Research
The science of emotion, social connection & mental illness
How we feel and who we interact with are major factors in our mental health. I study emotion, social motivation, and interpersonal connection in real-world contexts, with a focus on these experiences in people with living with psychosis. I have expertise in ecological momentary assessment (EMA), smartphone sensing, qualitative, and experimental methods. I love interdisciplinary collaboration and have worked with psychologists, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, neuroscientists, veterinary scientists, and psychophysiologists. My work has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Waltham Petcare Science Institute, and the American Psychological Foundation. From the lab to your phone, I am dedicated to understanding and addressing the emotional and social difficulties in our everyday lives. See below for a summary of main areas of interest and links for all of my publications.
Research Assistant Professor · Boston University Sargent College · AMP Lab
Sargent College — AMP Lab
Research Focus
Emotion in Schizophrenia
The emotional difficulties of people living with schizophrenia — including understanding when and why people with this condition may experience less positive and more negative emotions — is often overlooked during treatment despite being some of the most debilitating aspects of this condition. I have answered various questions on the emotion experiences of people living with schizophrenia across the lifespan, using my expertise in questionnaire, clinical assessment, ecological momentary assessment (EMA), passive sensing, and psychophysiological methods. For example, my work has shown that anhedonia may be specific to the pleasure expected for future events (i.e., anticipatory pleasure) in people with schizophrenia and that anticipatory pleasure deficits may have direct links with other facets of the disorder, including motivation impairments.
Noteworthy Publications
Social Processes in Psychopathology
People with psychosis can experience multiple social difficulties, including impairments in social motivation and high rates of loneliness, that are related to poorer quality of life and shorter lifespans. My work has found that people with schizophrenia experience similar rates of social pleasure when they are with others compared to people without the disorder, but may simultaneously experience slightly more negative emotion during the same social interactions. This suggests that different emotions may be more related to social difficulties, like loneliness, than others. I have also used qualitative methods (i.e., interviewing people and synthesizing common themes across interviews) to better understand barriers that people with schizophrenia may face in connecting with others, using their own words.
Noteworthy Publications
Mental Health Intervention Development
Through applying my research on basic emotion and social processes, I have sought to improve the lives of people living with a variety of mental health conditions through the development of novel psychosocial and digital health interventions. I have also worked with the Boston-based small business Skip the Small Talk to evaluate the efficacy of their online social events in reducing loneliness during the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic.
Noteworthy Publications
Culture, Environment, & Mental Health
Throughout my work, I have focused on how individual and contextual factors such as race, gender, and living environments shape our mental health. This includes understanding how racialized experiences affect the presentation of psychotic symptoms as well as how green space exposure may or may not contribute to better mental health. Recently, I have also explored how non-human relationships (i.e., pet dog ownership) affect the health and well-being of adolescents with social anxiety. It is my hope that this work contributes to reducing the mental health disparities among various minoritized communities and informs policies that promote better mental health in the clinic, in our neighborhoods, and in our own backyards.
Noteworthy Publications