Patty Van Cappellen, PhD.

Patty Van Cappellen, PhD. is an Associate Research Professor in the Social Science Research Institute and in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience. Dr. Van Cappellen is also the Director of the Interdisciplinary Behavioral Research Center at Duke University. Dr. Van Cappellen earned her Ph.D. in Social Psychology in 2012 from UCLouvain, Belgium. She then moved to do a postdoc with Barbara Fredrickson on positive psychology and psychophysiology at UNC-Chapel Hill where she became Research Assistant Professor.

Dr. Van Cappellen has received the Virginia Sexton Mentoring Award (2026) and the Margaret Gorman Early Career Award (2019) from the American Psychological Association Div. 36. She also received the Early Career Award (2017) from the International Association for the Psychology of Religion (IAPR). She was an Associate Editor of the peer-reviewed journal “Archive for the Psychology of Religion” from 2017 until 2021. See her Researchgate profile.

Curriculum Vitae; Contact Patty Van Cappellen, PhD.

Megan E. Edwards

Megan E. Edwards, Ph.D., is a Postdoctoral Research Scholar in the Social Science Research Institute and a part of the Belief, Affect, and Behavior Lab. Dr. Edwards earned her PhD in Social and Personality Psychology in 2024 from the University of Missouri with a Life Sciences Fellowship.

Dr. Edwards studies the intersection of emotion, positive, and existential psychology with the goal of understanding human flourishing. Currently, her work has focused on two complex positive emotions: hope and awe. Specifically, examining hope as a resource for meaning in life during difficult life events and the existential implications of awe, such as how it makes us feel (in)significant and (dis)connected from others. Her work also touches on key topics related to the psychology of religion, existential isolation, and meaning in life more broadly.

Curriculum Vitae; Google Scholar Profile; Personal Website

Kunalan Manokara

Kunalan Manokara, Ph.D., is a Postdoctoral Associate at the Social Science Research Institute, and a Research Scholar with the Belief, Affect, and Behavior Lab at Duke University. He is currently the Co-Investigator on a grant from the Templeton Religion Trust, examining the role of empathy and other positive emotions in impacting societally relevant outcomes (e.g., prosocial behaviors, intergroup interactions).

Dr. Manokara was awarded his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Amsterdam (Netherlands) in June 2023. He was then a Postdoctoral Visitor at York University (Canada) between 2023-2024. Prior to his doctorate, Kunalan earned his MPhil in Psychology from the University of Queensland (Australia), and MSc in Social Cognition at University College London (United Kingdom) where he graduated on the Dean’s List.

Kunalan conducts research at the intersection of affective science and social identity. He investigates how people make sense of emotions in relation to socio-psychological factors such as race, class, and religion. In recognition of his scholarship, Kunalan was named in the inaugural batch of Graduate Research Fellows by the Social Science Research Council of Singapore in 2021. He currently serves on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee of the Association for Psychological Science.

Google Scholar Profile; LinkedIn ; Personal Website

Camryn Yeager

Camryn Yeager is a Co-Lab Manager of the Belief, Affect, and Behavior Lab at Duke University. They graduated with a B.A. in Psychological Science from Colgate University, where they earned high honors for their thesis, which examined the intersections of post-traumatic growth and narrative identity. Their research interests include intergroup dynamics, identity, community, and positive psychology, and they plan on pursuing a Ph.D. in social psychology in the future. In their free time, they enjoy reading, cooking, baking, and spending time with their friends.

Jenna Faith McClear

Jenna Faith McClear is a Co-Lab Manager for the Belief, Affect, and Behavior Lab at Duke University. After graduating with a B.A. in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she spent some time working in faith-based social work and clinical mental health organizations. From there, she moved on to earn her Master’s in Theological Studies from Duke Divinity School, where her thesis research focused on theological and psychological conceptions of joy. Her research interests include theological and psychological constructs of positive emotion, flourishing, and mental health, and she plans to pursue a PhD in psychology in the future. Outside of reading, writing, and research, she enjoys trying new restaurants and making music with friends.

Abby Li

Abby is a junior at Duke University majoring in Psychology and Statistical Science. She is interested in exploring how beliefs and behavior can be shaped by different social environments. In the future, she plans to attend graduate school to further her education. In her free time, she enjoys watching shows (her favorite being The Office), hiking, and hanging out with friends.

Jennifer Hu

Jennifer is a senior at Duke University majoring in psychology. She is interested in exploring how people form connections and share emotional experiences, and how these experiences vary across cultures. She is also curious about how positive emotions promote prosocial behavior and well-being. After graduation, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in social psychology. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, painting, and exploring cafés downtown.

Julia Herman

Julia is currently a sophomore studying psychology at Duke University. In the future, she hopes to attend graduate school for clinical psychology. Outside of school, she loves spending time with friends and family, reading, and going to the gym.

Sarah Munjed

Sarah is a sophomore at Duke University majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Psychology and Biology. She is interested in discovering how positive emotions enhance well-being. Upon finishing her undergraduate education, she plans to apply to medical school. In her free time, she likes to fish, go to concerts, and watch movies.

Annabelle Pantzer

Cai Liu. Doctoral student (Social Psychology) at the University of Virginia.

Pranav Athimuthu. Public Health Analyst at RTI International.

Maria Naclerio. Doctoral student (Social Psychology/Affective Neuroscience) at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Amanda Bernal. Doctoral student (Social Psychology) at the University of Arizona.

Megan Edwards, Ph.D. Returned to the BABLab as a post-doctoral fellow.

Abbie Clapp. Doctoral student (Social Psychology, Gender & Women's Studies) at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Kerry O'Brien. Doctoral student (Basic & Applied Social Psychology) at The City University of New York.

Paige Freeburg. Doctoral student (Social/Personality Psychology) at Yale University.

Tehya Drummond. Project coordinator at the Cohen Lab, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Paweł Łowicki, Ph.D. Assistant Professor at the University of Warsaw, Poland.