** Dr. Chen is currently accepting applications from prospective graduate students for a Fall 2026 program entry. More information can be found here. **

In our lab, we seek to understand the obstacles that people face while making friends and seeking social support from loved ones, and the health consequences of loneliness and interpersonal conflict. We are developing interventions to promote social connection, with the goal of making a positive impact on people’s health and well-being. Information about our ongoing research projects can be found here.

We are grateful to do our work on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) People, who have passed on their culture, history, and traditions from generation to generation on this site for thousands of years. Learn more here.