Hey! I’m Casey, the lab manager at PWB. My journey at PWB started with my BCB430 independent research project researching depression and anxiety symptom trajectories. Now, I’m an MA student in Clinical and Counselling Psychology at OISE while continuing to manage all lab affairs. Outside of the lab, I’m a Harley Davidson t-shirt collector, concert go-er, themed-party lover, and board game player!

Hello! I’m Elizabeth, and I am first-year PhD student. I completed my HBSc in psychology at the University of Toronto. I am broadly interested in how well-being relates to current social, economic, and political affairs. I also have a line of research examining time use and well-being. Outside of the lab, I enjoy watching basketball, ordering the same dishes at new restaurants, and doing jigsaw puzzles.

My name is Levi and I’m a first-year PhD student. I hold a B.A. in psychology and philosophy from York University (Toronto, Canada), an M.A. in applied linguistics from the University of Nottingham (Ningbo, China), and an M.Sc. in the cognitive neuroscience of language from the Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language at the University of the Basque Country (Donostia/San Sebastián, Spain). Having lived abroad in several different countries and experiencing different political systems, I’m now interested in how a country’s democratic backsliding affects the well-being of its citizenry. I enjoy travelling, reading, watching movies, and listening to podcasts.

Hi! I’m Sofia. I’m a first-year PhD student doing research at the intersection of psychometrics, well-being, and mental health. I hold an Honours B.A in Psychology from the University of Toronto. I primarily work with secondary data analysis of large longitudinal datasets like the Gallup World Poll. I am interested in leveraging a combination of Big Data with rich qualitative interviews to develop individual well-being profiles and personalized well-being interventions. When I’m not in the lab, I enjoy exploring Toronto, listening to podcasts, and practicing piano.

I am Phyllis Lun, a postdoctoral fellow at the Population Well-being Lab. I earned my Ph.D. in psychiatric epidemiology from the LKS Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong. Before my doctoral study, I received my education and research training in psychology from Boston University and the University of California, Berkeley. My research interests center on population determinants of mental well-being and psycho-behavioral responses following major population events such as social unrest and epidemics. In my leisure, I love doing street photography with my digital and analog cameras.

Hi there! My name is Yeeun and I am a post-doc at the Population Wellbeing Lab. 

Before joining the lab, I studied Psychology (with a focus on Clinical Psychology) at Korea University in Seoul, and I have just finished my PhD in Health Psychology at UBC. I work to better understand how individuals and society can collectively pursue improved life outcomes through social connections and prosocial actions. I am also passionate about intervention science – how to translate scientific findings into real-world solutions for issues related to our social well-being. Outside of work, I enjoy exploring different neighbourhoods in Toronto, sharing meals with people, and keeping up with the latest Korean talk shows.

Hi! I’m Kenith, you can also call me Kangaroo :). I’m the data manager of the lab. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Physics and a Master’s degree in Linguistics. Fun Fact: I’m fluent in Hong Kong Sign Language. I was also a presenter in a TV program about sign language and Deaf culture!

Hello! I’m Sera, and I am a fourth-year undergraduate, double majoring in Psychology & Cognitive Science (Neuroscience stream) at the University of Toronto. I will be completing my Independent Research Project at the PWB Lab this year, where I will examine social time, relationships and well-being. In my free time, I love learning new languages (5 so far!), browsing through cool bookstores, and trying out the latest cafes. 

Hey there! My name is Ella Jonas Farlinger and I’m in my last year at UofT majoring in Sociology and minoring in Critical Equity Studies and Creative Expressions. For the last four years, I’ve been doing a double degree between UofT and The Glenn Gould School, where I got a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance. As a ROP student at the PWB lab, I’m looking forward to investigating how the creative industries impact our well-being. In my spare time you can find me rock climbing, singing opera, or curating charcuterie boards with methodological wine pairings.

My name is Rachel, and I am a third-year student pursuing a Psychology Specialist. My passion is in clinical psychology, where I am interested in investigating how psychotherapeutic factors common in clinical practice can be implemented at a broader, community level to achieve population well-being. Outside of the lab, I like visiting new restaurants, playing video games, and spending time with my dog, Luna.

Hi y’all! My name is Anne Hu, and I’m a second year ROP student! I’m interested in investigating well-being, and its potential as a policy measure for the betterment of citizens. Currently, I am majoring in Neuroscience, with a minor in Science & Society. When I’m not in a class or studying, you can find me tossing a frisbee at a park, putting together character sheets for D&D, or playing Terraria with my friends. 

Tiffany is a third-year psychology specialist and physiology minor. She is working in the lab as a research opportunities program student and is interested in clinical psychology, developmental psychology, and their relationship with well-being. Outside of the lab, Tiffany is the co-secretary of the Psychology Students’ Association, a cannon guard, and a receptionist at University College residences.

Natalie is currently a second year ROP student specialising in psychology and minoring in economics. She is interested in researching how wellbeing is mediated by varying cultural and social circumstances, as well as what constitutes a happy, meaningful life. In her free time, she enjoys playing and listening to music, napping, and exploring the city! 

Hey! I’m Yihan, I am in my last year at UofT specializing Statistics with a focus on Cognitive Psychology. I will employ statistical methods such as distributional regression to analyze the distribution of well-being, hoping to find out what works for people who are suffering and what works for people who are thriving. When I’m not studying, I often go to see live rock bands, read some old novels, and wander around to enjoy the fresh air!

Hi, I’m Mei, and I am currently a psychology research specialist student. I’m broadly interested in mechanisms of social cognition and collaborative decision-making. Previously a Sociology student, two things have contributed to my presence in PWB: 1) my fanatic desire in understanding human behavior in as many lens as possible, and 2) consequentially, my strong interest in understanding mechanics of rigorous scientific practices. Outside research, I enjoy watching movie and video-gaming.

Kenneth is entering his fourth year at the University of Toronto and is majoring in Cognitive Science and minoring in Digital Humanities & Statistics. He is interested in managing data sets and creating interactive graphs in order to display research findings. In his spare time, he likes to play football, listen to music, and try new local restaurants.

Hi! My name is William and I’m a second-year student at U of T studying computer science and economics. It’s my first year at PWB, and I’m hoping to use machine learning tools to investigate the relationship between democratic backsliding and well-being. Outside of the lab, I’m part of the You’re Next Career Network and enjoy performing and writing music! Sometimes those musical projects end up on YouTube and I spend too long looking at the analytics.

Hi, my name is Jessie! I’m a 4th year undergraduate student majoring in Psychology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. I will be going to the University of Toronto as an exchange student to work on my independent research project. In my free time, I like trying out new restaurants and sightseeing!!

My name is Jaemin, and I am a third-year student pursuing a Psychology Research Specialist and Education & Society Minor. I am interested in exploring how social categories (e.g., race, gender), people around them (e.g., peers, parents), and the greater system (e.g., institutions, norms) intersect together to shape individual’s wellbeing across development. Outside of the lab, I enjoy spending time exploring nature, painting, and listening to live music!

Hi, my name is Rachel! I am a third-year psychology research specialist interested in the factors that determine the well-being of neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals. I am also particularly passionate about how social development influences determinants of well-being. Apart from research, I enjoy travelling and exploring local coffee spots!

Hi, my name is Anson. I hold a Master’s degree in Data Science and Business Statistics, and currently studying Behavioural Sciences. I am interested in Data Science, Statistics and Psychology. I would like to gain work experience in the research field.

Cathy is a recent UofT graduate who studied Chemistry, Statistics, and Economics. She is interested in applying data science, data analytics, and data visualization to topics in happiness, population well-being, and meaningful life outcomes. In her free time, you can find her dragon boat racing, Olympic lifting, or reading romance novels.

Katie is an aspiring mixed-methods researcher with experience in multiple disciplines – including psychology, neuroscience, public policy, and international development. She is pursuing two projects in the lab: her thesis seeks to examine novel trajectories of subjective wellbeing towards death in a Chinese dataset, and her individual project aims to qualitatively understand what ‘a perfect life’ looks like in the present among students at a university in Toronto, Canada. In her spare time, Katie is an avid consumer of bad reality TV and the soapiest dramas China has to offer.

Gwen is a postdoc in the PWB lab interested in cultural differences in well-being. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of California, Riverside with David Funder with a focus on person-culture fit and well-being. Afterwards she lived in Germany for 2 years as a Humboldt Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Bielefeld University. Outside of the lab she enjoys reading, playing board games, and exploring new places.

Anna earned her master’s degree in psychology from Leipzig University in Germany and joined the lab for a research stay. She plans on entering a PhD program in Germany afterwards. She pursues her interest in Positive Psychology and is interested in factors that contribute to higher well-being and how major individual or population events affect well-being. Besides her studies, she loves the outdoors, sports like Yoga and climbing and reading and spending time with others.

Cookie is a 3rd year Psychology specialist and Fundamental genetics major. Her research interests fall across multiple disciplines, like social psych, personality psych, and genetics, as she explores the ultimate question of “What makes us who we are?”. Outside of academia, she enjoys badminton, cycling in nature, learning Japanese culture, and playing Switch.

Hi! My name is Yiyang, and I am currently a first-year master’s student in the Faculty of Information studying Human-Centred Data Science. I did my undergraduate studies at UofT in applied statistics and mathematics with a focus in economics. My research interests include well-being and public health related topics. In my spare, I enjoy exploring new restaurants and spending time cuddling with my cat.

Hi! My name is Muhammad, and I am a fourth-year undergraduate student pursuing a double major in Economics and Public Policy, with a Focus in Data Analytics and a Minor in Political Science.

At the Population Well-being Lab, I am researching how GDP is linked with subjective well-being within and across countries around the world. Specifically, I am trying to see if the Easterlin Paradox exists, using results from the Gallup World Poll.

Outside of the lab, I enjoy listening to podcasts, and trying new fried chicken places around the City!

Alannis is a rising third-year at Columbia University studying political science and education. Her research interests include public health and housing justice. Outside of research, Alannis loves working with children and animals, and spends much of her time in parks with her dog.

My name is Raphael, and I’m an international student from Germany. I will be interning at the PWB lab this summer and will receive my bachelor’s degree in psychology shortly after. Amongst my researcher interest are open and meta science, conceptual memory, and personality psychology. Outside the lab, I enjoy playing board games, watching movies, and riding the bike.

Hi! I’m Seoyoung, and I’m a UTEA-SSH award research trainee at the PWB Lab. I’m also a graduating HBSc Psychology Specialist student at the University of Toronto. Currently, I am investigating how the increased use of robots in the workplace may be linked to a socioeconomic disparity in well-being. When I am not in the lab, I go to classical music concerts to motivate myself to practice, read books written in Korean and English to keep up with both languages, and learn German to spice things up.

Freeman is a fourth-year undergrad at U of T specializing in psychology and minoring in philosophy and ecology. He is still exploring what he wants to do with his psychology degree after graduation – hopefully something related to mental health. In his spare time, he likes to play basketball, draw, and think about random things.

Manhal Sultana is a 4th year Honours B.Sc. student at the University of Toronto, with a Specialist in Psychology. She is a research assistant with the Population Well-Being lab, where she is currently exploring vaccine hesitancy amongst the pandemic. Her research interests are in psychopathology, neurocognitive disorders, and promoting psychological well-being. Outside of the lab, she is a research trainee at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), where she focuses on disease management within schizophrenia patients.

Hello! My name is Jialin and I’m entering my fourth year of the psychology specialist program in the fall. I’ll be completing a thesis in the Population Well-being Lab this year. My research interests are varied and span mental, emotional and physical health-related topics. In my free time, I enjoy reading, playing games, and learning languages.

Hi, my name is Amanda Solomon and I am a third-year independent project student in the Population Well-Being Lab. I am a Psychology Specialist and Buddhism, Psychology, and Mental Health Minor. My research interests include well-being and election outcomes, which I am currently studying, as well as income inequality and class based differences in well-being. Outside of the lab I love photography and collecting records. A fun fact about me is that I am a twin!

Hi! My name is Hajar Seiyad (she/her), and I’m working on an independent project with this lab. I’m a 4th-year undergraduate student doing a double major in Mental Health Studies and Political Science. My research interests include youth mental health, disparities in health and educational outcomes, memory, and perception. In my free time I enjoy reading and baking!

I am a first-time volunteer with the PWB lab, and I’m starting my third year of undergrad majoring in International Relations and Criminology. My main interests are in comparative law and in the different ways that justice systems reinforce inequalities. I’m hoping to translate this into a lab-related project on how societal well-being affects the frequency of crime and other deviant behaviours. Lastly, some things that make me happy are: puzzles, pets (I have three!) and playing the piano… and alliteration 🙂