Dr. Jackie Nelson

Dr. Nelson, the director of the Family Research Lab, is an associate professor of psychology at The University of Texas at Dallas. She earned her BA in psychology from Elon University and her PhD in human development and family studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Dr. Nelson studies emotional family processes from a systems perspective, recognizing that family members and relationships are interconnected. Specifically, she is interested in parent-child relationships, how mothers and fathers influence one another’s parenting practices, negative spillover of family stress, parents’ beliefs and socialization of children’s emotion, and children’s social-emotional development.

Makenna Beauchamp

Makenna graduated from The University of Texas at Dallas in 2022 with a BS in psychology and child development. She is currently enrolled in UT Dallas’ master’s program in psychology. Makenna aspires to further her studies and obtain her PsyD Her research interests encompass child socio-emotional development, family relationships, and interpersonal dynamics in romantic relationships.

Camille Delfosse

Camille graduated from Cal Poly, SLO, with a BS in psychology and minors in child development and statistics. She is working towards her PhD in the Family Research Lab and is interested in researching early childhood social development and parenting.

Neha Gholap

Neha graduated from Amity university with a BA in applied psychology and a MS in clinical psychology. She joined the lab in the Fall of 2022 and is working towards her PhD. Her research interests include understanding the effect of different family dynamics on child development and social and emotional processes in children.

Mariam Hafiz

Mariam joined the Family Research in the Summer of 2017 as an undergrad and is now working toward her PhD in psychological sciences. She graduated from UT Dallas in May 2019 with a BS in psychology. She is interested in studying how parenting behaviors can affect children’s emotional and social development, particularly in ethnic minority families.

Julia Katz

Julia graduated from Southern Methodist University in 2022 with a BA in psychology and is currently attending the MS in psychology program. After graduating, Julia hopes to either obtain a research position or go on to earn her PhD. Her interests include family relationships, parenting, and psychopathologies like anxiety, depression, and eating disorders.

Elizabeth Nuth

Elizabeth graduated from Bryn Mawr College with a BA in psychology in 2023 and is currently in the MS in psychology program. After graduating, Elizabeth hopes to obtain a PhD within the psychology field. Her research interests focus on parent-child relationships and behaviors and how that may predict future internalizing and externalizing behaviors in children.

Linnea Stahl

Linnea Stahl is currently a master’s student studying psychology at The University of Texas at Dallas. After graduation, she is interested in teaching others about psychology and adding to the field of research. She is fascinated by different areas of psychology including childhood development, marriages, family interactions, and the implications for adulthood.

Sana Kulkarni

Sana is a second-year undergraduate research assistant who joined the team in the Fall of 2023. She studies psychology at The University of Texas at Dallas and plans to obtain her PhD in clinical psychology after her bachelor’s. Her research interests include child development, autism, and social psychology.

Aamna Nayani

Aamna is a junior studying neuroscience and pursuing a minor in child learning and development. She joined the Family Research lab in Spring 2023. After graduation, Aamna plans to attend a Physician Assistant Master’s Program. Her research interests include how family dynamics and the social environment impacts child development.

Sanjana Ramalingam

Sanjana is currently a senior majoring in child learning and development on the pre-occupational therapy track. Her goal for the future is to attend Occupational Therapy School and work with children and adults in aspects like mental and physical health. Her interests include crocheting, painting, site-seeing, and running. Academically, Sanjana loves to learn about how the environment influences the way we grow up and how we can understand and apply this to one’s own self-development journey!

Lily Messenger

Lily is a senior psychology major who joined the Family Research Lab in Fall 2022. She plans to pursue medical school to become a pediatrician. Her research interests include the role of familial relationships in children’s health outcomes and the effects of external stressors on family interactions.

Leah Vu

Leah is currently a senior, majoring in psychology. She recently joined the Family Research Lab in Fall 2023. She is expected to graduate in the Spring of 2023 and upon graduation, she intends to further her education and continue to graduate school. She is intrigued by the social and cultural aspects of psychology, how upheld values within a cultural group would eventually affect the individuals’ behaviors and mentalities.