Postdoctoral Fellows

Stephen Antonoplis is a post-doctoral scholar in the Lifespan Personality and Health Lab. His research broadly focuses on the interplay of personality and social structure, with specific focuses on the development of cross-race relationships in personal networks and on the mutual effects of socioeconomic conditions and personality. He also maintains a strong interest in the philosophy and practice of measurement, having done work on the conceptualization and measurement of socioeconomic status and on the measurement of personality traits using self-report methods. His current projects include examinations of changing racialization’s impact on mortality, the relationship between personality traits and socioeconomic outcomes across the lifespan and during recessions, and equating measures in coordinated data analysis.

My research interests include autobiographical memories, false memories, earliest memories, developmental trajectories of memory processes and executive functions together with assessment strategies to explore them. Currently, we are working on a research design to test the feasibility and validity of remote assessment of anthropometrics and cognition data elements in children. The goal of this research is not only to validate certain measures for the remote assessment of anthropometrics and cognition but also to increase diversity in sample characteristics and reduce health disparities for populations who have limited or no access to in-person assessment.

My research focuses on investigating the stress processes linking intersectional-traumatic stress to the men’s increased risk of HIV exposure, substance use, and mental health problems among Black American sexual and gender minorities. I am particularly interested in the protective effects of romantic relationships during emerging adulthood on these processes as it is a largely understudied yet highly important context within which health inequities can be perpetuated, exacerbated, or mitigated. Dr. Gregory Phillips II and I are currently working on several projects to understand the impacts of stigmatization on use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) continuum of care engagement among Black American sexual and gender minorities.

My research focuses on multiple dimensions of stigma, particularly homophobia and HIV stigma. Dr. Gregory Phillips II and I are currently working on several projects to understand the impacts of stigmatization on use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among sexual and gender minority populations.

In my research, I aim to identify early brain and behavioral precursors of later childhood disorders, in order to maximize children’s opportunity to benefit from early intervention.  I am a licensed speech-language pathologist, and my research to date has focused on examining early predictors of language impairment in children with developmental language disorder and autism spectrum disorder. I am excited to join the team at Medical Social Sciences where I hope to investigate the overlap between early mental health and language risk factors and telepractice as a method for increasing access to clinical services.

I work with Drs. David Cella and Michelle Langer on projects regarding patient-reported outcomes measures (self-report data collected from patients about their health.) My work involves in-depth literature review, study design, data analytics, and writing. I use both quantitative approaches to data modeling and psychometrics as well as qualitative approaches to data collection through interviews and usability testing. Recent projects of interest include: 1) development of a gamified web app for symptom monitoring in patients with advanced cancer; 2) a clinical user experience survey of real-world PROMIS users; 3) a review of recent advanced kidney cancer treatments. My graduate work focused on how gender impacts video game expertise development.

Broadly, my research applies theories and methods from psychology to improve patient-centered care in cancer. More specifically, I am interested in the roles of personality and individual differences in healthcare outcomes; measurement science; and the development of clinically feasible and effective personalized interventions for improving quality of life among adults with cancer. During my NRSA postdoctoral fellowship at Northwestern, I will work primarily with Drs. David Cella (primary mentor) and Sofia Garcia (secondary mentor) on projects related to patient-reported outcome measures and their integration into routine clinical practice to facilitate supportive care planning, symptom management and shared decision-making.

Gabrielle Pfund (she/her) is a postdoctoral researcher in the Lifespan Personality and Health lab. She received her PhD in Psychological & Brain Sciences from Washington University in St. Louis in 2022 and a BA in Psychology & Hispanic Studies from Pepperdine University in 2018. During her graduate training, her research focused on the measurement, development, and implications of sense of purpose across the adult lifespan. Thanks to the ThinkSwiss Research Scholarship, Gabrielle was able to spend three months in Switzerland learning about personality processes and successful aging while at the University of Zurich. This experience sparked her interest in the bi-directional associations between personality and health across the lifespan, leading her to her new lab. 

In my research with Prof. Michael Newcomb, I seek to understand the dyadic and longitudinal interplay of relationship health and individual well-being, particularly in SGM communities. My work is multi-method, including ambulatory, observational, and computational approaches to understand the bidirectional interplay of individual/dyadic health and to help resolve health disparities among SGM communities. The ultimate aim of my program of research is to innovate upon current preventions and treatments for individual and dyadic distress.

Jacquelyn Stephens (she/her) is a postdoctoral research fellow in MSS and the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine. She earned her PhD in Human Development & Social Policy from Northwestern University in 2022. Her research examines how emotional processes change across the lifespan, highlighting the consequences for health and well-being. She specifically investigates how stress and negative emotions get “under the skin” to influence health, and how positive emotions might buffer this process. Additionally, she is interested in the power of mind-body interventions to improve health and well-being in chronically stressed populations.

In my research with Drs. Christine Rini and Betina Yanez, I focus on developing and testing brief behavioral interventions for pain and related symptoms. Specifically, I am interested in interventions for patients with cancer and other chronic diseases that could be easily accessed and disseminated in medical settings. I am currently working on projects evaluating an internet-based pain coping skills training program for cancer survivors, an expressive writing intervention for stem cell transplant recipients, and a mindfulness-based e-health intervention for breast cancer survivors.

I am a second-year postdoctoral scholar working with Rinad Beidas, PhD. My research program focuses on increasing the uptake of evidence-based practices for infectious diseases in resource-limited settings. However, my training in epidemiology and implementation science has provided me with a foundation in rigorous methodologies to which I can collaborate and apply across content areas. I am passionate about expanding my work to humanitarian emergencies.

My research program examines the intersection of early language, learning, and mental health—and the biological mechanisms that underlie these behaviors across the lifespan. I am currently investigating how infants’ neural activity can be used to predict mental health risk factors and disordered language development in early childhood. The goal of this work is to inform and improve preventative, individualized interventions that will have a meaningful impact on reducing the public health burden of disordered language and psychopathology.

In my research with Prof. Christine Rini, I focus on investigating the psychosocial implications and decision issues of genetic and genomic testing. We examine how patients react to and interpret their secondary genomic findings to enhance our understanding and practice of returning a broad range of genomic test results. I am also interested in developing interventions or decision aids to facilitate decision making about pursuing genetic counseling and testing for cancer risks.