Principal investigator
Monika Lohani is an Assistant Professor of Cognition and Neural Science in the Department of Psychology at the University of Utah and the director of the ACR lab. Monika earned her M.A. in Cognitive Science from the University of Allahabad, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Social Developmental Psychology from Brandeis University. She completed her postdoctoral research training in the Department of Psychology at Yale University. Monika examines the effective regulation of attention and emotion in applied settings using psychophysiological and behavioral methods.
Lab Manager
Amy graduated from the University of Utah with a B.S. in psychology. Her interests lie in anxiety, cognitive-based therapy, and why the brain reacts in maladaptive ways to non-normative life events. She is also interested in seeing how coping techniques and music help drivers alleviate stress while driving, as well as learning new methodologies like EEG. In her free time, she likes playing video games, puzzling, and hanging out with friends.
Post-doctoral Fellows
I am a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Educational Psychology who closely collaborates with the lab on climate change and advocacy research. My interest lies in science teacher education that empowers educators to teach K-12 science embedded with environmental responsibility. Specifically, I investigate the factors that are associated with pro-environmental engagement and the ways in which compulsory science education can support those factors.
Graduate students
Ginger is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Applied Cognitive Regulation Lab at the University of Utah. She earned her B.S. in Psychology and Environmental Science from the University of Michigan (2024). Her research interests include self-regulation, motivation, and stress management, particularly as they apply to environmental behaviors. Outside of the lab, Ginger is excited to experience the outdoor culture of Salt Lake City by running, hiking, and skiing
Jamie is a Ph.D. student in the Learning and Cognition Program at the University of Utah. She received her B.S. in Psychology from the University of Utah (2019). She is finishing her MStat in Educational Psychology. Jamie is interested in emotion regulation in the context of daily stress.
Sam is a master’s student in the Learning and Cognition program whose research interests lie in reading comprehension and emotion. In addition to the ACR Lab, he is involved in the Reading Lab. When not working on research, he enjoys long walks with his dog.
Undergraduate students
I’m a junior studying psychology at the University of Utah. I am hoping to specialize in criminal psychology after graduation. I am particularly interested in psychological treatments for crime victims. If I have spare time, I enjoy watching football games and spending time with my dog.
I’m a junior studying psychology. Currently, I am working on my honors thesis. After my undergraduate, I’ll be pursuing a master’s degree with the goal of eventually becoming a clinical therapist. Some ways that I spend my free time are skiing and playing with my dogs.
I am a sophomore studying Psychology at the University of Utah. My interests currently lie in developing current understandings of identity in everyday contexts, especially in the context of internal and external stressors. In my free time, I enjoy spending time reading and baking.
Lab Alumni
I am a senior undergraduate student in psychology and pre-med. My areas of research are biomedical and psychological aspects of the brain. I have a keen interest in discovering the connecting the dots between the existing pieces of knowledge. In my free time, I like baking delicious cakes and playing guitar.
I am in my junior year pursuing a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in economics. I am hoping to work towards a human factors certificate as well. My research interests currently involve I/O psychology, and how human behavior occurs in and is affected by the workplace. My research in this lab so far has really peaked this interest and I am excited to see what comes next. Upon graduating, I hope to pursue a graduate degree in this field. My hobbies include dancing and playing video games, and a fun fact is that I am currently learning Portuguese!