Our Team
Samantha Joel
Principal Investigator
Samantha Joel is an Associate Professor at the University of Western Ontario. Her research examines how people make the decisions that grow or break apart their romantic relationships, and how those decision strategies are linked to relationship, well-being, and health outcomes. Click for her CV or her Google Scholar page.
Devinder Singh Khera
Graduate Student
Dave is a Ph.D. student at Western University who is currently working under the supervision of Dr. Joel. Dave is an SSHRC Scholar (CGS-D) whose research interests include various aspects of human sexuality and close relationships. Currently, Dave has several projects on the go including research focusing on sexual compatibility, consensual non-monogamy, relational perceptions of bisexual+ individuals, and involuntary celibacy. In his free time, you can catch him escaping into a Sci-Fi audiobook or cheering for his hometown Canucks. Click here for Dave’s CV or his Google Scholar Profile.
Helena Yuchen Qin
Graduate Student
Helena is a Ph.D. student at Western University. She is interested in exploring various factors that contribute to the development of a fulfilling romantic relationship and the cultivation of individual well-being within a relationship. Her current research focuses on the cognitive processes involved in evaluating one’s romantic partner and their relationship quality in both daily life and self-report studies.
Madison Cosby
Thesis Student
Madison is a fourth year student at western university pursuing an honours specialization in psychology. She is interested in relationship science and clinical psychology, particularly how social experiences and close relationships influence well-being, with a focus on decision-making in romantic relationships and how individuals evaluate their relational experiences. She is especially interested in sexual compatibility and how alignment in partner preferences relates to relationship satisfaction and stability. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, and binge-watching shows
Kiranvir Gill
Thesis Student
Kiranvir is a fourth-year student pursuing an Honours Specialization in Psychology at Western University, completing her honours thesis in the Relationship Decisions Lab. She is interested in understanding how close relationships influence well-being across the lifespan and how social and cultural contexts shape these relationship experiences and development. Outside of the lab, Kiranvir is actively involved in student leadership and community service initiatives. In the future, she hopes to pursue graduate studies in psychology and a career in clinical or counselling psychology.
Madison Sawataky
Thesis Student
Madison is a fourth-year undergraduate student pursuing an Honours Specialization in Psychology and a Minor in Sociology. She is interested in how contextual factors such as attachment styles and current mood may influence self-reports of relationship quality and potential subsequent mental health outcomes. She hopes to pursue graduate studies in Clinical Psychology, and potentially research the links between mental health and romantic relationships behaviours.
Kylie Mercado
Research Assistant
Kylie is a recent graduate of the Honours Psychology Program at Western University. She is interested in research that explores how communication styles contribute to healthy relationships and effective conflict resolution, with a particular focus on how these dynamics impact emotional and social development in youth. She aspires to pursue graduate studies in Clinical or Developmental Psychology and build a career promoting the well-being and mental health of youth.
Elisha Cimring
Research Assistant
Elisha is a fourth-year student at Western pursuing an Honours Specialization in Psychology. She is currently working under Dr. Samantha Joel and Devinder Singh Khera to write her thesis. Her research focuses on sexual compatibility and how this affects overall relationship satisfaction. Her current study examines how heterosexual and LGBTQ+ couples differ in being able to accurately report and predict their partner's sexual preferences. She is interested in uncovering what factors affect this relationship and exploring the possible implications that may come from this research. Elisha hopes to enhance her research skills and pursue a Masters of Social Work in the future.
Elaine Liu
Research Assistant
Elaine Liu is a fourth-year student pursuing an Honours Specialization in Psychology and a Major in Sociology. She is interested in the mechanisms underlying social relationships and interactions, such as family dynamics and romantic relationships. Her thesis focuses on the phenomenon of sentiment override, and examining whether self-distancing could be a predictor. She hopes to pursue graduate studies in Counselling Psychology.
Nicole Krawitz
Research Assistant
Nicole is a second-year Honours Specialization student in Psychology at Western University. She is interested in how early social experiences and family dynamics shape relationship development in children and adolescents and how early interactions impact long-term social outcomes. She aspires to pursue graduate studies in the clinical field, and potentially working with children and young adults.
