CSI Lab Current Members


Michael W. Kraus is Professor of Psychology and Morton O. Schapiro Faculty Fellow at Northwestern University. From California, Michael was trained as a social-personality psychologist at the University of California (UC), Berkeley, where he received his B.A. in psychology and sociology. Michael is a dad, a basketball fan, and a couch potato.


Postdoctoral Scholars


Chyei (pronounced like “Shay”) Vinluan is a postdoctoral scholar interested in the relationship between 1) the cognitive processes underlying racial categorization and stereotyping and 2) experiences of encountering stereotypes and discrimination among individuals who are considered to be less prototypical of the racial group. Chyei received her Ph.D. in experimental social psychology from Tufts University. In her free time, Chyei enjoys baking cakes, trying to keep her plants alive, and watching the Chicago Cubs. 


Aline da Silva Frost is a postdoctoral scholar through Northwestern’s NURTURE program. She is interested in a) evaluative processes in both interpersonal and intergroup contexts; and b) the role of narratives in social systems of oppression. Aline received her Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of California, Davis. In her free time, she loves to travel and explore, play board games and learn languages.


Primary PhD Students


Megan Burns is a continuing graduate student interested in the psychological and structural conditions that shape how people think about and respond to inequality. Prior to joining the CSI Lab, Megan completed her undergraduate education at the University of Michigan, where she studied philosophy and psychology. In her free time, Megan loves visiting art galleries, cooking, and collecting knick knacks.


Daniel Sanji is a first-year graduate student interested in how non-prototypical minority groups (e.g., Asian Americans, multiracial individuals, nonbinary individuals) perceive stereotypes about themselves, how others perceive these stereotypes, and how these perceptions interact to influence intergroup relations (e.g., conflict and solidarity, collective action, political behavior) and identity development. Prior to joining the CSI Lab, Daniel graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a B.S. in Psychology and History, and a minor in Asian American Studies, before beginning a two-year lab manager position at UC-Berkeley. In his free time, Daniel enjoys cooking his favorite Japanese comfort foods, drawing, weightlifting, and traveling the world.


Kylie Davis is an (incoming) first-year graduate student interested in how people perceive racial and economic inequality and how those perceptions shape support for structural change. She is particularly interested in how social perception and emotional responses influence attitudes toward policies aimed at reducing inequality, especially among advantaged groups. Before graduate school, Kylie worked as a lab manager at the Kellogg School of Management and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She earned her B.S. in Marketing and B.A. in Sociology from the University of Colorado Boulder. Outside of research, she enjoys learning new recipes, reading, and watching movies with friends.


Affiliated PhD Students


Iseul Cha-Ju is a first-year graduate student interested in studying racial socialization processes and their influences on identity and bias development among racially minoritized populations in the U.S. They are particularly interested in examining race-related conversation practices amongst Asian American caregivers, and their influences on youth racial identity and intergroup attitude development. They are a member of both the SCIP Lab and the CSI Lab. They received their BA from the University of California, Irvine in psychological science and minored in gender & sexuality studies.In their free time they enjoy watching movies, collecting movie stub tickets and cassette tapes, and reading graphic novels and comics. They also enjoy journaling, playing the guitar, and dabbling in photography.


Quincy Lherisson is a second-year doctoral student studying capitalism's influence on the ways in which people think about themselves, others, and society at large. Originally from New York, Quincy graduated from the University at Buffalo, where he studied psychology and criminology. Outside of academics, Quincy is an avid film buff, a toll-free photographer, and an occasional gamer.


Amaya Mitchell is a third-year doctoral student whose research investigates how racial hierarchies and systems of oppression shape the dynamics of close relationships. Her work examines how racism and racialized stereotypes are reproduced in romantic partnerships through intergroup processes and person perception, all operating within enduring structures of power. Grounded in critical theories, her research explores the psychological mechanisms underlying phenomena like racialized attraction, romantic preferences, and the instrumentalization of people of color in relational life. She uses experimental, survey-based, and reflexive qualitative methods to inform theory and develop applied strategies for dismantling inequality in systems of social and emotional intimacy. In everyday life, Amaya enjoys thrifting, following the NBA, and unwinding to chill R&B.



CSI Lab Alumni (faculty, grads, and postdocs)


Cydney Dupree (lab co-director), professor, University College, London

Brittany Torrez, diversity and inclusion team, Yelp

Xanni Brown, postdoctoral scholar, UVA

Ajua Duker, professor, New York University

Sa-kiera Hudson, professor, Berkeley

Jun Won Park, diversity and inclusion team, Amazon

Enya Kuo, chief diversity office, Genentech

Jacinth Tan, professor, Singapore Management University

Erika Salomon, data scientist, Medic Mobile

Bennett Callaghan, analyst, City of New York

Julian Rucker, professor, UNC

Natalie Daumeyer, clinical scientist, Everlywell


Banner photos were taken by Laura McDermott