Research Assistants

Analise is a junior majoring in Psychological & Brain Sciences and minoring in French and Computer Science. She is interested in the intertwining relationships between emotion, depression, and anxiety. In the future she hopes to work in the field of User and Consumer Research. In her free time she enjoys running, playing the flute, shuffle dancing, and drinking tea.

Danny is a research assistant on the MARCER and SAIGE projects. He is a current senior majoring in Psychological and Brain Sciences. He is interested in the relationship between how people manage their emotions and their psychopathology. He is currently on the pre-med track and interested in attending med school to study Psychiatry. In his free time, he loves volunteering at the children’s hospital, running, and playing soccer with friends.

Emily is a sophomore from Delray Beach, Florida. She is majoring in Psychological & Brain Sciences and minoring in Legal Studies. Her current interests include mental health and anxiety disorders, specifically in the development of mental health disorders. Additionally, she is fascinated by the intersection between Psychology and the criminal legal system, particularly on the psychological effects of incarceration on individuals in the legal system. In the future, Emily hopes to pursue a career in psychology and law. She looks forward to learning more about the research process and the effect of social media on mental health. In her free time, Emily loves to go for runs, play with dogs, and fundraise as a member of WashU Dance Marathon.

Gabi is a junior from San Diego, California double majoring in Psychology and Music and minoring in Writing. She is interested in mental health, specifically depression and anxiety, in teenagers and young adults and is considering going into a career in therapy or mental health nonprofit work. She is extremely excited to be a part of the teen social media study and looks forward to learning about the effects social media has on the mental health of teenagers. Outside of the lab, Gabi plays the trumpet in WashU’s orchestra, wind ensemble, pep band, and pit orchestra, as well as being a part of the national service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega, the club softball team, and working at the Gaylord music library. In her limited free time, she enjoys listening to music, watching Padres games, reading, and spending time with friends.

Mackenzie is a research assistant on the MARCER project. She is a rising junior majoring in Psychological and Brain Sciences. She is interested in studying the relationship between psychopathology and emotional regulation. She is also interested in the effects of traumatic brain injuries on mental health. In the future, she hopes to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology and work as a therapist, providing for underserved communities. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering for Crisis Text Line, playing piano, and spending time with family and friends.

Bianca is a senior from Chicago, IL that is majoring in Psychological and Brain Sciences. Her current interests include mental health in Black communities and emotion regulation, specifically how nutrition and exercise affect both of these facets. In the future, Bianca hopes to start her own private therapy practice in which she helps clients live healthier lifestyles by addressing the emotional aspects of their food and activity choices. Outside of academia, she enjoys binge watching crime documentaries, lifting weights, and singing.

Arden is a junior from Chicago, Illinois majoring in Cognitive Neuroscience and minoring in Biology. She is interested in studying the environmental contributions to the development of mental health disorders in adolescents. She is also interested in comorbidities between mental health disorders and why they may occur. She is looking forward to dive into these interests while helping with the teen social media study. In the future, she hopes to attend medical school where she is interested in pursuing psychiatry. In her free time, Arden enjoys reading, cooking, and volunteering as an EMT.

Rayanna is a sophomore from Long Island, New York. She is double majoring in Psychology and Creative Writing with a minor in Legal Studies. She is interested in mental health awareness and studying the relationship between internal and external perceptions of mental health disorders. She joined the lab to learn more about how different feelings and emotions towards mental health impact the development of these disorders, and is excited to research this through the lens of social media. In the future, she hopes to attend law school. In her free time, Rayanna is involved in Active Minds and enjoys photography.

Gigi is a sophomore from Chicago, Illinois majoring in Cognitive Neuroscience and minoring in Drama, with a focus in technical theatre and design. She is broadly interested in how mental illness impacts developing brains. She would also like to connect her previous research on criticality in the brain to the development and impact of depression on everyday life. In the future, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. or Psy.D. in clinical psychology in the pursuit of bettering mental health diagnosis and care for children and teenagers. Outside of the lab, Gigi enjoys creating sound and effect designs for live shows in the Edison Theatre, building puzzles and hiking with her family, and reading murder mysteries.