People – WHIRLab

People

Lab Director

Amie M. Gordon is an assistant professor of social psychology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Her research focuses on understanding the affective, social cognitive, and biological factors that shape our closest relationships. She is particularly interested in how relationship partners influence each other in the moment and over time. A main goal of her research is to better understand how people can maintain high-quality relationships.

Her research is driven by the belief that our interpersonal relationships underscore every aspect of our lives, influencing the health and well-being of individuals, families, groups, and organizations.

Dr. Gordon received her PhD in Social-Personality Psychology from UC Berkeley and her BA in Psychology with a minor in Political Science from UCLA.

CV | Google Scholar | OSF

Postdoctoral Fellow

Tatum Jolink is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Michigan in the WHIRLab. Tatum studies positive adaptive behaviors that help to initiate and strengthen close relationships (e.g., affectionate touch, shared laughter, sex) and how the body contributes to and is affected by those relationships (e.g., the immune system, sleep processes). You can read more about Tatum’s work here.

Dr. Jolink received her PhD in Social Psychology with a Quantitative Psychology Concentration from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2023.

Cansu Yilmaz is a visiting postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan in the WHIRLab. Her research focuses on cross cultural differences in emotions and psychological well-being. Dr. Yilmaz received her PhD in Social Psychology from Middle East Technical University in Turkey. You can read more about Cansu’s work here.

Graduate Students

Emily Diamond started her PhD in 2022 in the Social Psychology area. She studies positive emotional processes in close relationships. Specifically, she is interested in understanding the behavioral, physiological, and linguistic underpinnings of social connection.

Annika From started her PhD in 2020 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. 

Micaela Rodriguez started her PhD in 2021 in the Social Psychology area. Broadly, she studies emotion regulation, loneliness, solitude, and social media. She is particularly interested in understanding how the beliefs we hold shape our experiences of loneliness, and how cognitive change may help alleviate loneliness. 

Hong-Yi Koo (Alfred) started his PhD in 2024. He received his BA in Psychology and Sociology from the University of California, Riverside. He is interested in how positive psychology interventions, such as cultivating meaning in life and mindfulness, influence self-regulation and psychological well-being

Noa Segal began graduate school in the Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan in 2024 working with Professor Ethan Kross and Professor Amie Gordon. She received both her BA and MA in psychology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem under the supervision of Professor Maya Tamir. Noa’s Research focuses the role emotions play in the formation of romantic as well as platonic bonds.

Savannah Adams started her PhD in 2020 in the Social Psychology area. She broadly studies how moral behaviors shape the impressions people form about others and how those behaviors help or hinder cooperation across contexts. Within the WHIRLab, she is specifically interested in how perceptions of moral values shape couple interactions and beliefs about compatibility. 

Lab Staff

Jordan Bacharach is the Lab Manager for the WHIRLab. He started his undergraduate degree in 2021 and is majoring in Psychology with a minor in statistics. He is interested in how gratitude and “clicking” influences the quality and initiation of romantic relationships. After obtaining his B.S., he wants to continue conducting research in psychology and eventually pursue a PhD in the field of psychology

Noemie Durand is the Project Manager for the Dating App Study. She started her undergraduate degree in 2023 and is majoring in Psychology and Sociology with a sub-major in Social Work and a minor in LGBTQ+ Studies. She is interested in how societal structures and definitions impact people’s perceptions of themselves and others, as well as alternative methods of treatment for mental illnesses. She is hoping to pursue a master’s degree and PhD, and she would like to engage in both clinical and research endeavors in her career.

Lab Alumni (Lab Managers, Graduate Students, Postdocs)

Helen Devine (Lab Manager 2022-2024, Honors Student 2024)

Emma Morse (Honors Student 2023)

Esra Ascigil (PhD Student 2022)

Maria Luciani (Lab Manager 2020-2022)

Lara Zammit (Honors Student 2022)

Current Research Assistants

Francesca Chetcuti

Karen Ahumada Villanueva

Sophia Richardson

Elena Dickson

Natalie Pierce

Emily Chung

Jack Tenglin

Sooyeon Yoon

Elizabeth Deyonker

Sophia Weng

Noemie Durand

Allison Youtt

Abigail Pretty

Hannah Lubowitz

Former Research Assistants

Amala Nayak

Allison Youtt

Avelyn Menn

Calle Harwin

Carolyn Ji

Chad Cao

Elizabeth Kolias

Fred Kassab

Jenny Zhao

Grace Yaldoo

Steven Petrovski

Catherine Garton

Abby Bush

Kiara Siebler

Jordy Agins

Rayyan Latif

Whitney Gallagher

Allison Weltman

Jesse Brandner

Erna Chiu

Ruby Zheng

Emma Elmouchi

Sara Franson

Sylvia Chen

Anna Azim

Meghana Lodhavia

Jack Porte

Amber Shi

Zoe Sinkford

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