Department of Psychology

Department of Comparative Literature and Languages

‘CHASS has definitely helped me blossom professionally and socially’

kelvin — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 08:02:38 +0000

‘CHASS has definitely helped me blossom professionally and socially’ kelvin Tue, 06/17/2025 - 01:02 More Press Releases Jeremy Gutierrez, Student Writer/CHASS Marketing and Communications June 17, 2025

In more ways than one, Michelle Nguyen, a fourth-year psychology major and business management minor, has taken her undergraduate years of college as a learning experience. Though she experienced some low points, she says that college has given her some of the highest points in life, and through it she has evolved. This growth would have been difficult to reach, if not for the people around her, she said.

“I am extremely grateful for my parents,” Nguyen said. “I am a first-generation student and a daughter of Vietnamese immigrants. Without my parents’ sacrifice to move away from the only place they knew as home, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to pursue higher education. I’ve also met my lifelong friends at UCR and without their company and support, college would not have been the same. Lastly, I am extremely grateful to my supervisors and mentors who have guided me through my career and educational goals, life milestones, and more.”

Nguyen struggled with college in the beginning; being a first-generation student and wrestling with chronic shyness were two of the major challenges she faced early in her academic career.

“I felt lost on how to navigate college,” she said. “I was also super afraid to break out of my shell and create connections because I had never witnessed it before. Thankfully, UCR has plenty of academic advising and mentoring resources available for students like me. I quickly got the hang of things I was once lost on and found myself assisting other students and friends who asked for help. Overall, the CHASS community is very friendly and open to helping when you need it, which I appreciated greatly throughout my time here.”

Nguyen found assistance at UCR’s many resource centers. Among them, the Women’s Resource Center and The Well provided her with the necessities and materials she needed when on a tight budget. Another way that Nguyen managed her budget was through working at an on-campus job. Since she was 19, Nguyen has worked for CHASS Marketing and Communications as a social media manager.

“Working for CHASS has definitely made my college experience so fulfilling,” Nguyen said. “I’ve gained so many skills that I can take with me in the ‘real’ world. Before working here, I was very shy and closed off. I still consider myself more of an introvert, but CHASS has definitely helped me blossom professionally and socially. I’ve had the chance to collaborate, work with, and learn from so many talented individuals. My bosses, who I consider as mentors, have taught me so many valuable life lessons that I will also take with me.”

Having a job in college makes organizational skills all the more important, Nguyen said. Scheduling things out, specifically with a calendar app, can make life much easier. She also advises students to take it slow.

“Google calendar will be your #1 best friend!,” Nguyen said. “Plan your work time accordingly around your class schedule and give yourself room to eat, take care of yourself, and study. Don’t be hard on yourself when you need a break as well, and just be open and honest with your supervisors if you ever feel burnt out. And don’t feel the need to have it all figured out right away. Everyone is on a different timeline with different circumstances. It’s easy to compare yourself to other people, but it’s not going to do anything for you at the end of the day. All you can do is take it one day at a time and work towards the goals you set for yourself.”

After graduation, Nguyen will be continuing her education at Claremont Graduate University in the fall.

“I will be studying industrial/organizational psychology and hope to pursue a career where I can help create workplaces that help individuals of all backgrounds thrive,” she said.

FEATURED PHOTO. Michelle Nguyen stands before a foliage background, graduation stole draped around her neck.

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Neuroscience Graduate Student Association hosts local schools, educates 400 students

kelvin — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 19:06:33 +0000

Neuroscience Graduate Student Association hosts local schools, educates 400 students kelvin Thu, 06/12/2025 - 12:06 More Press Releases Jeremy Gutierrez, Student Writer/CHASS Marketing and Communications June 12, 2025

On April 25, the Neuroscience Graduate Student Association (NGSA) worked — with support from the psychology department — to host the 15th annual Brain Awareness Day at UC Riverside’s Student Recreation Center. Brain Awareness Day is intended to get younger students interested in neuroscience, as well as promote higher education and offer engaging learning opportunities to students underrepresented in the sciences.

The NGSA is a student organization made up of current doctorate students in the neuroscience graduate program. NGSA hosts professional development seminars as well as social events throughout the year. While primarily an educational event, Brain Awareness Day aims to provide students with information in an accessible manner through interactive activities and a variety of booths.

“Booths like neuroscience trivia, brain specimens, art galleries, and face painting help make learning about the brain fun and engaging,” NGSA outreach chair Courtney Scaramella said. “It's incredibly rewarding to see the excitement in their faces as they learn about research and start to think critically about science throughout their own daily lives.”

Since its inception, Brain Awareness Day has grown in leaps and bounds. The event was first hosted in 2011. This year, NGSA could only accommodate half of the 20 interested schools. The 400 students who attended marks the largest Brain Awareness Day yet.

“Since 2022, we've been able to grow the event from about 100 students to over 400 by finding more funding sources and building relationships with local schools to boost participation and spread the word,” Scaramella said. “Most of our participants this year were 8th graders and highschoolers, thinking about what their next steps may be. By making this event freely accessible to students, who may not otherwise have had the opportunity to speak with professors or graduate students or see the inside of a lab space, we help inspire the next generation of scientists and show them how fun neuroscience can be outside of a classroom setting.”

Information about NGSA can be found at ngsa.ucr.edu/.

FEATURED PHOTO. A booth engages with visiting students by displaying models of the human brain, among others.

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Psychology Ph.D. candidate advances to UCOP Grad Slam Finals

kelvin — Wed, 01 May 2024 23:03:42 +0000

Psychology Ph.D. candidate advances to UCOP Grad Slam Finals kelvin Wed, 05/01/2024 - 16:03 More Press Releases Alejandra Prado, Student Writer/CHASS Marketing and Communications May 01, 2024

Shannon Brady, a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in Developmental Psychology, has been named the 2024 finalist at the UCR Grad Slam Finals, a UC-wide competition for graduate students to present their research or creative projects with opportunities and workshops for professional development. As UCR’s campus winner, Shannon earned a grand prize of $5000 through a fellowship and will move on to compete in the UCOP Grad Slam Finals on May 3 at LinkedIn’s headquarters in San Francisco with a chance to win upwards of $7000.

“It’s still so surreal,” Brady said. “I’ve always loved to tell other people about myself and the work that I do…but it’s rare that I get to share my work with the broader community.”

Brady’s winning presentation, “Thinking Out Loud: Is Self-Talk a Secret to Success?” delves into the impact of self-talk on children’s emotional well-being, aiming to challenge negative misconceptions of self-talk by highlighting its benefits.

According to Brady, being named the UCR Grad Slam finalist opens doors for her research and development by potentially using some of the winnings to compensate participants who contribute to her project and raise public awareness by publishing papers and speaking at conferences.

“It's really gratifying to see Shannon's hard work paying off,” said Elizabeth Davis, Brady’s faculty advisor and an associate professor of psychology at UCR. “Her creative dissertation study is high-quality research, and seeing her distill the complex ideas from that project down to just a couple of minutes is so impressive!”

Brady previously participated in UCR’s 2023 Grad Slam but didn’t place. However, the opportunity allowed Brady to pivot and grow her presentation skills. She has also grown her passion for science communication to discussing psychology with others.

Along with the upcoming UCOP Grad Slam Finals, Brady looks forward to continuing sharing her research project. “A big piece of my dissertation project is to help change the narrative that people hold about the act of talking to oneself, so I’m most excited about getting another opportunity to share my work with a new audience,” she said.

Beyond Grad Slam, Brady is excited to get started on her research project this summer by making visits to labs that study children to look at data and collect information for her research.

“Bigger picture, I’m excited to continue finding new ways to share my work with the community and other people who can benefit from applying psychology in their everyday lives,” she said.

“Shannon is on a very impressive scientific trajectory already, and will undoubtedly continue to impress her colleagues in the last year of her training,” Davis said. “After she's done at UCR and has earned her Ph.D., I foresee a bright future conducting and disseminating research to broad audiences.”

The UCOP Grad Slam Finals will be available to watch online via live stream at the UCOP Grad Slam website on May 3.

For more information about Grad Slam, please visit gsrc.ucr.edu/grad-slam and gradslam.universityofcalifornia.edu.

FEATURED PHOTO. Shannon Brady / Credit to Aronne Chan, photographer.

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Message from the Dean: Dr. William Dunlop

kelvin — Sun, 05 Sep 2021 00:03:25 +0000

Message from the Dean: Dr. William Dunlop kelvin Sat, 09/04/2021 - 17:03 More Messages & Announcements September 04, 2021

To our CHASS community,

We are deeply saddened by the recent death of William Dunlop, an associate professor of social/personality psychology in UC Riverside’s Department of Psychology.

Dr. Dunlop, who directed the Personality and Identity Lab (PAIL), explored the ways in which individuals make sense of themselves and their lives. He taught both undergraduate and graduate courses at UCR including Personality Assessment, Self and Identity, and The Psychology of Love Lives.

Dr. Dunlop’s work also included an appointment as an adjunct professor in the Department of Psychology at Aarhus University in Denmark. His most recent research included an article published in April 2021 focused on “Becoming the Storyteller: Mapping Narrative Comprehension throughout Childhood Nonverbally.”

The CHASS Office of the Dean sends our deepest condolences to Dr. Dunlop’s family, friends, colleagues, students, and everyone affected by this unexpected loss. I am personally saddened to not have had the opportunity to know Dr. Dunlop and his important research and mentoring in PAIL.

If this event personally affected you, and you find yourself in need of comfort and support, please know that UC Riverside offers a vast array of resources for grief counseling, wellbeing, and mental health services.

For students, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) can be reached at 951-827-5531, 24 hours a day, or by visiting counseling.ucr.edu. Student Affairs Case Managers can also offer support and guidance at casemanager@ucr.edu or 951-827-5000. For additional questions about student resources, please contact vcsa@ucr.edu.

Graduate students can also access services through LiveHealth for both medical and behavioral health telemedicine appointments. If any graduate student directly impacted by this loss requires financial assistance to meet copay requirements, please make direct outreach to me and I will look into emergency aid.

For faculty and staff, resources for counseling services are available through the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program or at 866-615-3047.

Most sincerely,

— Daryle Williams
Dean, College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

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Message from the Dean

CHASS Dean's Office

Smart, dependable, go-getter

kelvin — Tue, 25 May 2021 20:39:01 +0000

Smart, dependable, go-getter kelvin Tue, 05/25/2021 - 13:39 More Press Releases Jessica Ruiz Vega, Student Writer/CHASS Marketing & Communications May 25, 2021

In her role as a financial analyst for the Department of Psychology, Flora Beri Simo Sunjo is responsible for networking with others, hiring for labs, providing complex analysis and troubleshooting.

“During the pandemic, I have had to schedule Zoom meetings with Flora to process the Psychology recruitments," said Alisha French, a human resources analyst for CHASS. "She is always eager to learn and has a positive attitude when faced with multiple tasks that are rapidly changing.”

“Flora is such a pleasure to work with," said Jay Melashenko, a financial administrative officer for the Department of Psychology. "I, along with the faculty and staff in the department, appreciate her support with hiring, reporting, and grant assistance.”

Do you prefer an online or in-person environment when it comes down to your daily tasks, and why?

I am very much a people person and so I love interacting in person when working professionally. But an online working environment has also had a lot of advantages for me as a working mom and family person. I still get to interact with my teammates on our weekly Zoom meetings and on Teams and they are also just a phone call away if you need to clarify any issues. So I think having a combination of the two would be ideal for me.

How long have you been a financial analyst and do you see this as a long-term career?

I have been a Financial Analyst for 10 years. My career has spanned diverse industries from the airline industry to oil and gas and now higher education and I’ve loved every minute. Being a Financial Analyst suit my outgoing personality of meeting people from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, and working collaboratively to meet organizational objectives. Often, I have to communicate with people who do not have a finance background and so it is always a nice challenge to break down information to them in a way that doesn’t go over their heads and still keeps them engaged enough in understanding and participating in their financial and operational outcomes.

How do you think being a financial analyst in the psychology department is different from being one for another department?

Our department is fairly large with almost 40 faculty, some of whom have large multi-million dollar grants so we do tend to have some unique and fairly challenging problems.

What is your favorite aspect of the job?

Communicating with faculty members to help them understand their options and limitations with respect to their funding sources. When they have a good grasp of this, it helps them to manage and expand their funds judiciously without any need for excessive retroactive corrections and transfers.

What’s the career highlight you are most proud of?

Helping to set up a finance department in a newly restructured natural gas company that was moving from the exploration phase to the production and distribution phase. I played a key role in setting up our financial reporting framework for regular operations and projects as well as internal control processes.

What do you like to do for fun?

I love to read and research facts about things I hear in everyday life. I also love to engage in a good debate with a friend or family member about a topic we care about.

What are three words that you would use to describe yourself? And why?

Smart, dependable, go-getter.

I believe in nurturing my God-given talents and honing my skills to better myself and those around me. I also try to be a person whose word can be counted on. If I commit to something, I make sure that I see it through to the end. And lastly, I try to have a can-do attitude in every aspect of my life. I try not to dwell on the things that are not working. Instead, I try to make the best of every situation and move on with my life.

What is something that you are looking forward to?

I am looking forward to watching my tomatoes and strawberries flourish and grow so that I can harvest them. Last year, I tried growing a few from seedlings but they didn’t do so well. This year, it looks like the plants I got from Home Depot will do well and I’m excited.

What's a cool/fun fact about you?

I love to sing and dance. I recently acquired a karaoke mic and every now and then I’ll crank up some instrumental of a song that I love and turn my living room into a stage. One of these days, I will have a concert with my twin daughters as my backup dancers.

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S2P: Hacking Humanities

kelvin — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 23:18:39 +0000

S2P: Hacking Humanities kelvin Wed, 09/30/2020 - 16:18 More Press Releases Hannah Croft, Student Writer/CHASS Marketing & Communications September 30, 2020

Just as humanities are crucial to scientific research, scientific analysis is necessary when developing public policies.

In October 2020, UCR's Center for Science to Policy (S2P) held its first Policy Hackathon. A team of graduate students, led by developmental psychology Ph.D. student Agnes Varghese, included graduate students with psychology, engineering, business, microbiology, and neuroscience concentrations, all dedicated to bringing a scientific perspective to public policy.

At the two-day event held at UC Riverside, team members collaborated to bring unique perspectives to the event’s research, data analysis, and policy memo compilation. The team submitted a policy memo, titled "The School Shooting Crisis: How Do We Move Forward?," to be reviewed by judges with Ph.D.’s in science in Sacramento.

“We had a very wide array of graduate students on our team,” Varghese said. “And they each brought a unique perspective. Even if you don’t study topics relevant to school shootings for a living, we know everyone cares about resolving this crisis. It’s always good to get other people’s perspectives so that you can really think of new approaches to the problems you are attempting to solve through your research.”

“Because we had scientists from all over campus — psychology to engineering — the work we were able to do was well-rounded and had real-world applications that were informed from these many perspectives,” said developmental psychology Ph.D. student Danielle Delany. “With skills from our Ph.D. programs and training from the Science to Policy Program, we are able to read the research, write for policymakers, and address these important societal issues."

During the hackathon, Delany and Varghese were able to provide specialized knowledge on programs introduced in the memo, such as social-emotional learning programs.

Social-emotional learning programs, such as the Second Step Program, train educators to teach specially designed lesson plans in classrooms in order to better address empathy, communication, emotion regulation, problem-solving, and bullying while allowing students to feel more connected to their peers. However, while programs like these are implemented in over 26,000 schools nationwide, they are not mandatory in California, and Varghese’s team is working to change that.

The policy memo submitted at the hackathon also acknowledged the state’s push to improve gun control and cited the benefits of also increasing the counselor-to-student ratio in schools, since California’s ratio is abnormally low.

“I still think that this is a very complex issue to solve along with the controversy over our gun laws, and this will require efforts on multiple fronts,” said materials science and engineering PhD student Morgan Dundon. “But I now understand more clearly that there is still a lot we don’t know about school shootings, especially how to predict them. This is why we decided to research programs, like social-emotional learning, that benefits all students. This training can help students cope with mental health and conflict in a healthier way to decrease bullying and aggression, all of which have been found to be connected with school shootings.”

Judges cited the policy memo as “concise and focused,” stating “the time and attention students gave their proposal shine[d] through.”

“After the hackathon event, members of our team and the Science to Policy student cabinet met with Chris Lynch, the BCOE Dean, to discuss this research and steps to take moving forward, since this is a topic that he is very passionate about,” Dundon said. “We also recently submitted this to the National Science Policy Network (NSPN) and Journal of Science Policy & Governance (JSPG) policy memo competition.”

The team has since been accepted for publication into the JSPG, and are currently waiting to hear back on the NSPN competition results.

“What the hackathon did and what the Science to Policy program does in general is it brings scientists, engineers, and social scientists together,” said Science to Policy Director and Electrical & Computer Engineering Professor Emerita Susan Hackwood. “Collectively, they have an enormous ability to do mathematical analysis, statistics, probability, that’s common to all subjects, and the intersection of that and policy is what makes it interesting. It’s important to have the social scientists there at the table with them because they have such an interesting perspective.”

The Center for Science to Policy does not just host hackathon events and other policy events. They also offer a rigorous, ten-week certificate course meant to prepare students for working in public policy. The course trains graduate students involved with lab sciences in communication and policy development, and some participants receive the opportunity to enter into fellowship programs with legislators’ offices after the course’s completion.

“It’s a hard match, but it’s a good match,” Hackwood said. “We started last year with Congressman Mark Takano’s office, and this year we have two fellows placed in congressional and assembly offices...This program we have here at UCR is a model for other schools around the country and is part of a national organization, the National Science Policy Network. This was co-created by one of UCR’s own graduate students from a few years ago, Holly Mayton. This has now become a national HUB. It’s huge, with [48] chapters around the country and hundreds of students engaged.”

Delany is currently the newest fellow in Congressman Takano’s office in Riverside and is focusing on the economic effects of COVID-19 in the 41st district. Varghese is also a fellow in Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes’ office in San Bernardino and is focusing on racism as a public health crisis in the 47th district.

Due to the pandemic, most children are not in school, but the hackathon group insists now is the perfect time to prepare policies that will protect students when they do go back to school, especially in California, which has the highest rate of school shootings in the country.

“I’ve really wanted to push for instating social-emotional learning before students go back to school or right when students go back,” Varghese said. “If they have pent-up frustration from all of the uncertainty and change associated with the pandemic, it might be very possible that school shootings start back up when children physically re-enter school grounds.”

With the current COVID-19 crisis bringing more scrutiny to school districts, the team hopes that more policies will be implemented to better protect students and teachers and that long-term programs will help bring more awareness to school districts.

“Most of the topics within social-emotional skill training are things teachers already know and have done in their training,” Delany said. “Communication, emotion regulation, problem-solving, and also helping with bullying: Conflict resolution techniques are important not just for the school shooting crisis, but for everyday classroom management. It will help teachers manage their classrooms, and make it a better learning environment for everyone.”

Members of UCR's Science to Policy pose with California State Assembly member Jose Medina, center.

FEATURED PHOTO. Photos courtesy of Agnes Varghese.
UCR's Center for Science to Policy hosts hackathons and offers a rigorous, ten-week certificate course meant to prepare students for working in public policy.

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At Home In a Digital World

kelvin — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:51:20 +0000

At Home In a Digital World kelvin Tue, 03/31/2020 - 17:51 More Press Releases Chris Fleming, Student Writer/CHASS Marketing and Communications April 01, 2020

Gamespawn is a UCR club that offers members the ability to collaborate and work on the development of video games. The club meets on campus during the academic year on Tuesday evenings, 5-7 pm in Bourns A171.

“[Joining Gamespawn] was intimidating at first,” said second-year psychology major and current Outreach Coordinator Yvette Chen, “but once I started making friends and going to the events, I felt more welcome and confident.”

Gamespawn combines a passion for the arts and humanities with an intricate knowledge of programming and design that helps bring environments and stories to life. For CHASS students, it’s a way to break into a field that’s often misidentified as being dominated by programmers.

“We work with CHASS students in every step of development,” said Christian Alvarado, fourth-year computer science major and former vice-president and current producer for the club. “Creative writers, character designers, and concept artists help us design games while world-building requires digital artists, 3D modelers, sound designers, and UI/UX artists to name a few.”

Alvarado also leads workshops on game design, where he uses his own background in game design and the creative writing expertise of others to teach attendees how to craft naturally diverse worlds, while taking special care to respect different cultures’ histories and viewpoints.

Second-year computer science major Diane Ngo recently declared a minor in creative writing to learn more about narrative design, and apply what she learns to how she builds games.

“Every game is a story,” she said, “from the plot to the core gameplay. By tying both together, you’re able to make a really good game that makes sense and feels good to play. I think learning more about how to structure a story and flesh out characters and worlds would help with that.”

The humanities help more than just the look and feel of games. Much of the coursework is used to build upon game concepts and characters.

“I'm a psychology major, so I take a lot of humanities classes,” Chen said. “A lot of the content I learn helps in broadening my horizons, and I can apply different cultures and relevant problems to the games I make.”

The games show a much broader scope of the world. According to Chen, her first game was set against an ancient Cambodian backdrop, while another game within the organization paid homage to the Romani culture. Chen is also working with Alvarado on a project called Parasol, a 2-D platformer set to an electro swing backdrop.

For more information or play some of the club’s demo games, visit gamespawn.github.io.

FEATURED PHOTO. Photo courtesy of Chris Fleming/CHASS Marketing & Communications
Gamespawn, a video game development organization, meeting in UCR's Creator Lab.

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Never too old to learn

kelvin — Thu, 17 Oct 2019 22:50:33 +0000

Never too old to learn kelvin Thu, 10/17/2019 - 15:50 More Press Releases Hannah Croft, Student Writer/CHASS Marketing and Communications October 17, 2019

It may seem to be more difficult to learn new things as we age, but new research from Psychology Professor Rachel Wu suggests that this difficulty could be in part alleviated by having an encouraging environment and continuing to learn as we age.

In September, Wu received an NSF Career Award, the National Science Foundation's most prestigious award, for early-career faculty. The competitive award supports the research of early career faculty like Wu who have the potential to serve as academic role models in various areas of research and instruction.

“It was a big relief to receive this award,” Wu said. “This project has been one of the most meaningful in my career thus far, and I am excited to have it now supported by NSF.”

Before applying for the five-year award, Wu gathered some preliminary evidence on increasing cognitive function in older adults by learning multiple new skills simultaneously.

In two smaller scale studies with a couple dozen participants, the adults, ages 58-86, enrolled in three rigorous classes over a span of 3 months. The classes, formatted similarly to undergraduate courses, including photography, drawing/painting, music composition, iPad, and Spanish. Most of the instructors were affiliated with CHASS. Within 6 weeks, the older adult participants increased their cognitive abilities to levels similar to those of middle-aged adults 30 years younger on average. Now with the grant, Wu will expand the number of participants to 180, and she will follow them up for 18 months after the end of the classes.

“I am so grateful for all of the support that we have received from CHASS faculty, graduate students, undergraduates, the Center for Ideas and Society, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and from Dean Peña,” Wu said. “We wouldn’t have been able to pull it off without all of their help and support. It really does take a village.”

With the help of CHASS staff and faculty, and a research team of undergraduate and graduate students, Wu was able to build a complex and immersive curriculum for all research participants.

“Working with her was an absolute pleasure,” said graduate student Christiaan Clark. “Her deep passion for this research comes through in the way she reacts with her assistants, the instructors and the students. Dr. Wu deserves this award to further her studies because her research could greatly improve the lives of so many people who struggle with cognitive issues later in life.”

“Working with Dr. Wu was a privilege,” Spanish instructor Matthew Greenhalgh said. “Her study was a great opportunity for me to teach in a way I never have before by planning and teaching beginner Spanish to seniors age 60 and older to help them become somewhat conversant. Learning another language benefits one’s cognitive abilities as they acquire a new skill, and teaching the class was a lot of fun because I was part-teacher and part-motivator. I was quite impressed by the students’ success and desire to learn.”

The current study will run for the next three years, followed by two years of follow-up. By 2024, Wu hopes to have secured further funding to investigate who may benefit most from this type of program. Wu has been a Psychology professor for UCR’s College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences since July of 2015, and is beginning her fifth year of instruction.

If you are interested in being a participant in this research study and live in the Riverside area, please email ucr.callalab@gmail.com or call (951) 827-5278.

Participants in Wu's study were asked to participate in classes where they would learn language, art and other skill sets to improve cognitive ability

FEATURED PHOTO. Photo courtesy of Dr. Rachel Wu
Wu (second from the right) and four members of her research team at a recent event recruiting older adults to participate in the cognitive study.

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Psychology department prepares patients for MRI's tight conditions

kelvin — Fri, 16 Aug 2019 00:13:52 +0000

Psychology department prepares patients for MRI's tight conditions kelvin Thu, 08/15/2019 - 17:13 More Press Releases Chris Fleming, Student Writer/CHASS Marketing & Communications January 22, 2019

The Department of Psychology has a new and innovative way of preparing patients for scans inside a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine, a narrow, tube-like structure that requires patients to lay completely still for several minutes. Psychology Professors Kalina Michalska and Aaron Seitz, along with four engineering students, Sebastian Shah, Sam Muku, Mena Mishreky, and Swathi Vittalbabu, built a mock MRI scanner and installed it on the Psychology building’s first floor. Its purpose? To help prepare claustrophobic patients for an MRI’s tight conditions.

Michalska, who works with children, notes that there are many families and kids with no experience with neuroimaging. The machine affords children the opportunity to get a practice run inside, she said, complete with the sounds and conditions that they might experience during an actual MRI scan.

“When we describe it to them, they don’t know what to expect… and they’re a little bit afraid of it,” Michalska said. “We can show them that it’s not really as scary as they imagine it to be.”

This is especially important because MRI scans can cost as much as $500 an hour, and if a patient is uncomfortable during the exam, matters can grow more complicated and expensive. According to Michalska, when a patient moves during an MRI scan, the data is botched, and they have to schedule another appointment. Psychology’s practice machine helps to eliminate these difficulties by ensuring patients know exactly what’s in store during their scan.

The journey to obtaining this machine was long and arduous. Michalska requested a mock machine from a company before, but the project fell through. After a year, the project seemed all but lost. However, BC Technical -- a large medical imaging company based in Utah-- offered one of their showroom machines that they use for demonstrations at conventions.

“It was a miracle gift,” Seitz said. “For them to offer it changed everything.”

Once the MRI machine was delivered from BC Technical to the Psychology building, Michalska and Seitz were faced with a new problem: It was too big to fit through the door. The only option was to dismantle the machine, and then put it back together somewhere inside the building.

So, they began to make phone calls, asking for companies that would be willing to take on such a challenge. No company wanted to undertake the task, stating that they were not comfortable with doing such work on a machine, according to Seitz.

Help came in quite the unexpected way, however, as a group of students from the Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering rose to the challenge. Since April, they have been constantly making modifications to the mock scanner to improve performance, according to Jay Melashenko, Psychology’s Financial Administrative Officer.

“The fact that the mock scanner didn’t come with any instructions was a challenge,” Melashenko said. “The students came up with some creative methods along with the professors in order to get it working.”

Melashenko recalled a time when the tubing was a bit too short for the patient table to pass into. “The students used a playground tunnel and painted it white to match the inside of the MRI machine,” he said.

According to Seitz, funding was donated from the Department of Psychology, CHASS, Graduate School of Education, Department of Psychiatry, and the Office of Research and Economic Development. “In addition to funds,” he said, “staff from each of these units and others on campus put in many hours navigating the process from beginning to end.”

The MRI mock scanner is currently in a usable state, according to Melashenko, but there will be constant improvements and updates. Its first official usage by Michalska and her team could happen as soon this month.

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