TIES Lab

 

The Technological Interventions for Ecological Systems (TIES) Lab focuses on close relationships – "ties" – that bind us together, including parent-child and romantic relationships. We’re studying how relationship-related stressors, adversities, and traumas impact our development during important periods of change, such as pregnancy, early childhood, adolescence, and when young adults first form romantic relationships. We examine how these past relationships and experiences contribute to intergenerational patterns of risk and resilience during these critical life stages, especially in communities that are minoritized and that are traditionally under-resourced and under-served. We view families as interconnected systems, where family members help each other to regulate emotions and where interpersonal relationships "get under the skin" to impact physiology and health.

 

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Research Areas

We collect intensive, multimodal data in the lab and in families' everyday lives to model interactional processes as they naturalistically unfold. We also use and develop technology-facilitated intervention systems to bridge gaps in access to health care and augment treatment gains. Our work is interdisciplinary and combines theory with data science methodologies to maximize family mental health.