Merced Experimental Social and Health (MESH) Psychology Laboratory

We aim to understand health decision-making and behavior through a social psychological lens. Most of our work occurs at the intersection of health decision making and behavior (e.g., screening, sunscreen use) and the self (e.g., self-perception, identity), and typically focuses on understanding how people prepare for and respond to bad news and negative life events.

 

People in the MESH lab

Principal Investigator: Jennifer L. Howell, PhD

Dr. Jennifer Howell is an associate professor of health psychology at the University of California, Merced. She received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX, and her MS and PhD with a focus in Social Psychology from the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL.

Her research focuses on the intersection of social psychology and health. She is particularly interested in how processes surrounding the self (e.g., defensiveness, social comparison) influence health decision-making and behavior.

More about Dr. Howell and her vita are available here.

PhD Students

Charlie Coward

Charlie started the Ph.D. program in Health Psychology at the University of California, Merced in 2023. He earned his B.S. in Psychology from Kent State University in 2023 where he researched interactions between personality characteristics and health information avoidance. Broadly, he is interested in intersections of the self and identity in the way individuals think about their own health and approach health-care systems.

Email Charlie

Simi Panda

Simi started the Ph.D. program in Health Psychology at the University of California, Merced in 2025. She earned her B.S. In Psychobiology from UCLA in 2022 where she engaged in research centered around the experience of losing a loved one and the resources available for bereaved individuals on college campuses. She is interested on expanding upon this line of research through comparing different experiences of loss and the ways loss may influence individuals' health. Outside of work, Simi enjoys mailing letters to her friends, smothering her cat, and going on ice cream runs for a quick little treat.

Email Simi

Camryn Hutchins

Camryn started the Ph.D. program in Health Psychology at UC Merced in 2025. She earned her B.S. in Psychology from Knox College in 2023. After graduating, Camryn spent two years as a post-baccalaureate researcher in a health psychology lab, studying biofeedback and interoceptive awareness, and in a clinical psychology lab, assessing relationships between minoritized identities and mental health. She is interested in how possessing identities in conflict (e.g., being LGBTQ+ and religious) affects information avoidance and well-being.

Email Camryn
Camryn's Google Scholar Profile
 

Former PhD Students & Post Docs

PhD Students: 
​Jacqueline Hua, PhD, MPH ​(Postdoctoral Fellow, National Cancer Institute)
Bianca Hinojosa, PhD (Assistant Professor, San Jose State University)
Angela Johnson, PhD (Postdoctoral Fellow, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
​Avia Gray, PhD (Postdoctoral Fellow, Baylor Scott & White Health)
William Meese, PhD (Postdoctoral Fellow, Boston College)

Postdoctoral Fellows: 
Maryam Hussain, PhD (Biostatistician, UCSD, Microgen Laboratories)  

Undergraduate Students

Dr. Howell's MESH Lab, Fall 2025

 

Current and Former Undergraduate Research Assistants at UC Merced

5-6 Semesters
Allan Contreras, Michael Vang, Tea Pusey, Angela Quiroz-Cruz, Ava Smith, Emely Cruz, Navroop Saini

3-4 Semesters
Anthony Chen, Bernice Nguyen, Blue Cuenco, Brendan Bedolla, Catleen Casinto, David Olson, David Parker, Evelyn Rodarte, Graciela Segura, Jacob Feitelberg, Jesus Palomares, Jose Olivo, Lacye Lawson, Lam-Anh Nguyen, Larissa Shashte , Rosario Aguilar, Sheemrun Ranjan, Shreya Desai, Tony Nguyen, Vanessa Maldonado, Angel Mariscal, Angelica Castillo, Arthur Tung, Barbara Lopez, Cassie Lopes, Esmeralda Chaidez , Eva Schaffer , Giovanni Alvarado, Jennifer Duran, Jessica Rodriguez, Kelly Le, Lizbeth Correa Mendoza , Mirna Cardenas Diaz, Nanveet Kaur, Nhi Le, Rachel Pagaduan, Raven Burton, Sofia Pino, Yadira Solache Sanchez, Zilay Ziliayi

1-2 Semesters
Alexa Corrales, Alexys Lavis, Alison Tuoyo, Alveen Singh, Andres Nunez, Angelina Rodriguez, Audrey Goonetilleke, Blanca Madrigal, Brianna Chavez, Chris Martens, David Mejia, Dylan Jong, Edith Vasquez, Edwin Gomez Linares, Eliana Tovar, Emily Juarez, Esther Jin, Fatima Rizvi, Francisco Salazar 'Sal', Haley Rogina, Hannah Dillon, Jackelyn Ordaz, Katie Ticas, Khadijat Alli, Kristofer Martin, Kyndra Kiser, Layla Rivers, Leslie Camarena, Linh-Chi Nguyen, Lorena Estrella, Madison Reyna, Makayla Souza, Malaikah Holland, Minnie Phumiwasana, Noshin Farhin, Pardeep Singh, Rachel Bryan, Vivian Vera, Zaida Escamilla , Angelo Pacia, Anna Carr, Anysleydi Ramos Sandoval, Autumn Bekzadian-Avila, Christopher Chiang, Dennis Wang, Ellie Robledo, Hannah Sahota, Jaedah Welsh, Jaspreet Shoker, Kasia Holland, Kyra Cocio, Lakshmi Ortiz Nunez, Lionel Liu, Maya Wong, Nicholas Acosta, Ramandeep Dosanjh, Reese Flores, Seyeon Park, Silvia Vargas, Sydney Fallejo, Victoria Mendez
 

Join the MESH lab

Graduate Students


I am currently accepting graduate students (to begin in the 2025-2026 school year).

Details for those wishing to start Fall 2025: Applicants interested in joining the lab should submit their materials to the UCM graduate program http://graduatedivision.ucmerced.edu/prospective-students/how-apply.
Visit: http://psychology.ucmerced.edu/graduate-program for more information on applying.


Undergraduate Students


I recruit new students to work in my lab each semester. Research assistants are responsible for running participants in studies, helping with the development of study materials, piloting study materials, and entering and proofing data. As students advance, there can also be opportunities for lab management positions and individual or small-group research.

Undergraduates interested in working in my lab should send me and and Charlie Coward an email with their application form (link below) attached. The earlier the better!

I have four criteria in selecting undergraduate research assistants:

1. I require a two-semester commitment (Fall and Spring, or Spring and Fall; We may have opportunities for volunteers over the summer, but it does not count toward the two-semester commitment).
2. Must be outgoing and extraverted.
3. Must be willing to work in the lab up to 8 hours per week (actual hours will vary throughout the semester) and attend a 1-hour weekly lab meeting (The lab meeting is at 9:30am on Fridays).
4. Must have completed introductory psychology with a B or better


Please note that we make decisions at the end of each semester for the next semester. So, if you apply early in the semester, it may be a little while before we make our decisions. To check on the status of your application, you can email Charlie Coward