SCIP Lab

Social Cognition & Intergroup Processes (SCIP) Laboratory

 

People

 

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Principal Investigator


Dr. Sylvia Perry, Principal Investigator

Sylvia Perry, Ph.D. 📧 (CV

Dr. Sylvia Perry is the Principal Investigator of the Social Cognition and Intergroup Processes (SCIP) Lab at Northwestern University. She is originally from Raleigh, North Carolina. She completed a bachelor's degree in Psychology at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, and she received her master's and doctorate in Social Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Dr. Perry was a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral associate at Yale University. She was then an Assistant Professor of Psychological Science and an affiliate of the Department of Pediatrics in the School of Medicine (where she worked with the Vermont Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities program) at the University of Vermont from 2014-2016. In the summer of 2016, she joined the faculty at Northwestern University, where she is an Associate Professor of Psychology, an affiliate of the Department of Medical Social Sciences at the Feinberg School of Medicine, and a Faculty Fellow in the Institute for Policy Research.

Dr. Perry investigates how bias awareness develops, and the implications of bias awareness for prejudice reduction, intergroup contact, and health disparities. She has 50 publications on these topics. She has received funding from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and the National Institute for Minority Health and Health Disparities, and published in journals such as the Annual Review of Psychology, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Nature Reviews Psychology, Perspectives on Psychological Science, the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Social Science & Medicine, and Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

Dr. Perry has received numerous awards for her teaching and research, including the Society for Personality and Social Psychology’s SAGE Young Scholar Award (2021), and the Ann L. Brown Award for Excellence in Developmental Research (2024) . Her work has been featured by several national media outlets, including The Washington Post, National Public Radio, The New York Times, New York Magazine, and the Chicago Sun-Times. Dr. Perry currently serves on the editorial boards for Social Psychological and Personality Science, and the Social Cognition Section of Social and Personality Psychology Compass. She was an Associate Editor for Psychological Science from 2022-2024 and she is an Associate Editor for Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, and Current Directions in Psychological Science. She serves as a reviewer for the National Science Foundation and the Russell Sage Foundation. Dr. Perry is an elected fellow to the Society for Experimental Social Psychology (2019), the Association for Psychological Science (2021), the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (2024), and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (2024). Dr. Perry was the 2022-23 SAGE Sara Miller McCune Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. She is currently Co-Director of the CASBS Summer Institute on Diversity (along with Dr. Mary Murphy) and a Research Affiliate at CASBS. She is the Co-Chair of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology’s Summer Institute for Social and Personality Psychology (SISPP), which will be hosted at Northwestern University in the summer of 2025.

In her spare time, Sylvia likes to read graphic novels, collect designer toys, and discover new music. She and her husband also enjoy spending time with their adorable son, Henry. 


Graduate Students


Jonathan Doriscar, Graduate Student

Jonathan Doriscar  📧 (CV)

Jonathan Doriscar is a third-year graduate student in the Social Psychology Ph.D. program and a master’s student in Statistics and Data Science at Northwestern University under the co-mentorship of  Dr. Sylvia Perry and Dr. Wendi Gardner. He received his BA from Knox College in psychology and minored in composition & rhetoric. Jonathan utilizes both experimental and computational approaches (i.e., NLP, Machine Learning) to understand cultural change at varying societal levels (e.g., micro, meso, and macro). He is particularly interested in understanding the antecedents (i.e., barriers & facilitators) and outcomes of change cultures (e.g., Police reform).

He is a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow and an Edward Bouchet Graduate Honor Society Scholar. He has received funding from several organizations such as the American Psychological Association, the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, the Midwestern Psychological Association, and Northwestern University’s Institute for Policy Research. He has published his work in several journals such as the Annual Review of Psychology, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, The Journal of Psychology, and Nature Energy.

Jonathan is originally from Miami, Florida, and in his free time, he enjoys watching Anime, South Korean TV shows & movies, and reality TV with friends. He also enjoys playing video games and spending time with his curious cat Luna.


Iseul Cha-Ju, Graduate Student

Iseul Cha-Ju

Iseul Cha-Ju is a first-year graduate student in the Social Psychology Ph.D. program at Northwestern University under the mentorship of Dr. Sylvia Perry. They received their BA from the University of California, Irvine in psychological science and minored in gender & sexuality studies. They are interested in studying racial socialization processes and their influences on identity and bias development among racially minoritized populations in the U.S. They are particularly interested in examining race-related conversation practices amongst Asian American caregivers, and their influences on youth racial identity and intergroup attitude development.

Iseul is originally from Los Angeles, California. In their free time they enjoy watching movies, collecting movie stub tickets and cassette tapes, and reading graphic novels and comics. They also enjoy journaling, playing the guitar, and dabbling in photography.


Daniel Sanji, Graduate Student

Daniel Sanji

Daniel Sanji is a first-year graduate student in the Social Psychology Ph.D. program mentored by Dr. Michael Kraus and Dr. Sylvia Perry. He received his BS in Psychology and History with a minor in Asian American Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2022. Prior to matriculating into graduate school, Daniel spent two transformative years as Dr. Sa-kiera Hudson’s inaugural lab manager at the University of California, Berkeley. Daniel researches how non-prototypical minority groups (e.g., Asian Americans, multiracial individuals, nonbinary individuals) perceive stereotypes about themselves, how others perceive these stereotypes, and how these perceptions interact to influence intergroup relations (e.g., conflict and solidarity, collective action, political behavior) and identity development. He received the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) award (2024) for his project, Ambivalent stereotypes of Asian Americans and their hierarchy-enhancing function in US society.

Daniel is originally from the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. In his free time, Daniel enjoys cooking Japanese comfort food, weightlifting, and collecting small knick knacks to display in his apartment. He also enjoys drawing, going to concerts, and engaging with the Midwestern Japanese American (nikkei) and Asian American communities.


Research Assistants


Rachel Davis, Research Assistant

Rachel Davis

Rachel is a second-year student at Northwestern University. She is planning to complete a dual major in psychology and biological sciences on the pre-medical track. Rachel is excited to be a part of the SCIP Lab, where she looks forward to working with participants and gaining research experience. She is particularly interested in the development of biases in our social, personal, and professional relationships, and how this relates to inequities in health care.

Outside of the classroom, Rachel is an elementary school teaching assistant and enjoys volunteering in community initiatives. In her free time, she likes to go hiking, explore new places, and go thrifting with friends. 


Narmeen Chahal, Research Assistant

Narmeen Chahal

Narmeen is a sophomore planning on majoring in Psychology with a minor in Spanish on the pre-medical track at Northwestern University. She is excited to be a part of the SCIP Lab and take part in meaningful research in regards to the development and spread of biases. Narmeen is especially interested in understanding how children develop biases, as well as the effects of biases on underrepresented groups in the healthcare system.

Outside of school, Narmeen works with preschool children to develop their literacy and social-emotional skills. She also enjoys going running, trying new restaurants, and going to concerts.


Shaniya Kendrick, Research Assistant

Shaniya Kendrick

Shaniya is a rising sophomore undergraduate at Northwestern University majoring in Psychology with a minor in Art Theory and Practice. She is excited to join the SCIP lab as she explores how people’s implicit biases influence their interactions with others. Shaniya is especially interested in exploring how parenting styles influence childhood development, especially concerning generational trauma.  

In her free time, Shaniya enjoys finding a good book to read, watching an entertaining movie or tv-series, and sketching random artworks. On campus, She enjoys playing volleyball with her friends and attending fun events.    


Celena Kim, Research Assistant

Celena Kim

Celena is a sophomore double majoring in Data Science and Computer Science at Northwestern. During her time at the SCIP Lab, she is eager to combine her two passions of social psychology and data science to embark on fascinating research projects. By intertwining these diverse fields, she aims to use quantitative analysis methods to explore psychological contexts through a more intricate lens. Celena also hopes this opportunity will allow her to gain insightful skills and experience needed to one day conduct her own analyses of racism and biases within the Asian American community.

Outside of school, Celena loves to play guitar, thrift shop, go to concerts, and make new Spotify playlists.


Jade Young, Research Assistant

Jade Young

Jade is a first-year student studying Psychology and pursuing an Integrated Marketing Communications certificate. Through involvement in the SCIP lab, Jade hopes to better understand how intersectional identity and biases can inform meaningful conversations across diverse backgrounds. Particularly, Jade is interested in researching how intersectional identities shape cognition and influence social interactions, intending to use this knowledge to inform her advocacy.

Outside the SCIP lab, Jade works with the Social Justice Dialogue to foster communication and understanding surrounding anti-racism. In her free time, Jade enjoys reading books, playing board games, and attending on-campus student performances.


Anika Wilsnack, Honors Thesis Student and Research Assistant

Anika Wilsnack

Anika is a rising junior at Northwestern University majoring in psychology and minoring in musicology and music cognition. Her research interests include social-cultural psychology and multiracial identity formation, and she is excited to engage with SCIP Lab research to learn more about the psychological impacts of bias intervention. Anika spent a year at Professor Rich Lee's lab at the University of Minnesota working as a research assistant for a study on racial disparities in mental health during Covid-19, as well as a multisite UCLA study on racial socialization in Asian American families. This summer, Anika worked as a communications and sound design intern at the Northwestern Institute for Gender and Sexual Minority Health and Wellbeing, and she is looking forward to furthering her involvement with research at Northwestern this fall.

Outside of the lab, Anika is very passionate about music and spends much of her time playing guitar and drums. She is involved with Northwestern's radio station, WNUR, and is a productions manager for Unity Fashion Show. She also enjoys rock climbing and spending time with her two dogs and cat.


Eshaan Chandani, Research Assistant

Eshaan Chandani

Eshaan is a sophomore planning on majoring in Psychology & Science in Human Culture with a minor in Data Science at Northwestern University. He is excited to be a part of the critical research the SCIP lab is doing in the space of racial socialization. He is particularly interested in understanding how humans talk about race in various stages of their life and how that affects biases, racial triangulation, and other race-related social constructs.

Outside of the lab, Eshaan is very involved in Northwestern's Mock Trial team, as well as an on-campus Bollywood dance team. He also enjoys baking, hiking(when possible), going to concerts, and spending time with his friends. 


Yadira Lopez, Research Assistant

Yadira Lopez

Yadira is a junior double majoring in Psychology and Global Health Studies with a minor in Legal Studies. She is excited to gain research experience and delve deeper into the field of Social Psychology. Her interests focus on exploring bias and cultural influences in the Latine community.

Outside of classes and the lab, Yadira is involved in Matriculate, NU's Community for Human Rights, and residential college life. She also enjoys listening to music, watching TV, and spending time with family and friends.


Cai Jenny He, Research Assistant

Cai Jenny He

Cai is a sophomore at Northwestern University, double majoring in Communication Studies and Psychology. Originally from Beijing, China, Cai is excited to join the SCIP Lab, where she looks forward to exploring topics in social psychology, particularly race-related conversations within Asian American families. Through her work in the lab, she aims to gain valuable research experience and contribute to a deeper understanding of social cognition.

In her free time, Cai enjoys playing the drums, practicing ballroom dance, and attending concerts by her favorite Taiwanese band, Mayday. She hopes to blend her passion for psychology with her creative pursuits, exploring innovative approaches to understanding human behavior.


Virginia Hunt, Research Assistant

Virginia Hunt

Virginia is a second-year student studying Journalism and Biology at Northwestern University. Virginia is grateful to be a member of the SCIP lab, and she looks forward to gaining research experience and working on projects that she believes will create deep societal change. Virginia is especially interested at the intersection of bias and healthcare, as well as developing accessible systems of education. In her free time, Virginia enjoys running and playing guitar, especially in her hometown of Music City.   


Victoria Richter, Research Assistant

Victoria Richter

Victoria is an alumnus of the Psychological Science and Neuroscience programs at Carthage College. They completed their psychological thesis in social psychology in 2023 on the development of empathy. They are thrilled to join the SCIP lab to pursue their passion for psychological research. Specifically, Victoria is interested in the development of social skills and ideas, as well as where schemas come from. They want to understand how prejudice forms in order to understand how to best break it down. They intend to use the skills gained in the SCIP lab to pursue further education and a career in social psychological research.

Outside of the lab, Victoria loves to crochet or draw while listening to good music or a podcast. They enjoy spending time with family and friends, especially while playing Dungeons and Dragons or putting together a puzzle. Their favorite pastime is snuggling with their cat, Frisky!


Benjamin Barrish, Research Assistant

Benjamin Barrish

Benjamin is a freshman psychology major who is excited to conduct research with SCIP. Through his involvement with SCIP, Benjamin hopes to gain psychological insight into contemporary issues surrounding prejudice and othering. He also looks forward to learning and refining research skills which will help him achieve his eventual goal of conducting independent research.

Outside of the classroom, Benjamin is highly involved in Jewish student groups on campus, as well as Northwestern’s club track team. In his free time, Benjamin likes to play basketball, try new foods, listen to music, explore new parts of Chicago, and relax with friends. 


Talia Dauer, Research Assistant

Talia Dauer

Talia is a first-year student studying cognitive science and Jewish studies with a minor in global health. During her time in the SCIP lab, she looks forward to learning more about the creation and spread of biases, particularly within racial and religious groups. Additionally, she hopes her work in the lab will contribute to understanding how to promote civil dialogue on campus.

Outside of the classroom, Talia is involved in Northwestern Hillel, enjoys playing in the flute choir, tutoring for Academy of Music and Special Education (AMASE), and being a part of Alpha Chi Omega. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and her dog, Benji!


Lourdes Espinal, Research Assistant

Lourdes Espinal

Lourdes is a junior double majoring in Psychology and Sociology at Northwestern. She is excited to join the SCIP lab and explore her interest in interpersonal group dynamics. She is particularly interested in how identity factors play a role in group to group interactions, especially in how groups perceive and behave around others they consider different to themselves. She aims to explore quantitative and qualitative research methods while researching psychological dynamics in a multi-dimensional way. Lourdes aims to deepen her understanding of human interaction in and out of group dynamics, and she is eager to explore this in the lab.

In her free time, Lourdes loves to read, paint, and watch horror films with friends.


Jacob Hodges

Jacob is a first-year student at Northwestern University. He is planning on double majoring in Psychology and Theatre. He is beyond eager in this pursuit of knowledge at the SCIP Lab, researching how biases truly influence the masses and the interaction between and within these entities. He is interested in understanding every mental aspect of what makes a person tick, and to that end, how external and internal factors lead to the differentiation of behavior within people. He strives to become an effective researcher in the field, applying the experience and skills from the SCIP lab in the future. 

Apart from academics, Jacob is a member of a Northwestern acapella group called ShireiNU. He also regularly participates in theatre related activities and processes. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with friends, reading, going on long runs and skateboarding, watching anime, and playing video games. 


Charlie Hill

Charlie is a sophomore majoring in psychology and minoring in economics or statistics, potentially framing his passion for the mind in a consumer marketing, clinical psychology, or research context. He is grateful and excited to join the SCIP Lab, possibly researching how multiracial identities intertwine or how implicit biases emerge and propagate through adolescence. 

Outside of the classroom and lab, Charlie enjoys working with youth as a camp counselor and tutor, playing with his dog Peanut, listening to contemporary hip-hop or 90s/2000s R&B, and avidly supporting DC-based sports teams!


Lucy Lu

Lucy is a sophomore majoring in Psychology and Legal Studies at Northwestern University. She is excited to be a part of the SCIP lab to explore her interests in children-parents interaction, the impact of various parenting styles, and how biases form under different social contexts. She also looks forward to refine her research skills and be able to conduct independent research in the near future. Outside of classes and the lab, Lucy is involved in Northwestern's debate group and National Alzheimer's Buddies. In her free time, Lucy is a big foodie. She loves exploring new restaurants and cuisines, binge watching movies/TV shows, and reading books!


Seth Kosanovich

Seth is a senior pursuing a double major in Psychology and Integrative Business Management at Knox College. He is excited to join the SCIP lab to increase his research experience as well as learn more about how self-held stigmas and willingness to engage in activism changes before and after a minority identity is revealed during an interaction. Seth is interested in how athletic environments are influenced and shaped by concealed and non-concealed identities for all individuals involved, and he currently plans to take this knowledge and experience for a future career in developmental clinical psychology.

Outside of class, Seth is involved in a variety of on-campus activities, including peer educator positions for counseling services, disability services, and the intercultural life center. During his free time, he enjoys planning trips with friends to try new food options, watch sporting events, participate in activism opportunities, and spend time in nature. 


Lab Alumni

Check out our alumni here.


Lab Mascot


Farrah Stanczak, Lab Mascot

Farrah Stanczak, Lab Mascot

Farrah Stanczak

Farrah, not to be confused with the late great Mrs. Fawcett, has a bachelors in dog treats and a masters in belly rubs from Cute Pets U. Farrah studies how vacuums are secretly plotting to take over the world. 

In her spare time, she enjoys long walks, barking at squirrels, and chewing on her parents' "good" shoes. She is excited for all the attention she will be receiving from the SCIP Lab and Psych Dept.