Director
Tiffany Ho, Ph.D.
Dr. Tiffany Ho is an Associate Professor and the Jeffrey and Wenzel Endowed Term Chair in Behavioral Neuroscience in the Department of Psychology. She holds a joint appointment in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, and is a participating faculty member in the Brain Research Institute and Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Neuroscience (NSIDP) at UCLA. Dr. Ho studied Cognitive Science as an undergraduate at UC Berkeley before earning her Ph.D. in Psychology at UC San Diego. Dr. Ho returned to the Bay Area to receive postdoctoral training in clinical neuroscience at UC San Francisco in the Department of Psychiatry and in affective science at Stanford University in the Department of Psychology. From 2018-2019, Dr. Ho was an Instructor at Stanford University in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. From 2019-2022, Dr. Ho was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UC San Francisco. Outside of the lab, Dr. Ho enjoys checking out open houses and new restaurants with her husband and two kids.
Study Coordinators
Sara Wong, M.A.
Sara Wong (she/her/hers) graduated from Emory University in 2023 with her M.A. in Clinical Psychology. She is interested in the interaction of affective and cognitive processes in the context of developmental psychopathology and aims to obtain a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and become a pediatric neuropsychologist.
Cheryl Sun, B.A.
Cheryl graduated from UCLA in 2024 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in statistics. Her research interests include how social factors influence the development, diagnosis, and treatment of psychological disorders. When not in the lab, she enjoys baking and traveling. Cheryl hopes to apply to a Ph.D. program in psychology and to conduct research on the neural bases of social and affective processes.
Postdoctoral Scientists
Dr. Katie Bessette
Dr. Katie Bessette is a postdoctoral project scientist in the CANDY Lab, and previously worked as a clinical trials therapist through the PCORI-funded Partners in Caring For Anxious Youth (PCAY) study, and continues to train as a pediatric neuropsychology fellow at the Medical Psychology Assessment Clinic (MPAC) in the Semel Institute. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Illinois Chicago in 2022, where she specialized in the neuropsychology of mood disorders in youth and young adults. Dr. Bessette completed her APA-accredited pediatric neuropsychology internship at UCLA. She uses a developmental psychopathology approach to understand the neurodevelopmental trajectories of mood disorders in youth, with a particular interest in multimodal interactions of cognitive control and mood regulation.
Graduate Students
Melanie Dratva, B.S.
Melanie Dratva (she/her/hers) is a second-year Clinical Psychology Ph.D. student at UCLA. She graduated in 2023 from UC San Diego with her B.S. in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience and a minor in General Biology. She is interested in neurobiological mechanisms underlying adolescent depression and anxiety as well as neuroplasticity, sex differences, and antidepressant treatment responsiveness. Outside of her research, Melanie enjoys traveling, crafting, working out, and spending time with friends.
Shiyin Liu, B.S.
Shiyin Liu (she/her) is a second-year clinical psychology Ph.D. student in the CANDY Lab. She graduated from Emory University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology (NBB). After college, Shiyin worked as a clinical research coordinator under Dr. Michael Treadway, studying the neuroscience behind avolition and anhedonia in depression. In her graduate studies, Shiyin is interested in exploring the development of depression from a social neuroscience perspective. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her dog, Bagel, trying new boba spots in LA, and binge-watching TV shows.
Anu Mummaneni, B.S.
Anurima Mummaneni (she/her) is a second-year Ph.D. student in NSIDP at UCLA. She graduated from the University of Chicago in 2024 with a B.S. in Neuroscience. She is interested in the neural underpinnings of sleep and the mechanisms underlying sleep’s relationship with cognition and affect. Outside of the lab, Anu enjoys hiking, dancing, and looking for the best boba in LA.
Rotating Graduate Students
Nicolette Recchia, B.S.
Nicolette is a Ph.D. student at UCLA in NSIDP at UCLA. She received a B.S. at SUNY Binghamton in Integrative Neuroscience. She is interested in understanding how the brain regulates sensory and interoceptive information and how these neural computations go awry in individuals with autism and who engage in self-injurious behaviors.
Collaborating Graduate Students & Postdocs
Saché Coury
Saché is a Ph.D. student at UCLA in the Developmental area working under the mentorship of Dr. Jennifer Silvers. She received a B.A. in Psychology from Stanford University and worked with Dr. Ian Gotlib on a wide range of longitudinal neuroimaging studies examining the effects of early adversity and depression on adolescent brain development.
Jasper Laca
Jasper is an incoming Ph.D. student in Neuroscience at the University of Southern California. Jasper received a B.A. in Psychology from Occidental College and worked on a variety of developmental psychology and neuroimaging projects at UCLA, including several in the CANDY Lab. Jasper is particularly interested in developing novel methods to examine the topology and organization of functional brain networks to improve mechanistic understanding of depression.
Elizabeth McNeilly
Elizabeth is a Ph.D. student at the University of Oregon in the Clinical area working under the mentorship of Dr. Nicholas Allen. She is focused on understanding the effects of social media usage on adolescent brain development and mental health outcomes and leveraging passive sensing technology as a lens for assessing cognition and affect ecologically.
Amar Ojha
Amar received his Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh in Neuroscience working under the mentorship of Drs. Bea Luna and Cecile Ladouceur and is now a postdoc with Dr. Arielle Keller at the University of Connecticut to understand early life environmental factors shape the experience-dependent neurodevelopment of brain circuits that support affective and cognitive control processes.
Haley Wang
Haley is a Ph.D. student at UCLA in the Clinical area working under the mentorship of Dr. Katie Karlsgodt. She completed her BSc at Beijing Normal University and MSc at King’s College London then worked at the Imaging Research Center at UC Davis before coming to UCLA. Haley is interested in using computational methods to map brain network heterogeneity with transdiagnostic symptom dimensions. Outside of the lab, she enjoys rock climbing, scuba diving, and spending time with her dog.
Volunteer Research Assistants
Golnaz Ahmadieh
Bio incoming!
Hadi Alhoussayni
Hadi is a third-year Psychobiology major at the University of California, Los Angeles. As a pre-med student, he is interested in health equity and understanding how research can be used to improve care for underserved populations. More specifically, he hopes to better understand how brain, environment, and access to care interact to shape health outcomes across communities. Outside of the lab, Hadi enjoys biking, baking, and trying new restaurants around Los Angeles.
Candice Au-Yeung
Candice is a junior at the University of California, Los Angeles, studying Psychobiology. Her research interests include how social and environmental factors directly influence biology, particularly at the neural level, and their consequent effects on the development of mental disorders. She is also interested in seeing how social processing is altered in individuals with depression, how social support and social networks affect recovery, and how different types of therapy influence responsiveness. When not in the lab, she enjoys reading and writing fiction, going on walks in nature, and exploring cafes. She intends to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and become a clinical psychologist.
Jordan Barrera
Bio incoming!
Shiyu (Shirley) Cao
Bio incoming!
Tiffany Chow
Tiffany is a junior at the University of California, Los Angeles studying Psychobiology. Her research interests include the impact of trauma and stress on adolescent development. Outside of the lab, she enjoys working out in the gym, hiking, and going on drives to viewpoints. Tiffany hopes to attend medical school and become an anesthesiologist.
Sydney Di Lena
Sydney is a third-year Psychology major and Applied Developmental Psychology minor. She is especially interested in cognitive development and behavior across the lifespan. After completing her undergraduate degree, she hopes to continue her education and work towards earning a Ph.D. in clinical or developmental psychology. Overall, she hopes to contribute to research, and provide quality interventions that enhance mental health and well-being.
Hannah Fu
Hannah is a first-year at the University of California, Los Angeles, studying Psychology. Her research interests include emotional development, gender stereotypes, and mood disorders. After completing her undergraduate degree, she hopes to continue her education and work towards a Ph.D in clinical psychology with a focus on developmental psychology. Outside of the lab, she enjoys sailing, crocheting, and exploring new places.
Jamal Hashimi
Jamal is a senior at the University of California, Los Angeles studying Psychobiology. His research interests include the nuances of addiction and mood disorders, specifically the environmental and genetic factors that contribute to them. Outside of the lab, he is the financial director of the United Afghan Club at UCLA and an active member of the UCLA Muslim Students Association.
Kelsi Husted
Kelsi is a senior at the University of California, Los Angeles studying Psychobiology. Her research interests include how neurodevelopmental disorders and socioeconomic factors impact development. Outside of the lab, she works as a sailing instructor, plays tennis, going on hikes, and camping. She intends to become a developmental pediatrician.
Valerie Kuo
Valerie is a junior at the University of California, Los Angeles studying Psychobiology. Her research interests include mental disorders and their treatments – specifically in adolescents. When not in the lab, she enjoys playing musical instruments, journaling, and volunteering at the Ronald Reagan Hospital.
Alan Law
Alan is a fourth-year student at the University of California, Los Angeles, studying Psychology. His research interests include early identification of severe mental illnesses and evaluating current treatments. When not in the lab, Alan enjoys baseball, working out, and playing music with friends. He intends to pursue a PhD in Psychology and become a psychologist.
Charlotte Mignon
Charlotte is a senior at the University of California, Los Angeles studying Neuroscience. Her research interests include the neurological and biological aspects of mental illnesses. When not in the lab, she loves hiking, backpacking, and skiing. Charlotte hopes to become a doctor and work in pediatric neurology while conducting research on mental illness.
Siobhan Nelson
Bio incoming!
Diane Nguyen
Diane is a junior at the University of California, Los Angeles studying Psychology. Her research interests include mental health and disorders and the influence of family dynamics, specifically in adolescents. Outside of the lab, she enjoys reading, spending time with friends, and long walks around nature filled areas. Diane hopes to become a clinical psychologist focusing on developmental psychology.
Aran O’Sullivan
Bio incoming!
Simone Parvizi
Bio incoming!
Negin Poursoltan
Negin is a freshman at the University of California, Los Angeles studying Psychology. Her research interests include the evolution of mental disorders in correlation to trauma and adolescent development. Outside of the lab, she enjoys reading and spending time with family and friends. She hopes to utilize her experiences in ultimately pursuing a legal career after attending law school.
Kennedy Shultz
Kennedy is a junior at the University of California, Los Angeles studying Psychobiology. Her research interests include clinical psychology and neuroimaging. When not in the lab, she enjoys reading and spending time with friends. Kennedy hopes to attend medical school and become a psychiatrist.
Alexandra Souris
Alexandra is a senior studying Psychobiology and Economics at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her research interests include the intersection between various diagnosed mental disorders and their impacts on aging, as well as the development of mental disorders in adolescents. When not in the lab, she enjoys playing the electric guitar, practicing martial arts, and spending time at dog cafes! Alexandra is currently applying to dental school.
Huong Tran
Bio incoming!
Elaine Xu
Bio incoming!
Dana Yang
Dana is a freshman studying Psychobiology. Her research interests include investigating the social and biological factors that impact psychopathology. She is interested in attending med school and studying psychiatry, or becoming a clinical psychologist. In her free time, she enjoys drawing, reading, and hiking.
Julia Zhang
Bio incoming!
Volunteers (Non-Undergraduate)
Alumni
Check out our alumni page to see where they are now…!