Welcome back and introductions!

Welcome back to a new school year! We are the new lab managers this year and our names are Mira Kirschner and Lorena Nunes. Here is a little description about both of us: Hi! I’m Mira Kirschner, a senior double major in Psychological Sciences and Bio/Biotechnology. I am from San Francisco, California and my pronouns […]

Ellie Researches 3D Printing Food For Her STAR Award!

This summer, Ellie is researching 3D food printing and exploring the potential ways it can be applied as part of her Summer Training in Arts & Sciences Research (STAR). Ellie describes that, “3D food printers produce food products that are both pretty and practical. These 3D food products can be used to improve eating experiences […]

Congratulations Tina! Paper accepted for publication!

Tina’s paper from her MQP (senior thesis) work is being published in Appetite! Congratulations Tina! If you are interested in reading more about the association between smartphone use and food consumption, click here for the full article.

Congrats Alis, Despina, and Katy!

Congratulations to the SEED Lab seniors who just graduated! You will be missed, thank you for all your hard work in the lab!

Congrats Katy for winning the MQP Provost Award!

This year Katy won the Provost’s Award for Psychological Science department for her senior thesis work! Katy and her team investigated the biological and behavioral effects of an antidepressant on the model organism C. elegans. They observed changes in egg-laying behavior, lipid composition, and locomotion behavior. Read the full report here! We are so proud […]

A Critical Conversation about Student Mental Health on 4/7!

Recent research reports that more than half of the college student population experiences one or more health problems. With all the stressors that college students face, this might not be that surprising. But the real question is this: What can we do about it? Join us on Wednesday, April 7 from 3-4pm for the next […]

Upcoming Neuroscience Seminar Series talk with Dr. Janine Dutcher! 2/4

Dr. R is so excited to welcome her friend and colleague Dr. Janine Dutcher as a speaker in the WPI Neuroscience Seminar series. Come hear about her fascinating work on the neuroscience of stress reduction! February 4th at 4pm! Click here to join the Zoom!

Dr. R speaks in a recent “Ask Me Anything” event!

Dr. R. recently participated in an “Ask Me Anything” event focused on the science of stress, along with Dean Jean King and Professor Erin Solovey. We are constantly multitasking, moving quickly, and being overstimulated, so it’s no wonder stress has become more prevalent than ever. And in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought about new types and […]

Dr. R’s new paper in Neurobiology of Stress!

Dr. R.’s recent paper investigated the role of discrimination in promoting postpartum mental health issues among Latina mothers. She and her colleagues found that not only does discrimination predict impaired mental health, but epigenetic play a key role in this process. Click here to learn more about this study!

Dr. R and Katy Published in Obesity!

Check out the paper Dr. R and Katy collaborated on that was just published in Obesity! Also, a huge congratulations to Katy on her very first, first-authored publication! Click here to learn about their findings regarding weight stigma toward pregnant and postpartum women in the media.