I am a postdoctoral scholar in the REACH Lab in the Division of Adolescent Medicine at Stanford University under the mentorship of Developmental Psychologist Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher. I completed my PhD in Human Development and Family Studies at The Pennsylvania State University in 2021, where I was a fellow in the Prevention and Methodology Training program. I was also a member of the Family P.OW.E.R Lab led by Dr. Gregory Fosco, and the Addiction and Innovative Methods Lab led by Dr. Stephanie Lanza.
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Research
My research applies intensive longitudinal methods and time-varying effect modeling to evaluate family, school, and peer influences on adolescent development and substance use. One area of my work focuses on how interparental conflict shapes adolescent social-emotional development on both situational (e.g., days) and long-term (e.g., years) timescales. I'm also interested in how adolescents' positive school and peer experiences can bolster their resilience and help them overcome risk in the family context.
A second area of my research examines policy and prevention efforts related to adolescent e-cigarette use. In particular, I am interested in developmental and sociodemographic trends in perceptions of e-cigarette health harms and intentions to use. My goal with this research is to inform more equitable policy and prevention efforts capable of addressing disproportionate risk for e-cigarette use and associated health effects. My research has been featured in the Journal of Family Psychology, Family Process, and the Journal of Adolescence, among others.
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Teaching and Mentorship
My approach to teaching and mentoring is informed by the belief that education settings hold the power to promote individual growth and foster broader social equity. I developed this perspective after working and teaching in the public school system, where I witnessed how struggling students were able to achieve success if they were provided with the personal and institutional supports they deserved.
Currently, I serve as a mentor for the STEP-UP program (Short-Term Research Experience for Underrepresented Persons) and the DRIVE (Diversity, Respect, and Inclusion are Vital for Excellence) in Research Pipeline program to foster research experiences for students from populations underrepresented in higher education. I am particularly interested in teaching and mentoring diverse student populations and first generation students.
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Teaching remains one of my favorite aspects of academia, and I am particularly interested in teaching courses in research methods, statistics, adolescent development, and family systems.
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To learn more about my work, check out my CV. Thanks for visiting!
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