Meet Our Team
Research Staff
Principal Investigator / Assistant Professor
I began studying relationships in 2002 when I first joined a research team as a second-year undergraduate at New College of Florida. I completed my B.A. at New College (2005), my Ph.D. at UCLA (2012), and have been licensed as a psychologist in Utah since 2012. Prior to founding the HEART Lab in 2018, I was a Research Scientist with the Family Translational Research Group at NYU, as well as a Research Assistant Professor and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology here at the University of Utah. When I’m not in the HEART Lab you can find me hiking, cross-country skiing, or moose-watching in the canyons, foothills, and mountains that surround Salt Lake City.
Elizabeth Z. Beaulieu, B.S.
Lab Manager & Study Coordinator
As the Lab Manager and Study Coordinator for the HEART Lab, I love being part of such an amazing team and contributing to research focused on the connections between relationships, health, and well-being.
Jasmine Crespo, B.S.
Assistant Lab Manager & Assessment/Intervention Coordinator
As the Assistant Lab Manager and Assessment/Intervention Coordinator for the HEART Lab, I am grateful for the many opportunities I have to engage in clinical research, interact with study participants in a variety of capacities, and work with our incredibly talented, compassionate, and dedicated team. I am a Salt Lake City native and proud University of Utah graduate, having earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Human Development and Family Studies, as well as an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Certificate. My research interests focus on how small habit changes, supported by close relationships, can promote mental and physical well-being, as well as how evidence-based interventions can be implemented more equitably and effectively within communities. Outside the lab, I enjoy jamming with friends and loved ones on everything from piano and voice to kazoo and ukulele, participating in community service efforts, and refining my own mind-body connection at the driving range.
Graduate Students
Manuel Gutierrez Chavez, B.S.
I am a graduate student in the Clinical Program at the U. My mentors are Dr. Anu Asnaani and Dr. Katie Baucom. With both of their guidance, I am currently working on a community engaged project that is planning to create a mindfulness-based health intervention related to emotional eating for the Hispanics/Latines in the Salt Lake City area. My research interests are in the intersection of identity, mental and physical health, and community-based interventions. It is imperative that research diversifies its whole process, including interdisciplinary research, and that we empower our community members through the affirmation of their identities.
Julia De Paula Silva Colombo
Hey, I'm Julia! I’m originally from Brazil (Cuiabá, Mato Grosso) and graduated from the University of South Florida with a B.A. in Psychology and ABA minor in 2026. I'm excited to be joining the HEART Lab in Fall 2026 as a PhD student in the Clinical Psychology program! I am broadly interested in promoting health behaviors (e.g., physical activity) and the intersection of physical and psychological health. More specifically, I am passionate about incorporating technological advancements, close relationships, and individual-specific characteristics to understand its impact on, and maximize the effectiveness of, health promotion efforts. In my free time, I enjoy being outdoors, working out/running, spending time with friends, and exploring new places!
Brooke Franklin, B.S.
I’m Brooke! I’m originally from Morgantown, West Virginia, and I earned my B.S. in psychology and human developmental sciences from UC San Diego. My research interests primarily surround the intersection of physical and mental health and understanding how we can better prevent physical and mental illness (especially anxiety, depression, and chronic physical illnesses, such as diabetes). I am passionate about examining how lifestyle behaviors (ex. exercise), relationships, and mind body interventions can be leveraged to improve mental and physical health outcomes! I’m also passionate about dissemination and implementation!
Kristina Gale, M.S.
Hello! I'm a current PhD student studying Public Health at the U. My research interest include global malnutrition issues especially diabetes and diabetes prevention programs. When I'm not teaching, writing, or in the lab, I enjoy hiking, camping, backpacking, taking walks with my husband and kiddos.
Brynn Meulenberg, B.A.
Leadership Roles
Wellness Ambasadors: The HEART Lab Wellness Ambassadors lead efforts
to support and grow wellness activities in the lab.
Cristina Perez Rivas
Research Assistants
Sarah Cao
Nsilo Challenger
Olivia Giaccio, B.A.
Kaela Gilbert
Sadie Greenberg
Georgia Hatton
Brielle Huggard
Sarah Kratzer
Cristina Rivas Perez
James Taylor
Lab Alumni
Monique Chantelle
Aguirre, B.S., BSW
Mason Bancroft, B.S.
Lauren Banner, B.S.
Tali Bauman, B.S.
Bhawishna Bhawna
Manny Diaz, B.S.
Yessica Diaz
Avery Dockter, B.S.
Olivia Huntzinger
Terry Kim, B.S.
Jessica Cisneros-Macias
Abraham Martinez,
SPUR Student
Bennie Martinez, B.S.
Kiera Mowery
Yanina Nemirovsky, L.M.S.W.
Bailley Ogles, B.S.
Haley Parsons, B.S.
Angel Picos
Briana Schubert, B.A.
Kendall Sudweeks, B.A.
Kemi Sutton, B.A.
Amy Thompson, B.S.
Victoria Vega, SPUR Student
Madelyn Whitaker, B.S, M.A.
Lachlan Zuchetto