MEET THE TEAM
Back row (left to right): Phoebe Daviduk, Sarah Webster, Will Margulis, Bria Welch, Olivia Maras, Bre`ona Stevens, and Karenina Paredes.
Front row (left to right): Domenik Valdivia, Mary Florence, Thao Ha (PI), Annie Cooper, Eileyn Perez, Selena Quiroz, Lupita Bustamante, and Shane Kasmarogi.
Not pictured: Trinity Strecker, Emily Randle, Katya Cohen, Layla Ismael, and Linh Nghiem.
Thao Ha, Ph.D.
Lab Director and Principal Investigator
Dr. Ha is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Arizona State University. Her research investigates the reciprocal processes that link relationship experiences to emotional and behavioral adjustment within adolescence and early adulthood. Using surveys and laboratory studies, Dr. Ha aims to better understand risk and resilience among youth within their social relationships, which will inform prevention strategies to promote healthy relationships and transitions. A variety of methods are combined in Dr. Ha’s research, including observations of adolescent couples’ interactions, high-density array EEG neurocognitive assessments, ecological momentary assessments, and physical and hormonal stress methodologies. Dr. Ha’s work has been funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH), the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (equivalent to NIH), and internal grants from Arizona State University. Dr. Ha obtained her PhD in Developmental Psychopathology at Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands in 2013. She completed two masters’ degrees in Developmental Psychology and Developmental Psychopathology (cum laude). Dr. Ha completed postdoctoral and assistant research professor positions in the T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, the Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research (IISBR), and Department of Psychology at Arizona State University.
Selena Quiroz, M.S.
GRADUATE STUDENT
Selena received Bachelor of Science degrees in Sociology and Psychology from NAU in May 2017. She then received her Master of Science in Psychology at ASU-West in May 2019. She is currently a fourth year doctoral student in the Developmental Psychology PhD Program at ASU. Selena’s research interests include adolescent and young adult peer and romantic relationships, and how those relationships relate to well-being, mental health, antisocial behavior, conflict, dating violence, and substance use. Additionally, I investigate the role of technology and social media use in relation to these constructs (e.g., digital dating abuse, technology-based jealousy).
Olivia Maras, B.A.
Graduate student
Olivia is a second year Developmental Psychology PhD student at ASU, and is from Lincoln, Nebraska. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2020. After graduating, she worked as a Research Technician at the Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In the @Heart Lab, Olivia is interested in studying peer, romantic, and familial relationships, and how these relationships influence healthy development, socio-emotional functioning, and risk-taking behaviors. She is additionally interested in how adolescent relationships influence long term adjustment and future relationship habits, as well as dating violence prevention.
bria welch
LAB MANAGER
Bria is a recent undergraduate student and was a Pre-Med Psychology major at ASU. She is interested in medicine and medicinal effects on psychological disorders, along with abnormal psychology, neuroscience, and interpersonal relationships. She aspires to one day become a psychiatrist.
RESEARCH ASSISTANTS
emily randle
Emily is a recent graduate from ASU with a BS in Psychology and a minor in Music. She is also a research assistant for the SPLAT lab with Dr. Shiota. She is interested in understanding the non-verbal/verbal cues of a relationship and how that affects relationship health. Emily is interested in continuing her education and working towards a PsyD or Ph.D in Clinical Psychology with a focus on Anxiety/Mood Disorders in children and young adults.
Trinity Strecker
Trinity is a senior at ASU and a double major in Psychology and Family & Human Development with an emphasis in Child Development. She is interested in adolescent and young adult romantic relationships, particularly how partnership dance and other art forms affect romantic relationship well-being, and long term effects and healing modalities of childhood trauma. She hopes to earn a PhD in Clinical Psychology and conduct therapy with children and adolescents.
Shane Kasmarogi
Shane is currently a junior at ASU pursuing a Bachelor's of Science in Psychology. Shane has a general research interest in adolescent and young adult romantic relationships, specifically exploring how these relationships, along with social and cultural factors, affect individuals’ development into adulthood. He plans to earn a PhD in counseling psychology and to ultimately offer counseling and therapy to adolescents and young adults, while also expanding the field through ongoing research involvement.
ADditional Research Assistants in the Lab:
Trinity Strecker
Katya Cohen
Bre`ona Stevens
Layla Ismael
Linh Nghiem
Phoebe Daviduk
Sarah Webster
Karenina Paredes
Mary Florence
Eileyn Perez
Lupita Bustamante
Will Margulis
Will is a junior at ASU majoring in Psychology with an emphasis on sociocultural studies. He is interested in how social, economic, and cultural factors affect romantic relationships as well as general outcomes. He hopes to earn a Master's in Applied Psychology and practice therapy with children, adolescents, adults, and families.
Annie cooper
Annie is a junior at ASU pursuing a Bachelor of Art’s in Psychology. Annie is interested in interdisciplinary research exploring early adolescent relationships and how they can affect interpersonal relationships and mental health into adulthood. She plans to earn a PhD in a psychology related field and contribute to the field through research and the teaching of her discoveries.