SES Lab Team
Feel free to get to know our team members!
Principal Investigator
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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
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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 |
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Antonia Cartwright
Antonia Cartwright is a PhD student in the developmental psychology program at UC Davis. Antonia moved to California from England in 2014. Her research interests include the role of stress in mental and physical health outcomes, and how tools such as mindfulness may foster resilience by buffering against stress and adversity. Antonia’s hobbies include rock climbing, yoga, and slipping Britishisms into everyday conversations. Contact: acartwright@ucdavis.edu |
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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 |
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Grant Shields
Grant is a PhD student in psychology at 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 works 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 |
Research Assistants
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Jennifer La
Jennifer is a third year undergraduate student at UC Davis, pursuing a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major. She has an interest in research focusing on underserved communities and specifically the ways poverty, educational inequality, and other forms of adversity affect a person's well-being. In addition to conducting research with Dr. Hostinar, Jennifer works at the Willow Clinic to provide medical care to the homeless population in Sacramento. Her future goal is to become a pharmacist to help patients understand the biological and social factors affecting their physical and mental health. In her free time, Jennifer enjoys spending time with friends and family and trying out delicious places to eat. Contact: jla@ucdavis.edu |
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Tina Shafa
Tina is a fourth year undergraduate student at UC Davis and is pursuing a degree in psychology while completing optometry school prerequisites. She is planning to go to optometry school after she graduates from UC Davis to receive her doctor of optometry degree. She enjoys learning about all areas of psychology but is particularly interested in biopsychology and health psychology. In addition to assisting Dr. Hostinar at the SES Lab, Tina is also the vice president of the Foresight pre-optometry club where she helps guide other pre-optometry students. Her hobbies include going on spontaneous adventures with her friends and dancing. She is so happy to be a part of the SES Lab team! Contact: tshafa@ucdavis.edu |
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Rana McBee
Rana is a fourth year undergraduate student at UC Davis, pursuing a double major in Human Development and Japanese. She has an interest in any and all research regarding the social, emotional, and cognitive development of young children. Before transferring to UCD, she attended the Early Learning and Child Care program at Red Deer College in Alberta, Canada, and worked as a preschool teacher in the bay area for three years. Her hobbies include knitting, sewing, and exploring new ice cream shops with friends and family. Contact: rlmcbee@ucdavis.edu |
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Amanda Rosenberg
Amanda is a third year Human Development major and Global Disease Biology minor. She is passionate about pediatric health and hopes to get a Masters in Genetic Counseling after graduating from Davis. In addition to assisting Dr. Hostinar, Amanda is also a research assistant at the UC Davis MIND Institute, an Executive board member for the Chi Omega Sorority, and a team member for a dance group on campus. She is excited to be apart of the SES Lab team! Contact: abrosenberg@ucdavis.edu |
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Marisa Galvez
Marisa is a 3rd year majoring in Psychology and minoring in Education at UC Davis. She is originally from Newark, CA, a small town in the Bay Area. She plans on pursuing her Teaching Credential and MA in Teaching after her time at UC Davis. Her interest in learning how stress affects children's health and well-being led her to join the SES lab team. Marisa is active in the SCTA and Psi Chi on campus. She is an avid basketball and baseball fan, and enjoys spending time with her friends and family in her free time. Contact: mlgalvez@ucdavis.edu |
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Gurleen Lamba
Gurleen is a third year undergraduate student at UC Davis pursuing a Biological Sciences B.S. degree with a minor in Psychology. She is particularly interested in the field of Developmental Psychology and in research regarding emotion regulation, security of attachment, cognitive development, and the impacts of poverty on child development. Gurleen is passionate about both pediatrics and psychology and hopes to utilize knowledge and skills from both fields to help improve the well being of children. In addition to assisting Dr. Hostinar with research, Gurleen is currently interning at Sutter Davis Hospital. In her free time, Gurleen enjoys spending time with family and friends, learning new languages, stargazing, and reading both mystery and science fiction books. Contact: gklamba@ucdavis.edu |
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Adam Nissen
Adam is currently a fourth year undergraduate student at UC Davis pursuing a double major in Biological Psychology and Animal Science. He is interested in how an individual's personality can impact their overall health and health behaviors. As well as working in the SES Lab, Adam also works at the Personality and Self-Knowledge Lab run by Dr. Simine Vazire and the UC Davis campus bookstore. 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 |
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Ann Cheng
Ann is a third year undergraduate student at UC Davis majoring in Psychology and minoring in Human Development and Education. She is interested in researching how stress affects social, cognitive, and emotional development of young children. By gaining research experience from Dr. Hostinar’s lab, she hopes to pursue a career as a child psychologist specifically dealing with children suffering from PTSD. In her free time, Ann likes to explore new coffee shops, bookstores, vinyl record stores, and playing the piano. Contact: anncheng@ucdavis.edu |
Lab Alumni
Erin Morrison
Willa Kurland
Shannon Trinh
Zev Minow
Jenna DeKeater
Aleasha Jhanjar
Rebecca Cho
Temitope Awosika
Yuvraj Khanna
Anthony Riddle
Rachel Petrie
Willa Kurland
Shannon Trinh
Zev Minow
Jenna DeKeater
Aleasha Jhanjar
Rebecca Cho
Temitope Awosika
Yuvraj Khanna
Anthony Riddle
Rachel Petrie