Emotion and the temporal scaffolding of the mind
Experience unfolds continuously, yet our memories and thoughts are often experienced
as discrete episodes within a larger web of associations. My research
explores how emotional dynamics impact the temporal and semantic structures of these
mental representations. I apply this work to clinical studies in order to test
if certain emotional disruptions of memory structure give rise to seemingly intrusive
and disorganized memories, common features of both PTSD and psychosis.
Current Appointment
I am currently a T32 Postdoctoral Fellow at the UCLA Semel Institute for
Neuroscience and Human Behavior and the VA MIRECC (Mental Illness Research,
Education, and Clinical Center). I received my PhD in Cognitive Psychology from UCLA in 2025.
Current Projects
- Emotion Dynamics — ongoing investigation into how naturalistic, continuous measurements of felt emotion during music listening can predict memory structure and trauma symptoms.
- Narrative Networks — modeling how segmentation of episodic memory relates to the network properties and comprehension of narratives.
- Psychopharmacology and Psychosis — clinical research on how pharmacological interventions influence semantic and affective social coordination in psychosis.
Selected Publications
Emotion, Memory, and Structure
Fear Learning and Context
Social Cognition and Polarization
Selected Press