People

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I’m a first year PhD student in Social-Personality Psychology here at Queen’s University! I completed my BA in Psychology and MA in Sociology in Kansas, United States with a focus on sexual violence prevention research, which instilled in me a keen interest to explore how structural inequity can seep its way into intimate relationships and impact sexual wellbeing of marginalized populations. At the van Anders lab, I’m conducting research on gendered roots of interpersonal dynamics in close relationships and exploring sexual diversity of racial and ethnic minority groups. Outside of grad school, I love reading stories, baking, and hiking.

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I'm a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate at Queen's, in social-personality psychology, planning to defend my dissertation by August 2026. I completed my BA and MA at the University of Saskatchewan, exploring positive identity development and experiences in bisexual individuals. With the vA lab, my main research interests are romantic and sexual relationships (particularly diverse/non-normative forms; e.g., queer, consensually non-monogamous, kinky), and romantic and sexual attraction. I’m also a big fan of mixed-methods work, and have extensive qualitative training/experience (using interpretative phenomenological analysis, reflexive thematic analysis, and grounded theory) and statistical training/experience (including with SEM and multi-level modelling). In my free time, I enjoy crafting, aerial arts, and cuddling with my three cats!

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I'm a first-year Ph.D. student at Queen's University in Social-Personality psychology. I completed my B.A. in Psychology and Gender & Women's Studies at Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame and my M.A. in Psychology at The New School for Social Research in New York City. While obtaining my degrees, my work focused on LGBTQ+ student experiences on Catholic, Protestant, and secular campuses, the impact of anti-fatness in American media on fat women's sexual self-esteem, and examining the postfeminist to alt-right pipeline through the online TradWife influencer movement. Currently, I am interested in bringing critical feminist, queer, and fat lenses to social psychology and sexuality studies, specifically to examine how lived experiences of fatness impact one's understanding of their own gender/sex, sexuality, and relationships. In my free time, I love to write fiction, learn new songs on my guitar, FaceTime with my family back home, and play with my cat!

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I joined the van Anders Lab as a postdoctoral scholar in the spring of 2025. I completed my Ph.D. in Psychology at the Federal University of Sergipe, Brazil. I am currently involved in multiple projects focused on topics such as gender/sex diversity among youth and race/ethnicity configurations frameworks. My research interests also include conceptions about and attitudes towards gender/sex and sexual diversity. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, listening to music, and reading about science out of curiosity.

I am currently finishing my PhD in Developmental Psychology, and my dissertation explores how social safety — defined by social connection, inclusion, and protection — may shield bullied queer adolescents from physical and mental health problems. I love taking a multidisciplinary approach to research, constantly learning new methods and making my work accessible to the public. Beyond my work in the lab, I'm a program facilitator for Girls Flip the Script, a program that empowers adolescent girls to recognize danger cues in their relationships. Outside of academia, I love writing novels, snuggling with my pets, and painting — you can find my artwork at Martello Alley, a local gallery!

I am a third-year undergraduate student at Queen’s University, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in a Psychology major. I am thrilled to be a part of the award-winning van Anders lab and to continue exploring my interest in research! In particular, I am drawn to understanding how women’s health intersects with race/ethnicity, as well as how the media influences sexuality. I hope to use this experience in the future for graduate studies and to build skills for creating supportive environments as an aspiring child/school psychologist. Outside the lab, I enjoy dancing, going to concerts, reading, and travelling the world! This winter, I will be studying Psychology abroad in Ireland!

I am a third-year undergraduate student at Queen’s University, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in a Psychology major. I am thrilled to be a part of the award-winning van Anders lab and to continue exploring my interest in research! In particular, I am drawn to understanding how women’s health intersects with race/ethnicity, as well as how the media influences sexuality. I hope to use this experience in the future for graduate studies and to build skills for creating supportive environments as an aspiring child/school psychologist. Outside the lab, I enjoy dancing, going to concerts, reading, and travelling the world! This winter, I will be studying Psychology abroad in Ireland!

I am a 4th year undergraduate student at Simon Fraser University, majoring in psychology and minoring in gender, sexuality and women’s studies. I am interested in the intersections between gender/sex/ual diversity and neurodiversity, and how identity factors affect mental and physical health. I’m very fortunate to work in the lab in order to understand diversity from a feminist perspective. In my free time, I like to read and spend time with my pets!

Hi! My name is Asavari and I am a third year (incoming fourth year) psychology major with a sociology minor. I am interested in gender/sexuality and how it intersects with dimensions of race/ethnicity. More specifically, I aim to understand the ways in which sexuality differs based on lived experiences and social backgrounds, for example, immigration or class status. I joined this lab because of its recognition of diverse experiences and the inclusivity of its research outlook. Outside the lab, I love writing poetry, painting, watching movies and reading almost anything I can get my hands on!

I am an incoming third year Health Sciences student at Queen's University, and I am so thrilled to be a part of the van Anders lab as a volunteer! I am interested in women's health, and in particular, through the context of social neuroendocrinology. I also have a broad interest in how gender and sex/uality perceptions can impact sexual behaviours and attitudes. Outside of the lab, I enjoy reading, playing the NYT games, and petting cats!

I am currently a Health Sciences student at Queen's University, and I am working to focus my degree on the anatomical basis of health and disease. I am proud to be working in a lab that focuses on intersectionality within its practices, and I am invigorated to learn more about the psychosocial interactions of identity and perception within queer feminist research. I plan to instill the knowledge gained in this research team to future practices as a healthcare provider. Outside of the lab, I enjoy drawing, printmaking, weightlifting and gaming.

I am a third-year student specializing in Psychology at Queen’s University. I am excited to be part of the van Anders Lab, where I contribute to innovative research on gender, sexuality, and neuroendocrinology. My research interests focus on how the rise of digital platforms influences attention spans, identity development, mental health, and hormonal regulation. I am eager to gain valuable skills and knowledge through the lab’s purpose of advancing research in this critical field of study. Outside of academics, I enjoy staying informed on current events, experimenting with new baking recipes, and playing sports with friends.

I’m currently in my fourth year of Health Sciences at McMaster University and volunteer as a researcher in the van Anders lab. My research interests focus on the bi-directional relationship between hormones and behaviour. I'm particularly interested in how body satisfaction relates to sexual desire. For example, whether individuals who are dissatisfied with their bodies also report lower levels of sexual desire. I'm excited to be part of the van Anders lab because our research supports queer individuals and women, groups that have been historically underrepresented in scientific research. I hope to deepen my understanding of feminist and queer theories, as they align with my goal of supporting vulnerable communities in my future career. Outside of the lab, I enjoy playing video games, doing Pilates, reading queer literature, and running with my dog. I'm also a big fan of everything Pokémon-related!

I am an undergraduate student majoring in Life Sciences and minoring in English Literature. I am so excited to be back in the lab this year! I have a broad interest in feminism and gender and sex/uality but I also have a background in neuroscience which makes me particularly interested in the biopsychological aspects of the field. I hope to use this knowledge in the future to work in medicine and inform patient care practices that focus on inclusivity. Outside of the lab, you can usually find me reading or playing guitar or piano.

I’m a second year Psychology student at Queen’s University, and I’m so excited to join the lab this year as a volunteer research assistant! My research interests include biopsychology, such as the neuroendocrinology that van Anders Lab studies, as well as developmental psychology! I’m particularly fascinated in finding out how early life experiences impact the brain’s biological development and function, as well as the influence of discriminatory experiences, especially in the context of queerness and sexism. Outside of the lab, I love art, video games, and the occasional game of Dungeons and Dragons!

I am a third-year Psychology student at Queen’s University, and I am excited to be involved in the van Anders Lab as a volunteer research assistant. My interests in psychology and research focus on human sexuality and sexual behaviour, particularly desire and the factors that shape it. I am especially thrilled to be a part of a lab that is grounded in feminist and queer science and that aligns with my values so well as my long-term goal is to conduct research that supports communities often marginalized within scientific research. Outside of the lab, I enjoy listening to music and playing bass!

I am a third year Psychology student at Queen's University, and I am thrilled to be part of the lab as a volunteer research assistant! My research interests lie within the cognitive neuroscience branch of psychology, with a particular focus on the connections between sexuality, hormones, and cognition. I am very passionate about conducting research in a way that reflects diverse lived experiences, and I believe that this closely aligns with the inclusive values and practices of the van Anders lab. Outside of the lab, I enjoy reading, thrifting, going to the gym, and doing puzzles.

I am a second year Health Sciences undergraduate student at Queen's University, and I am excited to be joining the van Anders Lab. My research interests include exploring factors that affect diverse groups, particularly minorities, in receiving medical care, and I'm interested in using queer and feminist perspectives to understand the way this can affect accessibility and post care in Canadian Medicine. Outside the lab I am on the novice rowing team, I collect vinyl records, play sudoku, and enjoy learning new cooking recipes.

I am a fourth-year undergraduate psychology student at Queen's University and this is my second year in the lab 🙂. I'm interested in researching the societal influences on sexual health, particularly the impact of heteronormativity on sexual behaviours and relationships. I am originally from Toronto, ON, residing in Kingston, ON. When I'm not in the lab, I enjoy listening to music and going on walks!