Guiding Research Questions

What are the close relationship experiences that lead adolescents to persist in friendships that are both meaningful and harmful? How do these relationships impact mental health and adjustment over time?

I develop measures and conduct longitudinal, theory-driven investigations into the nuanced roles of conflict, victimization, and investment in adolescent friendships that are otherwise close and intimate.

In what ways do our social identities shape experiences in friendships and exposure to identity-based victimization, and how can close friendships mitigate the impact of these experiences?

My research explores how friendship functions across different identities and contexts of marginalization. I examine the ways in which the characteristics of friendship (e.g., positive relationship qualities such as support and security) can buffer or compound risk.

How can we develop youth-engaged, clinically informed, and methodologically rigorous measures to better assess, understand, and support adolescent and young adults’ close relationships?

By integrating measure development, meta-analytic synthesis, and partnerships with youth and community professionals, my work aims to advance the science of measurement and inform identity-affirming mental health supports and relationship-based interventions.