Research
Broadly, I am interested in psychological factors that influence mental and
physical health. More specifically, I am interested in understanding the
mechanisms (e.g., coping processes, health behaviors) and moderators (e.g., a
stressful environment) of these relationships.
My studies and research have focused
on stable individual differences (personality traits) and mental health.
Thanks to support from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences
(T32GM084903), over the next two years I will receive training in how to
integrate physiological and psychological assessments. Combined with my
study of models for multilevel and longitudinal data and structural equation models, this training will
allow me to explore the causal pathways between psychological and physical
health outcomes in more detail.
Primary Projects
I am mainly working on these (below) projects at UCLA right now.
- Health and Personality Study
This is an experimental study I am running with another
graduate student, Lizzie Thompson. We have now begun data collection, which
will continue over the next few months. More information will be available
as the study progresses.
- Midlife in the United States Study (MIDUS)
I am working with the MIDUS data to examine psychosocial variables as possible
predictors of various biomarkers.
- Prospective Ocular Melanoma Study (POMS)
This is a follow-up to ROMS. It is a longitudinal study assessing
adjustment and quality of life before diagnosis, through treatment, and into
survivorship for patients treated at the UCLA
Jules Stein Eye Institute
for ocular melanoma, a rare and life-threatening cancer of the eye. I am
just one of the people working on this study along with several other members of
the
Stanton lab
.
- Retrospective Ocular Melanoma Study (ROMS)
For my masters thesis, conducted a secondary data analysis of a sample of participants who
were treated at the UCLA
Jules Stein Eye Institute
for ocular melanoma, a rare and life-threatening cancer of the eye. My
masters thesis examined the relations between psychological health measures and
psychosocial resources as a constellation using this data set and data from
another sample. I am also working on a paper examining quality of life
outcomes in this population.
Collaborations
- Registry Study
This study examines predictors of psychological outcomes in women who received
genetic testing and counselling related to breast cancer risk. My advisor,
Annette Stanton, is the PI.
- CALM Study
- I am a collaborator on two papers based on the CALM study. One is first
authored by Lily Brown on how changes in self-efficacy and outcome expectancies
during treatment predict symptom trajectory during and after treatment.
The second is first authored by Halina Dour examining how changes in symptoms
and social support over time relate to each other and mediate treatment effects.
- MBS Study
This study examines fatigue trajectories in women treated for breast cancer.
The PI on this is Julie Bower.
Past Projects
- Romantic Relationships and Physiology Study
This is an experimental study that I am collaborating on under the PI, Dr. Heidi
Kane, a postdoctoral researcher. This study is unique because it brings couples
into the lab and collects various physiological assessments in addition to
questionnaires. Data collection has ended for this study and is currently being
analyzed.
- The PHAB (Personality, Health, and Behaviors) Study, which examined how
different factors influence physical activity. For more information,
please visit the study's or the principal investigator's website:
- The charismaUCR Study, which studied how nonverbal communication influenced
leadership and charisma. I served as head RA and worked closely with the
principal investigator, Brynn C. Nodarse. My duties included overseeing
approximately twenty Research Assistants; coordinating RAs, participants, and
facilities; quality assurance for data collection and data entry; and
proofreading of laboratory literature.