Lab Members

DR. FRANCES CHEN

Dr. Frances Chen is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia. Her research combines approaches from health psychology, social psychology, and neuroendocrinology to investigate how our social lives are connected to our mental and physical health. She received her A.B. from Harvard University and her Ph.D. from Stanford University, after which she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Freiburg, Germany. She joined the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia in 2013, where her research has been funded by agencies and organizations including CIHR, SSHRC, and NSERC. Dr. Chen is the recipient of a CIHR New Investigator Award, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar Award, and a Knox Teaching Excellence Award. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets, including The Globe and Mail, Forbes, Time, NPR, Slate, and The Washington Post.

BITA ZAREIAN

Bita is a clinical psychology graduate student at UBC. She received her Pharm.D degree from Tehran University of Medical Sciences and her B.A in psychology from UBC. She is interested in investigating the cognitive, social and biological factors that contribute to the development and maintenance of depression. She is specifically interested in the role of reward processing, stress, and sex hormones in the development of anhedonia and other depressive symptoms in adolescents and young adults.

MARISA NELSON

Marisa is a health psychology graduate student at UBC. She completed her BA in psychology at UBC and is now working on her MA. Her research interests centre around the social determinants of health, with a particular focus on gender and housing.

ZEREVAN BINDAL

Zerevan is a graduate student in the Social/Personality area of the UBC Psychology Department. He received his B.Sc. in Germany and gathered research experience in Germany (University of Kaiserslautern-Landau), Ireland (University of Limerick), Canada (Dalhousie University) and France (Université Clermont-Auvergne) before coming to Vancouver. His primary research interest lies in understanding gendered aspects of health. This includes health behaviour, social-emotional processes, as well as sexual health.

BROOKE ISROW

Brooke (she/her) is a PhD student in the Health Area of the UBC Psychology program. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Communication at the University of California, Davis before attending San Diego State University for her Master of Arts in Social Psychology. Brooke‘s primary research interests are in the ways social relationships affect physical health and the ways physical health affects social relationships. She is also interested in how social relationships impact motivation, authenticity, and expressions of emotion in social- and health-related contexts.

SARAH CHEUNG, LAB MANAGER

Sarah has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Bachelor of Social Work from UBC. She is passionate about improving the health and well-being of marginalized individuals, specifically for persons with disabilities and those with complex health conditions. When Sarah is not working or exploring new coffee shops, she volunteers her time with various non-profit organizations, such as Cure SMA Canada and Disability Alliance BC.

DIPRA GULATI, LAB MANAGER

Dipra is an undergraduate psychology student. She is very passionate about health psychology and understanding how psychological, social, and behavioural factors shape health and well-being. Outside of work, she enjoys reading and exploring different coffee shops around Vancouver.

STELLA XIA

Stella is an undergraduate psychology student currently investigating prosociality and its correlates. She is a big proponent of social connection as an avenue to collective well-being. Outside of the lab she likes to read, write, and sing in echoey stairwells.

LYNN ZHANG

Lynn is currently in her final year of undergraduate studies at UBC, taking the role of trainer and study recruitment coordinator in our lab. She is passionate about onboarding incoming RAs, helping them contribute to the study, and interacting with participants. Her third-year Honours research with the lab explored how different sources of perceived social support may buffer depressive symptoms in adolescent girls. Outside the lab, Lynn loves travelling to new places and taking adventures in nature.

MAXINE PAREDES

Maxine recently graduated from UBC with a BSc in Cognitive Systems and a Minor in Data Science. She is currently working on the Predictors of Health-Promotion and Health-Risk Behaviour Project and is passionate about applying data science to novel situations. She believes that integrating data science into research and practice can create innovative solutions that drive positive social change. In her free time, Maxine enjoys hiking, bouldering, cycling, and thrifting.

ALEX NIU

Alex is a fifth-year undergraduate psychology student at UBC, starting his second year with the honours program. He works in the Teen Health & Development Study, and hopes to continue his psychology studies towards a PhD after graduating. Outside the lab, Alex enjoys horseback riding and the outdoors.

ANYA NADRA 

Anya is completing her final year of undergraduate studies at UBC. She is currently working on the Teen Health & Development Study. She is particularly interested in the social determinants of health and how broader social and structural factors shape individual wellbeing. Following the completion of her undergraduate degree, Anya hopes to pursue graduate studies in Clinical Psychology. Outside of academics, she enjoys spending time outdoors—especially hiking, as well as thrifting and connecting with her friends.

FINNEGAN MCBRIDE

Finnegan is an undergraduate UBC student in the psychology department. He is emphatic about integrating social work into psychology and addressing the root causes of mental distress. Elsetime, he loves to write, make music, and be with friends.

KAREN WEI 

Karen is in her final year as a undergraduate student studying kinesiology with a minor in psychology. She has an interest in rehabilitation and social psychology, and goals to pursue a career in healthcare. She is a strong advocate for taking a biopsychosocial approach to health and a big believer that building rapport and trust is critical in healthcare. Outside of the lab, Karen likes to try out new hobbies and musical instruments! She is currently trying to pick up the electric guitar.

LEO NGUYEN 

Leo is a fourth-year undergraduate student at UBC who is currently investigating the role of hormonal changes and their effects on adolescent health and development. He is passionate about conducting research at the intersection of psychology and biology, with a particular interest in the effects of stress on mental health and the biological systems involved in the stress response. Outside of the lab, he enjoys playing soccer and tennis and exploring the local food scene.

LICI ZHANG 

Lici is in her final year of undergraduate studies at UBC and wants to pursue counselling afterwards. She is interested in loneliness, precarious manhood, and gendered aspects in health, and completed her fourth-year honours thesis with the lab. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, drawing, painting, and baking.

MADDY BARWICK

Maddy recently graduated from UBC with a BA in Psychology and a minor is Sociology. She is interested in understanding how social identities, such as gender, can shape physical health and health behaviours. Most recently, she has been contributing to a project on how men’s perceptions of their own masculinity affects help-seeking behaviours. Outside of the lab, Maddy enjoys making pottery, walking her dog, and playing card games.

ROXY ANECULAESEI 

Roxy is an undergraduate psychology student at UBC and the current Study Coordinator in the Teen Health & Development study. She is passionate about women’s health research and hopes to continue her academic career by pursuing clinical psychology. Outside the lab, Roxy loves the arts and is involved in various local film and theatre projects.

SEBASTIAN RUSSELL 

Sebastian is currently working on the Hormones, Health, and Development project with the lab.  He is studying cognitive systems at UBC and enjoys learning about neuroscience, psychology, and ethics.  Apart from the lab and school, Sebastian enjoys participating in UBC intramurals, going to the gym, singing, and cooking up new recipes.

TANISHKA AWASTHI 

Tanishka is currently a fourth-year psychology major with a minor in French. She originally joined the Social Health Lab because she was interested in exploring how social factors influence psychological well-being, particularly during adolescence, which is such an important period of transition and development. Outside of the lab, Tanishka enjoys spending time outdoors, going for walks, and playing Roblox.

LOKKIT CHIU

Lokkit is a fifth-year psychology undergraduate student at UBC. In the lab, he is currently working on a latent class analysis across multiple datasets to examine distinct patterns in researchers’ attitudes toward generative AI and the factors associated with class membership. Outside the lab, Lokkit enjoy gaming with friends, reading, and travelling with his partner.

Navya Mangala

Ervin Cadiz