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RESEARCH ASSISTANTS

Berke Yasar

Carnegie Mellon University
B.S. in Neuroscience, Concentration in Cognitive Neuroscience, 2025

Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
Research Interests: I am interested in analyzing and learning about the significance of one's psychological, genetic, and environmental factors contributing to stress altering and affecting individuals. Also, I want to find approachable coping techniques.
Fun Fact: My family is from Turkey and I spend most of my off-semester time there if I am able to.

Chaeyoung Kim

Carnegie Mellon University
B.S. in Biological Sciences, 2024

Hometown: Old Bridge, NJ
Research Interests: Social and health psychology
Fun Fact: I love baking while listening to Rex Orange County!

Grayson Ticer

Carnegie Mellon University
B.S. Decision Science and B.A. in Fine Arts, 2024.

Hometown: San Francisco, California
Research Interests: I'm interested in the biological and cultural influences on decision making.
Fun Fact: I enjoy going on runs in local graveyards.

Helena Locateli

Carnegie Mellon University
B.S. Psychology and Decision Science with a Spanish Minor, 2026

Hometown: Sierra Madre, California
Research Interests: My research interests span most psychology studies and fields. The two that I am more fascinated with are studies of health and social psychology. Group interaction is especially enjoyable to study because of the naturally occurring dynamics of human behavior within decision-making. The impacts of positive mental health methods on the human body are also important to study as mental health can often be overlooked.
Fun Fact: My favorite author is Michael Crichton and I am on the women's soccer team here at CMU.

Kayla Levine

Carnegie Mellon University
B.A. Psychology, 2024

Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Research Interests: Social and Clinical Psychology as well as Neuropsychology
Fun Fact: My favorite book series is Game of Thrones

Megan Matsko

Carnegie Mellon University
B.S. in Psychology, 2024

Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Research Interests: I am interested in stress and how stress can impact many different aspects of a person's life. I am also interested in performance with regards to sports.
Fun Fact: I love traveling and have been to over 10 different countries!

Niki Wang

Carnegie Mellon University
B.A. 2027

Hometown: Poughkeepsie, NY
Research Interests: Social psychology and the psychology behind stress and wellness!
Fun fact: I have 2 parakeets (1 blue and 1 green) and I recently visited Spain during the Spring in 2023!

Patrick O'Connell

Hometown: Lyme, CT
Research Interests: Meditation, research methods, ayurveda
Fun Fact: I am a certified yoga teacher and ayurveda health practitioner

Raymond Falcone

Penn State University
B.S. in Psychology, minor in Religious Studies, 2022

Hometown: Gibsonia, PA
Research Interests: Human flourishing, the neural correlates of consciousness, trauma, meditation, breath work, self & society, and the varieties of spiritual experience.
Fun Fact: I am a fruitarian and I teach Primal movement, Yoga, and the wheel of awareness meditation practice at the Pine Community Center.

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