Current Lab Members
PI: Amanda E. Guyer 
Chancellor’s Fellow
Professor | Dept. of Human Ecology
Chair | Human Development Graduate Group
Associate Director | Center for Mind & Brain
Education: PhD (Yale University), BA (Skidmore College)
267 Cousteau Pl., Room 196, Davis, California 95618
aeguyer@ucdavis.edu
530-297-4445
Human Development Profile
Guyer CV
Sarah Beard
PhD Candidate
TEEN Lab (Guyer) & HERD Lab (Hastings)
Education: B.S. (University of North Florida), M.S. (University of North Florida)
267 Cousteau Pl., Room 182, Davis, California 95618
sjbeard@ucdavis.edu
Google Scholar profile
ResearchGate profile
Twitter
I joined the TEEN Lab in 2017 as a Ph.D. student in the Human Development Graduate Group. My research interests are broadly in adolescent risk behaviors and mental health, particularly substance use, and influence of peer factors (e.g., prosocial peers, acceptance/rejection) and neural function, using task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). I also have satellite interests in prosocial behavior and contextual factors. Before joining the TEEN Lab and HDGG, I earned a Master’s in Psychological Science from the University of North Florida (advisor Dr. Jennifer Wolff), and a B.S. in Psychology as a first-generation student. I also have some background in cognitive and evolutionary psychology, as well as work experience in university administration.
In my “free” time I enjoy taking photos, traveling to new places, hiking around northern California, playing video games, playing guitar [badly], and spending time with my partner and our cat Marzipan! As you can see from my photo on the right, I was a weird teen who developed into a weird adult.
Joseph Venticinque 
PhD Student
TEEN Lab (Guyer)
Education: B.A. (State University of New York at Geneseo)
267 Cousteau Pl., Room 182, Davis, California 95618
I am a Ph.D. student in the Human Development Graduate Group since 2018. My research interests are broadly in the neural underpinnings of adolescent socio-emotional development. I am particularly interested in the neural correlates of risky decision-making in adolescence, and the influence of social contextual factors (e.g., peer and family relationships). I am mainly interested in task-based fMRI paradigms, and diffusion tensor imaging. In 2016, I graduated as a first-generation college student from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Geneseo with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. After graduation, I worked for two years as a research assistant in Dr. Eric Nelson’s Brain and Social Development lab at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. From there I knew that I wanted to continue expanding my research skills and pursue doctoral work conducting fMRI research with typically developing adolescents.
Ryan Hodge 
PhD Student
TEEN Lab (Guyer)
Education: B.S. (University of California, Davis)
267 Cousteau Pl., Room 182, Davis, California 95618
I am a Ph.D. student in the Human Development Graduate Group since 2018. My research interests apply positive youth development approaches to understanding adolescent socio-emotional and neurobiological development. Overall, my research aims to assess individual difference characteristics that may contribute to adaptive functioning and positive developmental trajectories. My current research projects are aimed at exploring adolescent autonomic and neural functioning as predictors of prosocial and empathic behavior development. In my spare time, I enjoy hiking, cooking, and traveling.
In my spare time, I enjoy hiking, cooking, and traveling.
Sarah Hudson
PhD Student
TEEN Lab (Guyer)
Education: B.S. (Cornell University)
267 Cousteau Pl., Room 182, Davis, California 95618
My current research interests lie in understanding the developmental trajectories of substance abuse and the transdiagnostic factors underlying adolescent substance abuse, anxiety and depression. In particular, inspired by my own experiences growing up in an economically depressed region of Ohio, my work with adolescents and young adults in Uganda and Morocco, and my research with adults with substance use disorders, I aim to investigate the interplay of biological and environmental routes of intergenerational transmission of substance use disorders, depression and anxiety. Within this realm, I am interested in the effects of parental socialization on adolescent emotional regulation (e.g. how parents’ patterns of reward responding affects their children’s responses to and ability to self-regulate in the face of reward) and the role these effects might play in the intergenerational transmission of substance abuse disorders.
Dr. Leehyun Yoon
Postdoctoral Scholar
TEEN Lab (Guyer)
Education: B.S. (Korea University), Ph.D. (Korea University, Social and Decision Neuroscience Lab, PI Dr. Hackjin Kim)
lhyoon@ucdavis.edu
Website
ResearchGate Profile
Twitter
Dr. Yoon completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Philosophy at Korea University. She then specialized in Social Neuroscience and was awarded her PhD in Psychology from Korea University. During her PhD, she led studies which implicate healthy socioemotional functioning. Specifically, with behavioral and neural measurement, she conducted projects on development of self-projective behavior provoked by social feedback, prejudice against LGBTQIA individuals, and impression management under social observation. She wants to academically help youth to reach their full potential by investigating healthy socioemotional development. Her main area of interest is the development of emotional resilience and social competency during adolescence. With multiple levels of analysis using neural, behavioral and social environmental measurement, she pursues a deeper understanding of the development of individual differences in socioemotional functioning and mental health outcomes. Dr. Yoon is a Postdoctoral Scholar currently working with data from the Pittsburgh Girls Study.
Dr. Ludmila Midrigan Ciochina (Milly)
Postdoctoral Scholar
TEEN Lab (Guyer)
Education: Ph.D. (Linguistics at the University of California, Davis, PI Dr. David Corina)
Dr. Ciochina earned her PhD here at UC Davis in the department of Linguistics, working with Dr. David Corina on aspects of multilingualism and neural function in adults. She has investigated Anatomical and Functional differences in Multilingual vs Mono/Bilingual populations, using fMRI. She is a Postdoctoral Scholar currently working with the study on neural mechanisms of early nutrition and social-emotional difficulties among children in Ghana. She enjoys playing piano, reading, and spending time with her family.
Enya Daang
Junior Specialist
HERD Lab (Hastings) & TEEN Lab (Guyer)
Education: B.A. (Cognitive Science at UC Berkeley)
I am a junior specialist for the HERD Lab and TEEN Lab at UC Davis. Before this, I was involved in the Emotion and Emotion Regulation Lab and the Center for the Built Environment at UC Berkeley. I am broadly interested in exploring how different environments and cognitive processes play a role in physical and emotional well-being. I am working with the study on neural mechanisms of early nutrition and social-emotional difficulties among children in Ghana.
Outside of research, I love trying new foods, knitting, and watching Studio Ghibli films.
Nathan Shepherd 
Research Assistant
TEEN Lab (Guyer)
Education: B.A. expected in 2022 (Cognitive Science at UC Davis)
Nathan is a student in Cognitive Science, working part-time in the TEEN Lab. His other roles include volunteering at the Imani Clinic in Sacramento, representing the Strategus & Undergraduate Board of Directors (Western Province), and working with the ΙΣ chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. He looks forwarding to applying to PsyD programs and helping people through clinical work!
Lab Alumni
Grant Shields (Postdoctoral Researcher 2019-2020), Assistant Professor, University of Arkansas
Rajpeet Chahal, Postdoctoral Researcher, Stanford University
Luis Parra, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Southern California
David Weissman, Postdoctoral Researcher, Harvard University
Jonathan Helm, Assistant Professor, San Diego State University
Roberta Schriber, Postdoctoral Researcher, Arizona State University
Clinton Lee, Research Program Specialist, Department of Healthcare Services, State of California
Kristina Gelardi, Research Associate, Harder+Company
Shawn Rhoads, Graduate Student, Georgetown University
Angelique Dakkak, Research Assistant, SRI
Christy Rogers, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Tim Bell, Recruiter, Staffing Agency, NYC
Nicole Welindt, Law Student, Stanford University
Justin Caouette, Postdoctoral Researcher, Oregon Health and Sciences University
Zainab Anbari, Research Specialist, Department of Neurology, Georgetown University
Sarah Ruiz, Graduate Student, University of Minnesota
Artha Gillis, Research Track Resident, UCLA Psychiatry Residency Training Program
Jennifer Buser, UC Davis Health Science System
Carrie Masten, Self-employed