People

Former Research Assistants

Brianna Katsuda

  • Psychology 2021
I joined this lab because I wanted to learn more about children and possible relationships between their background and their self-regulation skills. I have worked with children as a summer camp counselor and a recreation aid for many years, and I was always curious about the reasoning behind the way children act. This lab has opened my eyes to how self-regulation is impacted, and the big role it plays in a child’s life.

Allison Lo

  • Biological Sciences, Psychology minor 2022
I joined this lab because I was interested in learning how children regulate their emotions and how children and parents interact with each other. I have learned how impactful children’s experiences are on their development down the road, and joining the DESC Lab has shown me the behind-the-scenes of creating psychological studies. I interact with children every day as a dental assistant, and my future goals involve becoming a pediatric orthodontist, so understanding how children behave in stressful situations is interesting and applicable in many ways.

Sam Machol

  • Psychology 2021
I joined the DESC lab because I wanted to learn more about how research is done in a University setting to see if this field was something I wanted to pursue in the future. I like being in the lab because it is a very relaxed environment to be a part of. Being a part of this lab has given me a greater appreciation and understanding of all the parts that have to come together in order to publish one’s findings in a scientific field. My idea at the current moment is to continue on to graduate school for social work and this lab has helped me figure out what sort of things interest me the most, such as working with other people, and seeing how individuals interact with the people closest to them.

Lorena Mendoza

  • Human Development & Family Studies 2020
  • Master’s Student in Social Work at San Diego State University

Madhuri Narayan

  • Psychology and Human Development & Family Studies 2018
  • Lead Teacher, Early Childhood Lab School, Center for Child & Family Studies

Noah Pearl

  • Applied Statistics, Human Development and Psychology emphasis; Political Science