the lab, she works as a language tutor, is a member of Ballet Folklórico at Yale, and enjoys spending time baking.

**Victoria Mnatsakanyan**

Victoria Mnatsakanyan (Timothy Dwight ’27) is a sophomore double majoring in Italian and Cognitive Science, with a concentration in Health and Behavior. Her interests lie at the intersection of arts, cognition, and health, and she is particularly eager to explore how the arts and neuroaesthetics can be applied to healthcare and peacebuilding efforts. Raised between Moscow, Armenia, and Toronto, Victoria’s international upbringing shapes her understanding of cognition. Upon graduation, Victoria hopes to pursue graduate studies in social and behavioral sciences, with a focus on arts advocacy. On campus, she is a tour guide, a producer for theater and film, the President of the Yale Armenian Network, the Secretary of the Yale Dramatic Association, and the Publicity Chair of the Yale Student Film festival. In her free time, Victoria enjoys learning foreign languages and performing with her sketch comedy group, Red Hot Poker.

Nick Boettcher

Nicholas is a Junior at Yale University majoring in cognitive science. In addition to his interests in developmental psychology and social processing, Nicholas is pursuing a masters in Double Bass Performance at Yale School of Music. Outside of the lab (and the practice room), Nicholas enjoys cooking, eating, and dreads cleaning.

Alex Chang

Alex is a sophomore at Yale University from Frisco, Texas. She intends to major in neuroscience on the pre-med track. She is interested in neuropsychology, clinical psychology, orthopedics, and the intersection between mental and physical health. Outside of the lab, Alex is a member of the Yale Varsity Women’s soccer team and enjoys music, watching TV, making arts/crafts, and spending time with friends.

**Sophia Grau**

Sophia is a senior at Yale University from Boca Raton, Florida. She is majoring in Cognitive Science and pursuing an advanced language certificate in Portuguese. Sophia is passionate about clinical and social psychology, behavioral economics, and entrepreneurship. Outside of her studies, she loves performing with Yale Dancers, learning new languages, cooking dinners for her friends, and traveling.

**Jen Sayler**

Jen is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, having completed a Masters of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy. Jen has spent the last 10 years providing treatment to adolescents and their families; deepening her understanding of attachment related internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Jen is trained in a variety of evidenced based practices including Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Attachment Based Family Therapy. Jen’s research interests lie at the intersections of neurobiology, attachment theory and the practice of relational repair to reduce the transmission of intergenerational trauma.

**Ashley Sarelli**

Ashley is a third year student at Quinnipiac University, from Westport, CT. She is studying Behavioral Neuroscience on a Pre-Med track. She is interested in clinical psychology and the intersection of physical and mental/emotional health. Outside of academics, she tutors science and math to children, reads up on philosophy, and enjoys cooking.

**Bolu Odumosu**

Bolu is a sophomore at Yale University double majoring in neuroscience and cognitive science on the pre-med track. She is originally from Gombe, Nigeria, but grew up in San Antonio, Texas. Bolu is passionate about exploring how emotions and experiences shape human thoughts and decisions, and learning about how the field of psychiatry evolves through advancements in research and medicine. Outside of academics, Bolu is a member of Alzheimer’s Buddies, captains Yale’s Club Women’s Basketball Team, serves as Vice President of Diversity Equity and Inclusion within her sorority, and works on campus as a Communication and Consent Educator.

**Emily Byron**

Emily Byron is an Eli Whitney student at Yale University majoring in Cognitive Science with a focus on the cognition of learning. Originally from Los Angeles, she transferred to Yale after community college, where she tutored adults with disabilities. At Yale, she studies ASL and explores accessible technology and the interplay between disability and cognition. Her past prototypes include an XR app for low-vision users and a tactile-labeling device for Deaf-Blind individuals. In her free time, Emily writes poetry, bird-watches, and is in the process of building a rat-operated vehicle for her three foster rats.

**Janina Rothenberger**

Janina is a junior at Yale majoring in psychology. She is particularly interested in how aging influences risk perception and risk taking and how these changes affect decision-making processes and interpersonal dynamics. Beyond psychology, Janina enjoys playing field hockey, making jewelry and reading.

**Juliette Kosmont**

Juliette is a sophomore at Yale University from Monterey, California. She is majoring in Cognitive Science, with a focus on group behavior, specifically individual versus group choices. She is eager to deepen her understanding of cognitive biases, social norms, and decision-making processes to better analyze social and economic dynamics. Outside of the lab, Juliette is on the track and field team and enjoys riding horses. She loves cooking for her friends and family and exploring new places.

Mai Blaustein

Mai is a junior at Yale University majoring in Cognitive Science with a focus on irrationality and decision-making. Specifically, she is interested in the perceptual and cognitive processes involved in human-machine/artificial intelligence interactions. Outside of the lab, Mai is involved in TAMID at Yale and Yale Women’s Leadership Initiative, and is interested in foreign policy, art, and travel.