Sarah D
- Research Program Mentor
PhD candidate at San Diego State University/UC San Diego
Expertise
social connection, affective neuroscience, mental health, anxiety, approach/avoidance behaviros
Bio
I’m a PhD student in a clinical psychology program, and my research looks at how the brain works when it comes to social connection and health. There has been a lot of research showing that feeling connected to others can improve both mental and physical health, but we don’t fully understand why that happens. My research tries to answer questions like, "What is going on in the brain and body when we feel connected that promotes mental and physical health?" I’m also very interested in how the body and brain influence and respond to anxiety. Outside of school, I like to spend as much time outdoors and with loved ones as possible! Some of my hobbies include cycling, camping, and cooking :)Project ideas
Social health and the environment
How do the spaces we occupy contribute to our experiences of social connection? With this project, we can delve into research on relationships between people's environments (e.g., neighborhoods, public spaces) and their levels of social connectedness or even mental health. For this project, students could analyze existing public data, collect their own data, or conduct a literature review and write a review paper or essay on this important and growing topic!
Mental health and the brain
What do we know about the brain and mental health, and where are our gaps in knowledge? For this project, you will pick a type of psychopathology (e.g., depression, anxiety, OCD) and dive into neuroscience literature on the mental health disorder. Students will build important knowledge on their topic of interest and write a scientific review paper.