Lab Members
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
ALIA CRUM
Alia J. Crum, PhD is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Stanford University and the Principal Investigator of the Stanford Mind & Body Lab. She received her PhD from Yale University and BA degree from Harvard University. Dr. Crum’s research focuses on how changes in subjective mindsets—the core assumptions we make about things and processes in the world—can alter objective reality through behavioral, psychological, and physiological mechanisms. Her work is, in part, inspired by research on the placebo effect, a robust demonstration of the ability of mindsets to elicit healing properties in the body. She is interested in understanding how mindsets affect important outcomes both within and beyond the realm of medicine, in domains such as exercise, diet, and stress. Moreover, Dr. Crum’s research aims to understand how mindsets can be consciously and deliberately changed through intervention to affect physiological and psychological well-being. To date, her research has won several awards including the NIH New Innovator Award and the Association for Psychological Science’s Rising Star Award. She is also the recipient of the Phi Beta Kappa Teaching Award and the Dean’s Award for First Years of Teaching at Stanford University. In addition to her academic research and teaching, Dr. Crum has worked as a clinical psychologist for the VA healthcare system and has created, delivered, and evaluated interventions focused on mindset change for organizations including LinkedIn, UBS, Stanford Healthcare, and the United States Navy. Dr. Crum is writing a book, BELIEVE: The Mind's Power to Create Reality (Forthcoming, 2027). For updates and more information view aliacrum.com
POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLARS
RACHAEL YIELDER
Rachael is an incoming postdoctoral fellow in the Mind and Body Lab, where she will work on the EMBody Project, an international collaboration with King’s College London testing a digital mindset intervention to support the health and wellbeing of young cancer survivors. She also researches how people’s beliefs about illness and medical treatment influence their health experiences and clinical outcomes. She recently earned her PhD in Health Psychology from the University of Auckland, during which she joined the MBL as a Fulbright Scholar. Outside of the lab, Rachael loves to spend her free time outdoors, listening to music, reading, exploring new places, and searching for a good coffee.
KATIE CLAYTON
Katie is a postdoctoral fellow in the Mind and Body Lab, with a joint postdoctoral appointment in the Polarization and Social Change Lab. At the MBL, she works primarily on the Body Mindsets Mapping Project, an international collaboration focused on uncovering the core beliefs that humans hold about their bodies and how those beliefs impact health, wellness, and performance outcomes. She also studies the relationship between mindsets and performance in athlete populations, particularly female athletes. Prior to joining the MBL she completed a PhD in political science at Stanford, where she studied attitudes and beliefs in a variety of domains including identity, misinformation, and democracy. Outside of research, Katie is a triathlete, coach, and podcaster at a platform called The Endurance Drive, where her daily experiences in sport shape her current research agenda.
GRADUATE STUDENTS
KRISTOPHER EVANS
Kris received a BA in Sociology and Communications from Stanford. Fascinated by the ability of the mind-body mechanism, the study of people, and optimal performance he joined the lab to investigate and learn more. He is involved in a variety of organizations focused on researching, developing and empowering individuals by utilizing the power of the mind-body to enhance health, well-being, and performance. Outside of the lab, you might find Kris teaching Yoga, reflecting on the self, or playing League of Legends.
RESEARCH STAFF
Lab Manager
ANDREW CRENA
Andrew is the Lab Manager at the MBL. Since obtaining a B.A. in Psychology from California State University, Chico, he has supported fMRI-focused research observing the neural underpinnings of irritability and frustration in children. Additionally, he has worked in dual-recovery clinical settings to nurture his growing interest in pursuing a PhD in Clinical or Social Psychology. He is currently researching how mindsets related to chronic illness play a role in improving treatment outcomes and life after recovery. Andrew is passionate about discovering widely-accessible interventions that seek to explore and leverage the relationship between meaningful/spiritual experiences and overall well-being. In his free time, Andrew enjoys surfing, backpacking, and watching live music (particularly at Frost Amphitheatre here on campus!).
Senior Research Scholars
CHIARA GASTEIGER
Chiara Gasteiger is an Assistant Professor at AUT University in Auckland, New Zealand. She earned her PhD in Health Psychology from the University of Auckland and joined the Mind & Body Lab as a Postdoctoral Scholar in 2023. As a Postdoctoral Scholar, she investigated the effects of a digital mindset intervention on whole-body health in cancer. She currently serves as a Senior Research Scholar. Her research focuses on how social environments shape health-related mindsets and how psychosocial factors can be leveraged to improve patients’ beliefs about illness and enhance health outcomes. Her work integrates psychological and physiological processes, contributing to the Lab’s mission to advance integrative mind–body research. In her free time, Chiara enjoys traveling, exploring New Zealand’s beaches, and insisting that dessert is never optional.
SEAN ZION
Associate Director, Medical Affairs Research at Gilead Sciences. Sean earned his PhD from Stanford University in 2022, and is now a Senior Research Scholar.
Research Coordinators
KELLIE PAGADOR
Kellie is a research coordinator in the Mind & Body Lab. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from Stanford University. While an undergraduate, Kellie was a research assistant in the lab and a member of the Stanford Women's Soccer Team. She is currently researching how mindsets about cancer can influence treatment outcomes by addressing the whole patient, beyond just the physical aspects of cancer. She is interested in digital interventions and their potential to become more effective and accessible in today's increasingly digital world. Additionally, she is particularly interested in the role of mindsets and their impact on well-being, performance, and healing. In her free time, Kellie enjoys outdoor activities like hiking, running, and paddleboarding. She also loves reading, listening to podcasts, and spending time with friends and family.
LEXI STRAUBE
Lexi is a research coordinator in the Mind & Body Lab. She holds a B.S. in Human Biology: Neurobiology, Behavior, and Health with a Notation in Science Communication from Stanford University. While an undergraduate, Lexi was a research assistant and honors thesis student in the Mind & Body Lab. Her thesis project, which explored how mindsets about the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic influenced depression and blood-based biomarkers of immune functioning, won the Firestone Medal for Excellence in Undergraduate Research. A proud member of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria (FIGR), Lexi is currently applying to medical school, with a goal of working to alleviate racial and socioeconomic disparities in healthcare. In her free time, Lexi enjoys traveling, listening to podcasts, playing board/card games, and experimenting with molecular gastronomy.
ZOË HUML
Zoë is working as a research coordinator in the Mind & Body Lab during her gap year before college. She primarily works on studies examining the influence of mindsets about the COVID-19 pandemic on physiological biomarkers of inflammation. In 2021, she founded the HIP Hero Club, the global youth branch of Dr. Philip Zimbardo’s Heroic Imagination nonprofit, where she hopes to use social psychology to inspire social activism in students. As a former competitive ski racer, Zoë likes to spend her free time outside, whether in the snow at home in Colorado or exploring new hiking/running trails near Stanford.
LAB ALUMNI
Postdocs
TAO JIANG (2024 - 2025) - Incoming faculty member at the University of California, Irvine
MELISSA BOSWELL (2022 - 2023) - VP of Science and Research, Joe Gibbs Human Performance Institute
LAUREN HEATHCOTE (2016 - 2021) - Associate Professor at King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience
BRAD TURNWALD (2019 - 2021) - Behavioral Scientist at University of Chicago, Booth School of Business
LAUREN HOWE (2017 - 2018) - Associate Professor at University of Zurich
Graduate Students
KENGTHSAGN LOUIS (2018 - 2024) - Assistant Professor at Boston College, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience
ERIK SANTORO (2017 - 2023) Postdoc at Columbia Business School
DANIELLE BOLES (2017 - 2023) Senior Researcher, Food for Climate League
MELISSA BOSWELL (2016 - 2022) - VP of Science and Research, Joe Gibbs Human Performance Institute
SEAN ZION (2016 - 2022) - Senior Manager, Behavioral Science Research at Blue Note Therapeutics
KARI LEIBOWITZ (2015 - 2020) - Health Psychologist, Speaker, and Writer
ERIC SMITH (2014 - 2020) - Postdoc at University of Texas at Austin
BRAD TURNWALD (2014 - 2019) - Postdoc at Stanford University
LAUREN HOWE (2014 - 2017) - Assistant Professor at University of Zurich
OCTAVIA ZAHRT (2015-2020) - Human Resources Analytics at European Central Bank
Lab Managers
JESSE BARRERA (2020 - 2024)
ERIK SANTORO (2014 - 2017)
ISAAC HANDLEY-MINER (2017 - 2020)
Research Coordinators
MEGAN REYNOLDS (2022 - 2023)
RINA HORII (2018 - 2020)
KRIS EVANS (2016 - 2020)
MAGGIE PERRY (2016 - 2019)
EMERSON HARDEBECK (2015 - 2018)
DANIELLE BOLES (2015 - 2017)
RACHEL HANEY (2015 - 2016)
Honors Thesis Students
KIRA CONTE (2023 - 2024)
LEXI STRAUBE (2022 - 2023)
FORREST DOLLINS (2021 - 2022)
ELIZA PINK (2020 - 2021)
MATTHEW BERNSTEIN (2018 - 2019)
ANGELA LEE (2018 - 2019)
TAYLOR DUARTE (2017 - 2018)
STEVE RATHJE (2017 - 2018)
RINA HORII (2017 - 2018)
PAST LAB PHOTOS
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