Dr. Raquel Lopez (Cowell)
Education
B.S., Summa Cum Laude, Westminster College
Ph.D., Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Chicago
Research Interests
I began my research career as a second-year undergraduate student. I applied to the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement (McNair) program, a federally funded program designed for underrepresented, low-income, and first-generation college students with plans to obtain their doctorate, in hopes of receiving financial aid. Acceptance into the TRiO program allowed me to take a break from shift-work and focus on conducting psychological research. I learned how to ask and answer questions in a rigorous way, and how to collaborate across difference. Both these skills I hope to pass on to DDM lab researchers.
I study how early adversity influences and relates to a person’s current choices, whether that is through a simulated driving game or COVID-friendly surveys. I have spent time studying: (a) how adversity influences decision-making processes in young children, adolescents, and adults (b) the differences in decision-making processes between younger and older adults, and (c) the relationship between early adversity and decision-making in older adulthood. I have asked these questions using multiple methods of analysis including behavioral performance assessments, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) measures, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measures, and event-related potentials (ERP) via electroencephalography (EEG) measures.
Currently, my lab is investigating decision-making in the context of dating and sexuality amongst college students. Stay posted for what we find!
Publications
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