Fall 2023 Lab Members
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Lab Director
Robin Edelstein, Ph.D.
Robin received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, and her Ph.D. in Social/Personality Psychology from the University of California, Davis, in 2005. Before coming to Michigan, she spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychology and Social Behavior at the University of California, Irvine. Robin is currently a Professor of Psychology in the Personality and Social Contexts area at Michigan.
Graduate Students
Annika From, M. A.
Annika is a fourth-year doctoral student in the Personality and Social Contexts Psychology area. She studies the influence of individual differences such as personality and attachment on romantic relationships. Specifically, she is interested in how the ways partners differ from each other hinder or contribute to relationship quality.
Miranda Reynaga, M. A.
Miranda Reynaga is a third-year doctoral student in the Personality and Social Contexts area. Her research interests center on gender, sexuality, romantic relationships, and media psychology. Miranda earned her Bachelor of Science in Honors Psychology from the University of Utah.
Nazanin Kafaee
Nazanin is a second-year doctoral student in the Personality and Social Contexts Psychology area. Her research focuses on exploring how personality characteristics, sociocultural factors (e.g., cultural values) and physiological markers (e.g., hormones) interact and impact individuals’ relationship quality and sexual experiences. Her specific research interests include studying erotophobia-erotophilia as a personality characteristic, as well as how social change can influence close relationships.
Janae Sayler
Janae is a first-year doctoral student in the Personality and Social Contexts Psychology area. Her research examines race and culture in the context of relationships. Specifically, she is interested in how cultural and individual differences influence relationship attainment and outcomes for Black, young adults.
Becky Dileo
Becky is a first-year doctoral student in the Personality and Social Contexts area. Her research focuses on reciprocal associations between close relationships (particularly romantic partners) and health outcomes/behaviors, such as stress, mental well-being, and sleep, eating, and exercise behaviors.
Rachel Brandon, M.S.W.
Rachel is a first-year doctoral student in the Joint Program with Social Work and Personality and Social Contexts Psychology area. She is interested in the psychosocial impact of serious and life-limiting illness, especially among adolescents and young adults and their care partners.
Lab Alumni
Kristi Chin, Ph.D.
Kristi received her Ph.D. from the Personality and Social Contexts Psychology area in 2022. Her research interests include close relationships, physiology (e.g., testosterone), and health (e.g., HIV, Alzheimer’s). Kristi is currently a Partnership Research Manager for the Detroit Pistons.
Zachary Reese, Ph.D.
Zach received his Ph.D. from the Social Psychology area in 2022. His research investigates how people manage conflicts between their desire to be “top dog” and their desire to be a supportive friend or romantic partner. Specific research areas include competition, social comparison, and self-disclosure. Zach is currently an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of San Francisco.
Esra Ascigil, Ph.D.
Esra received her Ph.D. from the Social Contexts Psychology area in 2022. She is broadly interested in romantic relationships within stressful contexts. Specifically, she is interested in understanding how people can have better relationship quality, health, and well-being when they experience stress. Esra is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at Sabanci University.
Lester Sim, Ph.D.
Lester received his Ph.D. from the Social Contexts Psychology area in 2022 He is particularly interested in studying romantic relationships, examining cultural differences and understanding how identity may influence these processes. Lester is currently an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Singapore Management University.
Staci Gusakova, Ph.D.
Staci received her Ph.D. in Psychology and Women’s and Gender Studies in 2021. Her works examines how gender norms influence gender differences in sexual behavior. Specifically, she researches why women who have sex with men orgasm less frequently than men and how sexual communications helps or hinders people’s sexual goals. Staci is currently a UX Researcher at Google.
Darwin Guevarra, Ph.D.
Darwin received his Ph.D. in Social Psychology in 2019. He is broadly interested in emotion, emotion regulation, and self-control. Darwin is currently a Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of California, San Francisco.
Onawa LaBelle, Ph.D.
Onawa received her Ph.D. from the Personality and Social Contexts Psychology area in 2018. Drawing heavily upon Positive Psychology, Onawa aims to better understand the link between social processes, health, and well-being among people in recovery from Substance Use Disorder. She investigates this link by examining associations between individual differences in adult attachment styles, gratitude, and positive outcomes (e.g., post-traumatic growth, social support, health) in this population. Onawa is currently an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Windsor.
Britney Wardecker, Ph.D.
Britney received her Ph.D. from the Personality and Social Contexts Psychology area in 2016. The goal of her research program is to explore the intersections of aging, health disparities, and stress in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) communities. After a Postdoctoral Fellowship and Assistant Professorship in the School of Nursing at the Pennsylvania State University, Britney is currently a SeniorConsumer Insights Researcher at Cengage.
William Chopik, Ph.D.
Bill received his Ph.D. from the Personality and Social Contexts Psychology area in 2015. He is interested in the continuity and change of relationship processes across the lifespan and how individual differences in responses to intimacy impact health and well-being. Bill is currently an Associate Professor of Psychology at Michigan State University
Amy Moors, Ph.D.
Amy received her Ph.D. in Psychology and Women’s and Gender Studies in 2015. Her research interests broadly relate to stereotyping and prejudice. Her research focuses on attachment styles in relation to alternative forms of romantic relationships (such as polyamory, open relationships), safer sex strategies among LGB populations, the limits of monogamous relationships, and gender differences in sexual behavior. After a Postdoctoral Fellowship with the National Center for Institutional Diversity and the Energy Institute at the University of Michigan, Amy is currently an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Chapman University.
Jenny Olson, Ph.D.
Jenny received her Ph.D. in Marketing with a concentration in Consumer Behavior at the Ross School of Business in 2015. Her research interests include close relationships, spending/saving, social influence, and consumption morality. Jenny is currently an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Indiana University.
