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), and typically focuses on understanding how people prepare for and respond to bad news.

 

People in the MESH lab

Principal Investigator: Jennifer L. Howell, PhD

Dr. Jennifer Howell is an assistant 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.

Trainees

Maryam Hussain, PhD

Dr Maryam Hussain is a post-doctoral scholar in the Merced Experimental Social & Health Psychology (MESH) Lab and Stress & Health Lab. She earned her PhD from the University of Houston with a focus on Developmental & Learning Psychology and Statistics & Measurement. Her research examines health disparities within the context of cultural adversity and resiliency. As part of her post-doctoral training with Dr Howell, she is examining the link between psychosocial environments and cardiometabolic risk in immigrant communities. With this training, Maryam hopes to go on the academic job market as a tenure-track health psychologist. One fun fact about Maryam is that she was born in a small village in India, immigrated to the US at age 5, and is now a co-founder and stakeholder at a library and tutoring center in her birth village.

Email Maryam

Jacky Hua

Jacky Hua started the PhD program in Health Psychology program at the University of California, Merced in 2017. She earned her B.A. in psychology at the University of California, Riverside. Her research interests focus on social, emotional, and cultural factors that influence health decision-making.

Email Jacky
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Angela Johnson

Angela Johnson started the PhD program in Health Psychology at the University of California, Merced in 2018. She earned her B.A. in psychology and M.A. in psychological research at Texas State University - San Marcos. Her research interests focus on promoting healthy behavior change, specifically looking at the social and environmental factors involved in food decision making and exercise behavior.

Email Angela

Bianca Hinojosa

Bianca Hinojosa started the Ph.D. program in Health Psychology at the University of California, Merced in 2019. She earned her B.A. in psychology at George Fox University and M.A. in experimental psychology at California State University, Fresno. Her research interests focus on social psychology and health, specifically looking at reactions to implicit bias.

Email Bianca
Bianca Hinojosa
Bianca Hinojosa started the Ph.D. program in Health Psychology at the University of California, Merced in 2019. She earned her B.A. in psychology at George Fox University and M.A. in experimental psychology at California State University, Fresno. Her research interests focus on social psychology and health, specifically looking at reactions to implicit bias.

Undergraduate Students

Dr. Howell's MESH Lab, Fall 2019

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From top to bottom & left to right: Arthur Tung, Andres Nunez, Allan Contreras, Jose Olivo, Angela Johnson (PhD Student), Bernice Nguyen, Michael Vang, Jacob Feitelberg, Giovanni Alvarado, Vanessa Maldonado, Emely Cruz, Sherya Desai, Téa Pusey, Angie Rodriguez, Cassie Lopes, Maryam Hussain (Postdoctoral Fellow), Jacky Hua (PhD Student), Rachel Bryan, Bianca Hinojosa (PhD Student), Nhi Le, Casandra Moua, Madison Reyna, Dr. Jennifer Howell (PI). Not Pictured: Grace Segura
 

Join the MESH lab

Graduate Students


I am NOT currently accepting graduate students (to begin in the 2020-2021 school year), however, I will be accepting students to start in Fall 2021.

Details for those wishing to start Fall 2021: 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.
I encourage interested applicants to email me (howell@ucmerced.edu) with questions.

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 (howell@ucmerced.edu) and Angela Johnson (ajohnson98@ucmerced.edu) 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 want 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.
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 Angela Johnson (ajohnson98@ucmerced.edu)