People
Principal investigator
Judy Sein Kim
Assistant Professor, Psychology
Judy (she/they) is an Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at American University. Previously, she was a postdoc at Princeton and Yale in the Crockett Lab. She received her PhD in Experiment Psychology at Johns Hopkins University in the Neuroplasticity & Development Lab. Outside the lab, Judy is passionate about community organizing, crafts, foraging for mushrooms, and BTS.
Graduate students
Jake Isolda
PhD, BCaN
Jake (he/him) is first year PhD student in the Behavior, Cognition, and Neuroscience (BCaN) program. He is interested in the psychological and neurobiological underpinnings of thought and memory. He enjoys going to concerts and spending time outdoors as well as working with kids when he can.
Mel Kressen
MA, Psychology
Mel (she/her) is a first-year master's student studying Psychology. She is interested in investigating strategies to improve client’s abilities to articulate and communicate thoughts in the clinical context. Outside the lab, she enjoys collecting vinyl records, live music, and reading. Mel aspires to continue research to improve adaptive clinical care.
Caitlin Moore
MA, Psychology
Caitlin (she/her) is a first-year master's student studying Clinical Psychology. Her research interests are in social psychology, with a focus on relationships and social networks. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and baking, and hiking. In the future, Caitlin aspires to contribute to the growing field of social and clinical psychology, with research and with clinical practice.
Undergraduate students
Ciera Thacker
Senior, Psychology & Neuroscience minor
Ciera (she/her) is a senior majoring in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience at American University. Her interests include internal cognitive processes related to communication and thought, as well as memory and executive functioning and their relationships to behavior and daily functioning. More broadly, she is interested in how changes in cognitive systems across neurological conditions affect independence and quality of life. Outside the lab, Ciera is a Division I student-athlete and serves as President and Director of Mental Health Initiatives for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Health Chair of the NAACP chapter. Ciera plans to pursue doctoral training in clinical psychology focused on brain-behavior relationships.
Bakhit Alktebi
Senior, Psychology & Data science minor
Bakhit (he/him) is a senior majoring in Psychology with a minor in Data science. He is interested in how different communication styles change people's perception of others. Outside the lab, he enjoys jiu jitsu, biking, and reading interesting non-fiction books. He aspires to open a social/cognitive psychology lab of his own and teach as well.
Isaac Muffett
Senior, Psychology & Studio Art
Isaac (they/he) is a senior majoring in Psychology and Studio Art. They are interested in visual perception and top-down processing, particularly how existing beliefs, categories, and expectations shape the way we perceive and interpret visual information. Outside of the lab, they love painting, drawing, and bouldering. They hope to pursue graduate study at the intersection of psychology and studio art.
Ari Levin
Junior, Psychology & Public Health minor
Ari (he/him) is a Junior majoring in Psychology with a minor in Public Health. Ari is interested in community health, harm reduction, and the psychology behind collective action. Outside the lab, Ari works in street outreach, paints, spends time in the woods, and rock climbs. He aspires to conduct research on standards of care for unhoused individuals in DC and continue to work in direct service.
Alumni
Devon Beyonara
Senior, Psychology
Devon (they/them) is a senior majoring in Psychology. They are interested in identity research, creative therapies, and the interaction between nature and child development. Outside the lab, they rock climb, make zines, and are on an improv troupe! They hope to spread love and do cool science.