Faculty
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Tamsin C. German, PhD
Director of the CDL & Faculty Advisor Email: tamsin.german@psych.ucsb.edu Faculty profile: http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/people/faculty/german Tamsin German studied Experimental Psychology at Corpus Christi College, University of Oxford, earning her B.A. in Experimental Psychology (1991), before moving to London to study at the Medical Research Council Cognitive Development Unit and the Department of Psychology, University College London, earning her Ph.D. in Psychology (1995). After a short appointment as a visiting Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Center for Cognitive Science at Rutgers University during 1995 and a first faculty position at the Department of Psychology, University of Essex, UK, from 1996-2001, Tamsin accepted her current position at UCSB. |
Graduate Students
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Jack Strelich
PhD candidate with the CDL strelich@psych.ucsb.edu Jack Strelich studies dehumanization, anthropomorphism, and mind perception in general from an evolutionary perspective. Jack graduated from Occidental College in 2011 with a B.A. in Psychology, and from California State University, Sacramento in 2016 with an M.A. in Psychology. |
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Selina Mixner
PhD student with the CDL mixner@psych.ucsb.edu Selina Mixner studies the LGBTQIA+ community and how stories shape the developing mind. Her research interests also include fanfiction and fandom communities, “weird” internet trends and the effects of diverse media representation for minority communities. Selina graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2016 with a B.A. in Psychology and English Language Literature. |
Affiliated Researchers
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Spencer Mermelstein, PhD
spencer.mer@gmail.com Drawing on evolutionary, developmental, and cognitive psychology, Spencer studies the psychological mechanisms that defend the mind from misinformation as well as the mental representation of "counterintuitive" concepts like those found in religion and science. Spencer earned his PhD in Psychological & Brain Sciences from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2021. He also works as a market researcher in Santa Monica, CA. Twitter | ResearchGate | GoogleScholar | LinkedIn |
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Erin Horowitz, PhD
horowitz@psych.ucsb.edu Dr. Horowitz examines theory of mind and its development in early childhood. She graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 2010 with a B.A. in Psychology and Social Behavior and a B.S. in Cognitive Science. |
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Michael Barlev, PhD
Postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Psychology, Arizona State University. mlbarlev@gmail.com Dr. Barlev is a Postdoctoral Fellow with the Psychology Department at Arizona State University. You can read about his research here. Google Scholar profile. |
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Current RAs
Amel Alrifai - B.S. in Psychological & Brain Sciences with a minor in Applied Psychology, interested in memory, learning, and cognition.
Anita Huang - B.S. in Psychological & Brain Sciences, interested in perception, close relationships, and development.
Michael Starkman - B.S. in Biopsychology, interested in the assimilation and psychological health of immigrants to the United States.
Isabel Sobrepera - B.S. in Psychological & Brain Sciences with a minor in Religious Studies, interested in psychopathology, evolution, and religion.
Alumni
Jenniffer Wong Chavez - B.S. in Psychological & Brain Sciences with a minor in Religious Studies, 2020, currently a Masters candidate in Psychology at California State University, Long Beach. Interested in visual group perception and self image, particularly in the context of minority populations in the US.
Daniel Vu - B.S. in Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology, 2020, currently applying to medical school. Interested in college student psychological wellbeing and resilience.
Alicia Hernandez - B.A. in Psychology with a minor in English, 2019, currently a J.D. candidate at UC Irvine School of Law.
Hannah Wenzel - B.A. in Psychology, 2019. Interested in language, executive function, and theory of mind.
If you are interested in working with us as a research assistant, please see this page.
Amel Alrifai - B.S. in Psychological & Brain Sciences with a minor in Applied Psychology, interested in memory, learning, and cognition.
Anita Huang - B.S. in Psychological & Brain Sciences, interested in perception, close relationships, and development.
Michael Starkman - B.S. in Biopsychology, interested in the assimilation and psychological health of immigrants to the United States.
Isabel Sobrepera - B.S. in Psychological & Brain Sciences with a minor in Religious Studies, interested in psychopathology, evolution, and religion.
Alumni
Jenniffer Wong Chavez - B.S. in Psychological & Brain Sciences with a minor in Religious Studies, 2020, currently a Masters candidate in Psychology at California State University, Long Beach. Interested in visual group perception and self image, particularly in the context of minority populations in the US.
Daniel Vu - B.S. in Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology, 2020, currently applying to medical school. Interested in college student psychological wellbeing and resilience.
Alicia Hernandez - B.A. in Psychology with a minor in English, 2019, currently a J.D. candidate at UC Irvine School of Law.
Hannah Wenzel - B.A. in Psychology, 2019. Interested in language, executive function, and theory of mind.
If you are interested in working with us as a research assistant, please see this page.
Former Graduate Students & Affiliates
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Joni Sasaki is Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Hawaii.
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Danielle Truxaw is a lecturer in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University.
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Max M. Krasnow is Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University.
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Annie E. Wertz is Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Research Group - Naturalistic Social Cognition.
Lab Website: https://www.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/en/research/max-planck-research-groups/mprg-naturalistic-social-cognition |
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David Pietraszewski is a postdoctoral researcher with the Max Planck Institute for Adaptive Rationality.
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Jeffrey L. Niehaus is a lecturer in the Department of Psychology at Christopher Newport University.
jeffrey.niehaus@cnu.edu |
Greta Defeyter is an Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor and Professor in the Department of Psychology at Northumbria University.
greta.defeyter@northumbria.ac.uk
greta.defeyter@northumbria.ac.uk
