Principal Investigator

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.

Postdoctoral Researcher

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

Research Associate

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.