Lab Members

Primary Investigator

John Updegraff (email) is a Professor of Social and Health Psychology. He earned his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles, and completed an NIMH-funded postdoctoral position at University of California, Irvine. Dr. Updegraff's research, funded by National Institutes of Health, appears in top-tier journals. He is past president of the Social Personality and Health Network, and winner of the Klein and Rothman Career Service Award for Contributions to Social Personality and Health Psychology. He is also co-author of the undergraduate textbook Health Psychology: An Introduction to Behavior and Health. In his spare time, John enjoys running, hiking, traveling, spending time with family, and playing music in bands. To learn about his more respectable accomplishments, refer to his Google Scholar or Curriculum Vita

Graduate Students

Arina Bratamidjaja (BA, Minnesota State University-Moorhead, 2024), is a second-year Psychological Science graduate student in the SHE lab. Her research explores the factors that influence people's health behaviors, focusing on how they understand and respond to health information, and drawing on social psychological theories to promote healthier behavior across the population. Her hobbies include swimming, playing board games and spending time with her partner.

Liam Hill (MSc, Western Kentucky University; BA, Grove City College, 2021), is a second-year Clinical Psychology student in the SHE lab. He has worked in various mental health settings such as intensive in-patient and behavioral health case management. Before Kent, he conducted research related to meaning in life with Dr. Aaron Wichman at Western Kentucky University. His research interests concern positive psychology, specifically ways in which we can increase well-being and our sense of meaning in life. He enjoys reading philosopy, hiking, and frequently local farmers markets.

Lab Alumni

Karigan Capps-Cohen (Ph.D., 2024), is Assistant Teaching Professor at Arizona State University.
Scout Kelly (Ph.D., 2017), is Associate Professor of Psychology at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Tiffany Berzins (Postdoc, 2016-2017) is an Assistant professor at Columbus State University in Columbus, South Carolina.
Emma Marshall (Postdoc, 2015-2016) is Faculty of Health at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia.
Brian Don (Ph.D., 2015), is a lecturer in the Faculty of Science, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Amber Emanuel (Ph.D., 2013) is faculty in the Department of Health Education & Behavior at the University of Florida.
Kristel Gallagher (Ph.D. 2012) is Associate Professor of Social and Health Psychology at Thiel College in Greenville, Pennsylvania.
Cristina Godinho (visiting scholar, 2013-2014) is a research associate at UCL -University College London.
Chris Steinman (MA, 2016) is Senior Research Analyst at Johns Hopkins University.
Christina Hill (Ph.D. 2010) - Psychologist, Eastern State Hospital, Williamsburg, Virginia
Faith Luyster (Ph.D., 2007)- Research Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, University of Pittsburgh
Diana Mendez (M.A., 2016) - Arlington, VA.