Summer Interns
EMOTION, HEALTH, AND PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY LAB AT YALE
Coordinators
Hayden Puttlitz
Originally from Colorado, Hayden Puttlitz is a rising senior at the University of Arizona, majoring in Psychological Sciences with a minor in Spanish. Her research interests include psychopathology, emotion science, and psychophysiology. She is especially passionate about studying the causes and treatments for anxiety disorders, as well as utilizing psychophysiological measures to investigate how natural environments impact affective states. Upon completing her undergraduate degree, Hayden plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology. In her free time, she enjoys being in nature with her friends, family, and dog.
Hope Quinones
I am a Master of Arts in General Psychology student at The New School. I’m originally from New Jersey but grew up in Switzerland. My research interests focus on the mind-body connection, specifically how future health outcomes are influenced by emotions. Outside of school, I am an avid crocheter and love to practice yoga.
Queenie Liu
Queenie is a recent graduate of the Clinical Psychology MA program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research interests focus on psychosocial and cultural mechanisms that shape adolescent mental health, with a recent interest in the role of Expressed Emotion (EE) in Asian and Asian American family systems. During her free time, Queenie enjoys acrylic painting, spending time with loved ones, and exploring new cafes.
Taehoon Kim
Taehoon is a senior in Morse College, originally from Seoul, South Korea. He is majoring in Psychology with a concentration in Neuroscience. His research interests focus on the intersection of culture and technology, particularly how the internet, AI, and social media shape the way people form opinions and connect with others across cultural lines. Outside of the lab, Taehoon enjoys watching movies, cooking, traveling, and visiting museums.
Interns
Adah Thomas
Adah is a rising Senior at Smith College pursuing a B.A. in Neuroscience and Psychology. Her primary research interests include social determinants of mental health, particularly early life adversity, and social-emotional development. She plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology, focusing on integrating developmental findings into equitable clinical practice. In her free time, Adah is an oil painter, yogi, and animal lover.
Ana-Maria Shamatava
I am Ana-Maria Shamatava, a second-year Biology major on the pre-med track at Manhattanville University, originally from the country of Georgia. My interest in psychology stems from a desire to better understand how emotions and stress influence the body and overall health, particularly through the mind–body connection and its impact on physiological processes. I am especially curious about how social and emotional experiences shape health outcomes and well-being. Outside of academics, I enjoy traveling, working out, attending concerts, and exploring new environments and experiences.
Anna Elisa Schmitz Picini
Anna Picini (she/her) is an international student from Serafina Corrêa, Brazil, and an undergraduate at the University of Minnesota pursuing a B.S. in Psychology with minors in Developmental Psychology and Neuroscience. She is interested in the intersection of emotion, physiology, and mental health, particularly how social stress and emotional processes relate to well-being across development. Outside of research, Anna enjoys traveling, learning new languages, and exploring entrepreneurship.
Beatriz Sartorelli Victor
I am a senior undergraduate psychology student at the University of Central Florida with research interests in women’s health and the biopsychosocial factors that shape well‑being. My long‑term goal is to become a clinical psychologist and contribute to integrated healthcare settings as both a researcher and clinician, helping close gender gaps in health psychology. I am passionate about student support, collaborative learning, and promoting accessible health education.
Ben Tran
I am a class of 2028 Psychology and Journalism major at Denison University. Coming from Vietnam, a low-income country, I am interested in observing the influence of systemic factors in shaping mental health outcomes. Outside academia, I write. If I didn't become a health researcher, I would love to travel to a war-torn region doing investigative journalism.
Grace O’Callahan
Grace is a third-year undergraduate at Occidental College studying Psychology and Critical Theory & Social Justice. Her research interests include how systems of power and institutional structures produce, organize, and manage trauma, and how those experiences are lived and embodied. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, ceramics, and reading travel books about the places she hopes to visit.
Hana Ibarra
Hana Ibarra is from sunny San Diego and stayed on the coast to get her degree in Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of California Santa Barbara. She is interested in all facets of romantic love, empathy, and interoception and plans to pursue her doctorate in social and affective neuroscience. In her gap year, she worked at a homeless rehabilitation center and interned at UC Los Angeles and San Diego State labs. When she's not researching, she's crocheting, playing video games, or downing sushi with her partner, Max.
Hannah Zullow
My name is Hannah Zullow and I am a rising junior at Wesleyan University majoring in Psychology and Neuroscience & Behavior. I am broadly interested in the mind-body connection and the neurophysiological underpinnings of psychological disorders. In my free time I enjoy running, hiking, and spending time with my dog.
Jewel Lee
Jewel is a rising junior at the University of Minnesota, pursuing a B.S. in Developmental Psychology and a minor in Integrative Neuroscience. Her research interests include exploring how affective neuroscience can be utilized to study child emotion regulation, and how acute or chronic stress may impact short- and long-term child social and emotional development. She is originally from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, and enjoys films, visual arts, as well as playing music.
Khalil Edais
I’m a physiology student at the University of Minnesota on an MD/PhD track, originally from Anchorage. I work in a heart lab studying hypertrophic cardiomyocytes, including HCM mutations, and exploring cryopreservation methods, and I also have a strong interest in stress physiology and its effects on the body. Outside of academics, I enjoy playing soccer and hanging out with friends.
Kyle Obedzinski
Kyle is a rising senior at the Pennsylvania State University, majoring in kinesiology. His research interests include the physiology and psychology of chronic pain, biomechanics, and improving healthcare access for underserved populations. He enjoys working out and spending time with friends, and he plans to attend medical school to become a physician.
Lester Salazar Portillo
Hi! I’m Lester, a sophomore at Bowdoin College majoring in Psychology and Education with a minor in Hispanic Studies. I’m a first-generation student from Boston, MA, with Guatemalan and Salvadoran roots, and I’m interested in working with children. I hope to pursue a career in school psychology and am considering graduate study, including a PhD, to support students from marginalized and under-resourced communities. A fun fact about me is that Spanish was my first language, and I also studied Arabic in high school.
Maxwell Angel
Max Angel is a third year undergraduate student at the University of Michigan double majoring in Biopsychology, Cognition, & Neuroscience and Cognitive Science. His primary research interests are the connection between physical health and wellbeing, religion and wellbeing, the therapeutic applications of psychedelics, and the research of consciousness and altered states. He has worked as a research assistant in a multitude of laboratories and independent positions, from a case report on treating refractory OCD with ketamine to the effects of exercise on emotion regulation. In the future, he hopes to pursue a psychology PhD with a concentration in neuropsychology. He enjoys bodybuilding, swimming, writing, and meditating in his free time.
Milen Abraham
is pursuing a B.S. in Psychology with minors in Chemistry and Medical Anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her future goals include pursuing a master’s degree in a social psychology-related field and attending medical school, with a long-term interest in advocating for mental health in ethnic and underserved communities and improving care for older adults. Her research and service experiences include working alongside psychiatrists, supporting older adults, and contributing to projects focused on emotional processes, aging, and barriers to care, all of which have strengthened her commitment to bridging gaps in mental health access and understanding. Outside of academics, Milen loves traveling and hopes to continue exploring new countries, foods and cultures, believing that experiencing the world firsthand is one of the most meaningful ways to grow and learn.
Nadia Hoffmann
Nadia Hoffmann is a rising senior at New York University pursuing a B.A. in Language and Mind (linguistics and cognitive science) with a minor in Science and Society, and she is from Kirkland, Washington. She is particularly interested in research on the mental structures and neural bases of human language, with a focus on syntactic and semantic processing, and plans to pursue a PhD in Cognitive Science after graduation. In her free time, she enjoys exploring museums and listening to music.
Rachel Mathew
I’m a rising senior at Wesleyan College, majoring in Psychology, with minors in Neuroscience and Political Science, originally from New Delhi, India. I'm deeply interested in neuropsychology and how brain-based processes shape emotion, behavior, and mental health, with a long-term goal of pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology to bridge research and clinical practice. In my free time, I enjoy running, hiking, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
Samuel Vandyck
I am a rising senior at Vassar College, double-majoring in psychology and film theory. My research interests range from terror management theory to childhood prejudice. Post-graduation, I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. In my free time, I enjoy watching films and playing tennis!
Sarah Sinhal
Hi! I’m Sarah, and I’m a junior studying Psychology and Neuroethics at Emory University. I’m from New Delhi, India, and I absolutely adore reading, travelling, journaling, dancing, and basically anything even remotely artistic. My research interests span tactile psychophysics, cognition + cognitive development, language, and emotion, with neuroethics as a core consideration for it all.
Vishnu Vanapalli
Vishnu is originally from Charlotte, NC, and is planning to study Cognitive Studies and Quantitative Methods. He enjoys playing chess and spending time with friends.
Zaynab Khan
Zaynab Khan is a rising junior from Wellesley, Massachusetts, studying Neuroscience and Psychology at Smith College. She is particularly interested in developmental neuroscience and psychology, and the effects of parenting and culture on child development. In her free time, she enjoys ceramics, reading mysteries, and baking.