LEOR HACKEL

LAB DIRECTOR

Leor Hackel is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at USC. He completed his B.S. in Neuroscience & Behavior at Columbia University, his Ph.D. in Social Psychology at NYU, and post-doctoral training at Stanford University. After a decade of bouncing between coasts, Leor is excited to be back in his hometown of Los Angeles. 

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BEGÜM BABÜR

LAB MANAGER

Begüm graduated from Barnard College, with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Statistics. She is broadly interested in how individuals learn from the decisions they have made and how those affect their future decisions. She enjoys traveling, finding good music spots in the city, and photography. Being new to Los Angeles, she is excited to get used to being an outdoors person. 

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JEAN LUO

GRADUATE STUDENT

Jean received her B.A. in Neuroscience from Princeton University. She is interested in understanding the ways in which people’s social interactions may influence their behaviors and attitudes, as well as the mechanisms underlying impression formation and stereotyping. She is thrilled about the weather in LA because she intends to spend all of her time not in lab, outside, soaking in the Vitamin D. 

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CHELSEY PAN

GRADUATE STUDENT

Chelsey received their B.A. in Psychology at Stanford University. They are interested in how people form, develop, and make decisions about their social connections. In their free time, Chelsey enjoys knitting, hyper analyzing pop culture, and searching for the best chai latte in town.

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YI ZHANG

GRADUATE STUDENT

Yi received his B.A. in Psychology and Philosophy from New York University. His research interests include moral cognition, person perception and emotion—especially how they interact across different social contexts. Outside the lab, Yi enjoys photography, reading, and a variety of sports. Yi is excited to explore life on the west coast after six years in NYC.

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JELKA STOJANOV

VISITING PHD STUDENT

Jelka received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Belgrade (Serbia) and is currently completing a PhD in Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford (UK). Her PhD research aims to understand the role of emotions in the context of intergroup relations and conflict, with a particular focus on empathy. More specifically, she is interested in mapping the characteristics of social environments that might generate intergroup empathy biases and their downstream consequences, such as intergroup neglect and aggression. Outside the lab, you can find Jelka either wrestling with Portuguese grammar, enjoying a cup of coffee or both.

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ALEXIS PINELA

UNDERGRADUATE HONORS STUDENT

Alexis is a fourth year undergraduate student at USC completing a BA in Psychology and a minor in Two Dimensional Studies. She is interested in the motivations of group oriented behavior and identity. Her other passions include cooking, baking, and listening to podcasts.

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DANIEL BELKIND

UNDERGRADUATE HONORS STUDENT

Dan is a third year undergraduate student at USC, majoring in psychology. He is interested in understanding the processes of attribution and self-perception, as well as how those processes influence social interactions and behavior. In his free time, he is an avid sports fan, he likes to go on hikes, and he has been learning how to draw.

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CLAY CANTRELL

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Clay Cantrell is an undergraduate student studying Cognitive Science with a minor in Computer Programming at USC. He is interested in group-based cooperation, specifically within the context of social hierarchies. In his free time he enjoys mountain bike riding, microcontroller programming, and drinking peated whisky with his pretentious friends.

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RACHEL KIM

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Rachel is a third year undergraduate student at USC majoring in cognitive science. She is interested in human behavior and interaction, more specifically concerning pro-social behaviors and decisions. In her free time, she loves to bake, listen to music, go out in nature, and watch movies with friends.

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XUEYAN LIU

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Xueyan Liu is currently a fourth year Psychology student at the University of Southern California. She is intrigued by interpersonal connections and hopes to learn more about the nature of human interactions. Regularly, Xueyan will workout at the gym, although no significant weight loss has happened. 

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INDIANA SCHNICER

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Indiana is a third year currently working towards a double major in Psychology and Law, History, and Culture at USC. She is most interested in the intersection between psychology and law, particularly how they interact to shape society. Her happy place is within three feet of the nearest bookshelf, and she most likely has a children’s song stuck in her head at any given time. 

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WEN-HSIN KUO

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Wen-Hsin is a second-year undergraduate student at USC majoring in cognitive science. She is greatly intrigued by patterns of social learning and identities within a social group context. Beyond the lab, her other passions include traveling, enjoying the outdoors, and meeting new people! 

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SEIN WOO

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Sein is an undergraduate student at USC majoring in Health and Human Sciences with a double minor in Psychology and Theatre. She is interested in social influence and interpersonal processes, specifically in personal principle aspects as to how they could change based on external influence. Outside the lab, she enjoys watching movies, going to the gym, and spending time with her friends. 

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VARUN TUMMALAPALLI

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Varun is a second year undergraduate student at USC studying Neuroscience with a minor in Health Care Studies. He is interested in exploring empathy, and how it impacts a person’s attitude in different social contexts. Outside of the lab, he enjoys producing hip-hop beats, skating with friends, and recently picked up digital art. 

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JERRY KLERMAN

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Jerry is a third year undergraduate student at USC majoring in Health and Human Sciences. He is interested in how social learning influences power dynamics, particularly in the doctor-patient relationship. In his free time, he enjoys long walks, meeting new people, and (hopefully!) recruiting high school football players to play for USC.

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