ABOUT ME

I am a T32 Postdoctoral Scholar working with Dr. Aric Prather & Dr. Elissa Epel in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. I am also an inaugural Bakar Aging Research Institute Postdoctoral Fellow. I received my Ph.D. in Psychological Sciences from Rice University working with Dr. Chris Fagundes where I was honored to receive a university-wide Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award after being nominated by my students.

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I am broadly interested in the role of stress sensitization in healthy aging. My program of research focuses on transdiagnostic psychological factors that relate to dysregulation of the stress-response system, the biological mechanisms underlying those relationships, and how psychological and biological factors operate together to affect aging. I am particularly interested in how our close relationships may help or hinder these processes. I invite you to take a look at my published work to get a better idea of my interests. Feel free to get in touch with me to discuss potential collaborations.

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I am passionate about communicating my research to the public (e.g., through Skype A Scientist or my YouTube channel). In 2020, I created Ryan's Science, a cross-platform science communication outlet that fosters curiosity and excitement around scientific research. Dr. Nanci Weinberger and I also created Sci-Tea to demonstrate how the value of research can extend far beyond publication.