About me

I am a professor of psychology whose teaching and research focus on human development, resilience, and well-being across the lifespan. I earned my doctorate from Columbia University, where my training integrated psychology, applied physiology, and neuroscience. I also hold a master’s degree in psychology from Columbia and a bachelor’s degree in human development from the University of California, San Diego.

I teach undergraduate and graduate courses across developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, abnormal psychology, social psychology, brain and behavior, and applied psychology. I am particularly interested in making psychological science accessible and relevant to students and in mentoring students through independent research, thesis development, and the broader research process.

My research examines how chronic social and environmental stressors shape development and well-being, with a particular focus on the factors that help people adapt to difficult or changing circumstances. Across my work, I am interested in why individuals exposed to similar stressors can follow very different developmental trajectories and how relationships, social support, perceived control, and other protective resources contribute to resilience.

My current research focuses on how family relationships shape development and adaptation across adulthood. I am especially interested in the effects of chronic relational stress, intergenerational and cultural differences, and major changes in family relationships on well-being and identity. This work examines why people respond differently to similar family experiences and how social support, cognitive and psychological resources, and alternative sources of connection may contribute to resilience. More broadly, I study how these processes operate across different social environments and relationships, including work and human-animal relationships.