How does the way we communicate affect our health?
I study how our conversations, relationships, and everyday interactions influence our ability to cope with stress, build resilience, and live healthier lives.
News & Highlights
Upcoming TEDx Talk: Reclaiming Our Attention in a Digital Age
I'm excited to be speaking at TEDxUniversityofDelaware on November 12, 2026!
My talk, Mindful Social Media: Reclaiming Our Attention in a Digital Age, explores how social media captures our attention and what we can do about it. Drawing on my research on mindfulness and technology, I'll share how paying closer attention to our experiences online might help us develop a healthier relationship with social media.
Research Recognized with the Franklin H. Knower Award
I'm honored to receive the 2026 Franklin H. Knower Award from the Interpersonal Communication Division of the National Communication Association.
The award recognizes research my colleagues and I conducted examining how different types of supportive messages affect stress responses and well-being among LGBTQ+ individuals who have experienced hate speech. I'm grateful to my collaborators for their contributions to this work and excited to see this research recognized.
Can Mindful Scrolling Improve Our Well-Being?
We often hear about the negative effects of social media, but what if changing how we scroll could make a difference?
In an initial study, my research team and I found that people who spent just over 11 minutes scrolling through social media mindfully reported lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, along with more positive moods, compared with those who scrolled as usual.
These findings are currently under peer review, and we're continuing to explore how long the effects last, how much mindful scrolling is needed, and whether this approach also influences our bodies' physiological responses to stress.
I'm excited to see where this research takes us as we explore ways to develop healthier relationships with technology.