MEET OUR TEAM

SES Lab Team

Feel free to get to know our team members!

Principal Investigator

Camelia Hostinar
Dr. Hostinar is the lab director and an Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at UC Davis. She completed her doctoral training in Developmental Psychology at the University of Minnesota (Institute of Child Development) and her postdoctoral training at Northwestern University. Dr. Hostinar investigates the ways in which childhood poverty and other forms of early-life adversity influence later development and health. She has particular interest in protective factors that may buffer children and adolescents from chronic stress and subsequent physical or mental health problems. Her work examines developmental processes at multiple levels of analysis, incorporating endocrine and immune biomarkers, electrophysiological data, genetic assays, and behavioral measures. She seeks to improve understanding of the role of early-life stress in shaping self-regulatory skills, and to illuminate how stress-buffering processes such as supportive social relationships exert their effects.
Contact: cehostinar@ucdavis.edu

Graduate Students

LillyBelle Deer
LillyBelle is a PhD student in the developmental psychology program at UC Davis. She grew up in Honolulu, HI and completed her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Claremont McKenna College in 2015. Her research interests include the role of early life stress and adversity in mental and physical health, as well as in academic outcomes. She also has a strong interest in protective factors that may play a role in buffering against stress and adversity, such as cultural or familial factors. Outside of the lab, she enjoys engaging in aquatic sports, trying new recipes, and playing with her herd of dogs.
Contact: lkdeer@ucdavis.edu

Nick Alen
Nick is a PhD student in the developmental psychology program at UC Davis. He is a Bay Area local who completed his Bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. Nick’s research interests include parenting, poverty and autonomic nervous system stress physiology, and their relation to social behavior and health outcomes. In his free time Nick enjoys playing guitar and spending time with his family.
Contact: nvalen@ucdavis.edu

Anna Parenteau
Anna is a PhD student in the developmental psychology program at UC Davis. She completed her Bachelor's degree in child psychology at the University of Minnesota. Anna is interested in studying how early life stress may impact psychobiology and health outcomes in children and adolescents. She is also interested in social development, emotion regulation, and potential risk and protective factors in populations who may experience stress. In her free time, Anna enjoys exploring her new surroundings in California, being active, and trying new foods and experiences.
Contact: aparenteau@ucdavis.edu

Postdoctoral Scholars

Grant Shields
Grant is a recent PhD graduate in psychology from UC Davis interested in determining the effects of stress on memory and executive function as well as the biological mechanisms behind those effects. His role in this lab is a typical graduate student, someone who is always busy coding studies, analyzing data, and writing papers. He is interested in working with Dr. Hostinar because she is someone with a lot of great experience in research areas that align with his interests. In particular, her work examining associations of different life stressors such early adversity in orphanages, with executive function closely parallels his interests, and her work examining the conditions that mitigate or exacerbate stress-related biological dysregulation can certainly inform his research. In addition to working with Dr. Hostinar, Grant has worked under both Dr. Andrew P. Yonelinas and Dr. Brian C. Trainor at UC Davis and collaborates with Dr. George M. Slavich at UCLA. When he's not working, he enjoys playing with his dogs, running, hiking, and snowboarding when weather permits.
Contact: gsshields@ucdavis.edu

Lab Manager

Adam Nissen
Adam is a recent graduate from UC Davis with degrees in Biological Psychology and Animal Science. He is interested in how an individual's personality is related their overall health and health behaviors. As well as working in the SES Lab, Adam also works at Personality Change Lab run by Drs. Wiebke Bleidorn and Chris Hopwood. Adam hopes to teach college level psychology classes in the future to help facilitate interest in the field. In his free-time, Adam enjoys spending time with his friends and attending music festivals/concerts.
Contact: atnissen@ucdavis.edu

Research Assistants

Jessica Waltmon
Jessica is a fourth year undergraduate transfer student at UC Davis majoring in Psychology. She also an RA in Dr. Munakata’s Cognition in Context lab. Jessica is interested in research looking at fixed vs. growth mindset and how this can impact academic success. She is also interested in how people’s perceptions can vary with real- world knowledge. Jessica hopes to use research to find innovative methods to help disadvantaged populations. She is hoping her time in Dr. Hostinar’s lab will help her narrow down her research interests as she plans on pursuing a PhD in research, as a first-generation college student.
Contact: jawaltmon@ucdavis.edu

Adele Nemer
Adele is a second year undergraduate student pursuing a major in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and a minor in Spanish. She is interested in the physiological manifestations of psychological processes, and the potential applications of new psychological, scientific, and social research. She hopes that by gaining research experience in this lab she can develop professional skills and academic direction. Beyond that, she hopes to pursue a career in which she can make a positive impact on society. In her free time, Adele likes to explore nature, listen to old music, and spend time with her family and friends.
Contact: aanemer@ucdavis.edu

Brianna Fu
Brianna is a third year undergraduate student at UC Davis majoring in Human Development and minoring in Education. She is particularly interested in developmental psychology, specifically the impact of early childhood stress on cognitive and behavioral development. Brianna loves to work with children and is currently volunteering at a child therapy center. By gaining experience and insight in Dr. Hostinar's lab, she hopes to pursue a career in pediatric occupational therapy. In her free time, Brianna enjoys spending quality time with her friends, family, and Netflix.
Contact: btfu@ucdavis.edu

Indira D'Souza
Indira is a second year undergraduate student at UC Davis majoring in Global Disease Biology with minors in Music and Public Health Sciences. She is interested in health disparities, the social determinants of health, and how policy can affect differences in health outcomes. She loves working with kids, and has spent time as a taekwondo instructor and summer school science aide. Indira is also involved with R.I.V.E.R. at UC Davis, Students for Reproductive Freedom, and volunteering at Joan Viteri Memorial Clinic. She hopes to pursue a Master’s degree in Public Health in the future. In her free time, Indira enjoys singing in Davis Chamber Choir, baking, and spending time with friends.
Contact: iadsouza@ucdavis.edu

Marcela Ohlgart
Marcela is a third year undergraduate student at UC Davis, majoring in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience. She is interested in mental health in youth and adolescents and how mental illnesses can affect their development. Her aspirations are to pursue a career in the health field working with children. In her free time Marcela likes to read, listen to music, work out, travel, and go on adventures with her friends.
Contact: mjohlgart@ucdavis.edu

Sydney Yi
Sydney is a fourth-year transfer student majoring in Psychology and minoring in Anthropology with a Sociocultural emphasis. She is interested in researching the effects of transgenerational trauma on the Cambodian children of Khmer Rouge survivors. By gaining experience in Dr. Hostinar's lab, she hopes to better understand the effects of stress on children and the development of coping mechanisms and resiliency. She plans to earn her PhD in clinical psychology and work with children as a Child Psychologist. She has experience as a Registered Behavior Technician for children on the Autism Spectrum and is certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid. In her free time, she enjoys writing, reading, drawing, and weight lifting.
Contact: sydyi@ucdavis.edu

Michelle Wong
Michelle is a third year undergraduate student at UC Davis majoring in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior and minoring in Psychology. She is interested in how stress affects mental health, and the intersections between the physiology and psychology of the human brain. After her undergraduate career, Michelle hopes to pursue a medical degree while also studying medical journalism or narrative medicine. She is currently a journalist for the California Aggie, UC Davis’ student-run newspaper. In her spare time, she likes to listen to music, volunteer with children, watch films, and spend quality time with friends & family.
Contact: mhlwong@ucdavis.edu

Jazleen Nijjar
Jazleen is a fourth year undergraduate student at UC Davis majoring in Biological Psychology. She is interested in promoting awareness of mental health issues and addressing sociocultural determinants, primarily within Sikh and Punjabi communities. Her passion for mental health advocacy originates from growing up in the Punjabi community, where there is limited emphasis on mental health education. After her undergraduate career, Jazleen aspires to pursue a M.D/D.O degree to become a physician that advocates for underserved and vulnerable populations. Through Dr. Hostinar’s Lab, she hopes to gain insight on the developmental outcomes of stress and plans to utilize this knowledge to help inspire future health care initiatives within her community. She is currently a part of the UCD Mental Health Initiative on campus, a research assistant in the EMRAP program, and a medical scribe. In her free time, she enjoys exploring nature, spending quality time with loved ones, and painting.
Contact: jaznijjar@ucdavis.edu

Cliff Huang
Cliff is a fourth-year student majoring in Psychological with a biological emphasis. He is interested in learning more about others, like getting to know more about you. His aspirations are to become a psychiatrist, help individuals with mental and physical disabilities, and eventually offer free mental health service to those with economic difficulties. He loves to help others while using experiences, skills, and knowledge he learned to best assist the individual. Lastly, he enjoys socializing with others, so feel free to reach out about anything!
Contact: drchuang@ucdavis.edu

Lab Alumni

Katie Wyant-Stein
Jency Umana Linares
Hollie Crandell
Austin Dalmasso
Julianna Kirkpatrick
Shoshannah Bobritsky
Elis Feyzieva
Mona Karimi
Tina Le
Ann Cheng
Alison Luck
Jing Li
Jocelynn Morales-Martinez
Gurleen Lamba
Amanda Rosenberg
Jennifer La
Alexsis Andrade
Marisa Galvez
Rana McBee
Tina Shafa
Erin Morrison
Rachel Petrie
Anthony Riddle
Willa Kurland
Shannon Trinh
Zev Minow
Antonia Cartwright
Jenna DeKeater
Aleasha Jhanjar
Rebecca Cho
Temitope Awosika
Yuvraj Khanna

SES Lab Team

Principal Investigator

Graduate Students

Research Assistants

Lab Alumni

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