PI: Dr. Gonzalez
This is not Dr. Gonzalez, but this is one of her two rabbits helping with data analysis as a youngin’.
This is Dr. Gonzalez drinking coffee in the mist.
Dr. Gonzalez is short for Marlen Zoraida Maria Gonzalez Caraballo (de Lawley). She is originally from the Dominican Republic but grew up in the tristate area. She received her BA in Psychology and English Creative writing from Manhattanville College. After conducting policy research with low-income families and social neuroscience research with families in the Simon Simplex Study (looking at families with de-novo Autism diagnoses), Dr. Gonzalez went to the University of Virginia to work with Dr. James A. Coan and earn a degree in clinical psychology. Her work, and that of the Life History Lab, is to understand how developmental context shapes the adult brain and what it means for dimensions of normative behavior as well as non-communicative diseases such as mental health and cardiovascular health. By developmental context, she means the totality of our childhood environment– the physical, social, political, and economic affordances and dangers which make demands of us. She is interested in working with students who are creative but ultimately grounded in methods and able to create steady progress.
Postdoctoral Researcher: Marissa Rice
Marissa is from Virginia Beach, VA and is completing her PhD in Behavioral and Evolutionary Neuroscience at Cornell. Her research uses an integrative approach that combines behavioral ecology, neuroscience, cognition, and environmental psychology. She is interested in how physical space use and social affordances influence individual behavior and decision making. She is also excited to translate her findings with animal research (voles) into meaningful human applications. Outside of the lab you can find Marissa writing on her blog about mental clarity or doing comedy with her improv troupe the Comedy FLOPs.
Minwoo Lee joined the Life History Lab in 2023 after completing his Ph.D. in Anthropology at Emory University. His research revolves around the evolutionary and developmental basis of prosociality in humans. He is especially interested in how the neuropeptide oxytocin helps us interface with our ever-changing social environments via neural and bodily mechanisms such as reinforcement learning, social bonding, stress response, and energy expenditure. In the long run, he aims to build a research program that can contribute to basic science and public health, especially concerning social minorities and foreign immigrants in South Korea. Outside the lab, he loves hiking, cooking, and playing the piano- as far as his cat grants him some free time.
Graduate Students
Samantha De Leon Sautu is a latinamerican MD who sees health and wellbeing as a construction we make in each other’s bodies as we interact with them through out our lives. During her time outside of the lab you’ll find her consuming excessive music and cat cuddles.
Xinyi Deng is from Chongqing, China and has been a lab manager in the Life History Lab. She completed her Master’s degree in Human Development at Cornell University in August, 2023. Xinyi is interested in studying the interactions between the brain, body and environment in people with affective disorders and sleep disorders. She particularly enjoys learning about the neural correlates of reward sensitivity and decision making. Outside of the lab, she enjoys hiking, painting and road trip.
Research Assistants
Laura Chang is from Rockville, Maryland and is a senior studying Anthropology and Biological Sciences with a concentration in Neurobiology & Physiology. She is interested in how sociocultural factors play into health disparities, and she aims to pursue an MD-PhD to become a physician-anthropologist. Outside of class, you will find her feeding her chaotic caffeine addiction and wrestling (not concurrently though!).
Jailyn Wilson is from Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia and is a junior studying Psychology and Biology & Society. She is interested in how negative factors from childhood can affect one in adulthood, and she plans to pursue a Clinical Psychology PhD to become a licensed therapist as well as a professor. Outside of class, she enjoys going hiking, playing the ukulele, as well as cooking!
Mirely Garcia is a junior, majoring in human development with a minor in health inequality studies. She’s interested in the role social-cultural factors play in the development and treatment of psychopathology, and aspires to pursue a degree in clinical psychology. Outside of the lab, she’s an avid reader, a late-night political satire enthusiast, and zestful dancer.
Bella Raneri is from Bracey, VA and is a sophomore concentrating in Neurobiology and Behavior on the premedical track. Coming from a rural area, she is interested in the roles that access to quality healthcare and education during childhood and adolescence play in later neural outcomes. In her free time, she loves to hike the waterfalls in Ithaca, watch UNC men’s basketball, and browse antique stores.
Rachel Kodysh is a psychology major graduating with the class of 2024. She loves reading, watching horror movies, and ruining her hearing by constantly blasting loud music. She is interested in the psychological development of the individual through their direct influence of their environment and the change of synaptic plasticity over the course of one’s lifetime. She hopes to capture meaningful factors in the creation of defense mechanisms.
Scout Santos is a junior studying Psychology and Neuroscience from Seattle, WA! She is interested in exploring how elements of early childhood experience relate to later social relationships and psychopathology symptoms. Outside the lab, she enjoys keeping up with politics, trail running and drinking lots of coffee!
Sara Hishinuma is from New York, NY and Nagoya, Japan. She is currently a junior majoring in Biological Sciences in CALS with a concentration in Neurobiology and Behavior and is pursuing minors in Health Care Policy and Business. She is interested in neuroplasticity and the interaction between neural development and disparities in healthcare access and socioeconomic status. After graduation, she hopes to pursue research in neuro-oncology or neurodegeneration before pursuing an MD-PhD. Outside of class, she enjoys attending Cornell fitness classes, drawing, skiing, playing tennis, and cooking with friends.
Maya Murry is from Philadelphia, PA and grew up in Saudi Arabia. She is currently a sophomore majoring in Computer Science minoring in Fine Arts. She is interested in the intersection of cognition and computation and evolving mental health diagnostics using AI. She is a member of the Women’s Wrestling team and engineering fraternity Theta Tau. In her free time, she powerlifts, creates art, and captures as much of Ithaca while biking.
Cherrie Lan is a senior majoring in Human Development and minoring in Gerontology from Long Island, NY. She is interested in how one’s childhood developmental context influences adverse mental health outcomes in adulthood and she plans to either pursue a career as a clinical psychologist or a marriage and family therapist. Outside the lab, she enjoys exploring new cafes and brunch spots around Ithaca, baking and cooking, and arranging flower bouquets.
Dylan Hoell is a senior from Sea Cliff, New York. He is an Arts & Sciences College Scholar, following an interdisciplinary course of study drawing on psychology, neurobiology, and sociology. He is interested in understanding how adverse contexts like poverty can impact the developing brain, and is excited about applying research in neuroscience to do social good. Outside of class, he works as a Nursing Assistant at Cayuga Medical Center, and his free time is spent running, enjoying live music, writing, sailing, and meditating.
Charlotte Cannizzo was born and raised in Bergen County, New Jersey and is currently a sophomore studying Psychology in the School of Arts and Sciences. She is most interested in how environment and social behaviors affect brain development in areas such as stress responsivity and emotion regulation and hopes to pursue a career in clinical psychology. Outside of class, Charlotte volunteers for the Crisis Text Line, and in her free time, she enjoys baking treats for her friends and family, trying new restaurants in Ithaca, and playing the guitar!
Subahnia Ali is a junior from Union City, California studying Global and Public Health Sciences in CALS, with a minor in Human Development. She hopes to pursue an MD-MPH to address health care disparities while clinically working with pediatric patient populations. Subahnia has a background in clinical anatomy and is interested in neurology and psychopathology. In the lab, she is interested in investigating the developmental role of oxytocin. Outside of the lab, Subahnia loves to read, play guitar, and drink white peppermint mochas!
Yan Yu is a freshman from Coopersburg, Pennsylvania majoring in Human Biology, Health, and Society with a minor in business. She is interested in how adverse childhood events alter one’s future decision-making and experiences as well as how environmental contexts escalate senior isolation. In her free time, she loves to cook different cuisines, practice tennis, and play board games.
Mia Reyes, a native of Brooklyn, New York, and the Dominican Republic, is a second-year student, majoring in Global and Public Health Sciences with a minor in Inequality Studies on the Health Track. She is interested in unraveling the intricate connections between socioeconomic factorsin childhood and their enduring impact on individuals throughout adulthood, particularly explored through the lens of neuroscience. With a diverse upbringing that exposed her to various environments and cultures, Mia is keen on understanding how our early experiences shape behaviors and health outcomes. This curiosity fuels her ambition to contribute meaningfully to the field of medicine. In the lab, Mia aspires to build bridges between the realms of public health and neuroscience. Outside of the lab, Mia is a member of a Latin dance team, enjoys crocheting and trying new foods.
Benjamin Loong is from Smyrna, Georgia and is a sophomore studying Human Biology, Health, and Society. He is interested in how sociocultural values within our built environments shape adolescent development and aspires to pursue a career in medicine. Outside of the lab, he enjoys swimming, hiking, and honing his baking skills.
