Graduate Students
Abrams, Samantha
Advisor: Dr. Kurt Gray
320 Davie Hall
srabrams@email.unc.edu
Samantha studies how religious beliefs influence perceptions of the natural world and moral judgments of science and health technologies.
Alvarez, Gabriella
Advisor: Dr. Keely Muscatell
124 Howell Hall
alvarezg@live.unc.edu
Gabriella utilizes neuroscience and immunology to study how social inequality is represented in the brain and body.
Berman, Catherine (she/her)
Advisor: Dr. Barbara Fredrickson
320 Davie Hall
catherine.j.berman@unc.edu
Catherine studies how shared positive affective processes influence the initiation and maintenance of individual and collective health behaviors, as well as the psychological processes that influence support for policies that address health inequalities.
Bonar, Adrienne
Advisor: Dr. Kristen Lindquist
320 Davie Hall
adrienne.bonar@unc.edu
Adrienne studies how body states and beliefs about the body combine to create emotional experiences.
Brosso, Samantha
Advisor: Dr. Keely Muscatell
124 Howell Hall
brosso@live.unc.edu
Samantha utilizes neuroscience and psychophysiology to study how social inequality impacts social cognition and well-being.
Cardenas, Megan
Advisor: Dr. Keely Muscatell
322 Davie Hall
mcardenas@unc.edu
Megan studies how stressors in the social world (e.g., racial discrimination, economic inequality) impact the brain and body.
Chandler, Kylie
Advisor: Dr. Kristen Lindquist, Dr. Margaret Sheridan, Dr. Eva Telzer
kyliec@live.unc.edu
Shipkova, Michelle
Advisor: Dr. Paschal Sheeran
320 Davie Hall
Michelle.Chernikova@unc.edu
Michelle studies how emotion concept knowledge, early life experiences, and social interactions contribute to the development of emotion.
Hansen, Zoe
Advisor: Dr. Sara Algoe
zhansen@unc.edu
Hartman, C. Rachel
Advisor: Dr. Kurt Gray
315 Davie Hall
ernstoff@live.unc.edu
Rachel’s research focuses on intergroup relations and outgroup tolerance, especially in political contexts.
Feldman, Mallory
Advisor: Dr. Kristen Lindquist
124 Howell Hall
mjfeld@live.unc.edu
Mallory uses methods from psychology, physiology, and neuroscience to investigate how social others scaffold basic processes underlying emotional experience.
Frye, Natalie
Advisor: Dr. Kristen Lindquist
322 Davie Hall
nfrye@unc.edu
Natalie uses network neuroscience to investigate how patterns of connectivity in the brain relate to emotion regulation.
Galvan, Manuel
Advisors: Dr. Keely Muscatell and Dr. Keith Payne
124 Howell Hall
mjgalvan@live.unc.edu
Manuel studies how economic inequality influences decision making, prosocial behavior, policy preferences, and beliefs about success and deservingness.
Gaudiello, Eric
Advisor: Dr. Paschal Sheeran
320 Davie Hall
eric.gaudiello@unc.edu
Hannay, Jason
Advisor: Dr. Keith Payne
311 Davie Hall
hannay@live.unc.edu
Jason studies how implicit attitudes are measured as well as the role implicit attitudes play in voting behavior and political party identification.
Jolink, Tatum
Advisor: Dr. Sara Algoe
311 Davie Hall
tatum.jolink@unc.edu
Tatum studies the development of close romantic relationships from initial attraction to long-term commitment and how relationships function within their broader social network.
Leshin, Joseph
Advisor: Dr. Kristen Lindquist
325 Davie Hall
leshin@unc.edu
Joseph studies the neural basis of emotion and individual differences in the experience of fear and anxiety.
Merritt, Carrington
Advisor: Dr. Keely Muscatell and Dr. David Penn
124 Howell Hall
carritt@live.unc.edu
Carrington studies how individuals’ social conditions influence neural, physiological, and psychological functioning, and thus contribute to the onset, course, and treatment of severe mental illness.
O’Fallon, Connor
Advisor: Dr. Kurt Gray
322 Davie Hall
cofallon@live.unc.edu
Starks, Maurryce
Advisor: Dr. Keely Muscatell
322 Davie Hall
mstarks@unc.edu
Maurryce studies how social factors (e.g., race, socioeconomic status) can affect a person’s brain function by utilizing neuroimaging techniques.
Tate, Cameron
Advisor: Dr. Keith Payne
camtate@unc.edu
West, Taylor
Advisor: Dr. Barbara Fredrickson
331 Davie Hall
taywest@live.unc.edu
Taylor studies how positive emotions and contemplative practices contribute to health and well-being.
Wilbanks, Danica
Advisor: Dr. Kurt Gray
322 Davie Hall
danicaw@email.unc.edu
Danica studies how social networks influence polarization and how group beliefs change over time.
Yang, Zhiqing (Michelle)
Advisor: Dr. Paschal Sheeran
320 Davie Hall
mzyang@unc.edu
Michelle studies emotion and behavior regulation, and how self-regulation is influenced by factors such as technology, cultural identity, and socioeconomic status.
Zhou, Jieni
Advisor: Dr. Barbara Fredrickson
319 Davie Hall
jieniz@live.unc.edu
Jieni studies how positive experiences in romantic relationships impact people’s emotional and physical well-being.